{"id":482381,"date":"2026-06-04T08:36:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T08:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/482381\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T08:36:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T08:36:16","slug":"how-jeremy-clarkson-reset-his-health-and-fitness-at-66-walking-pilates-and-trying-not-to-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/482381\/","title":{"rendered":"How Jeremy Clarkson Reset His Health and Fitness at 66 \u2013\u00a0Walking, Pilates and Trying ‘Not to Die’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rewind a decade or so, and Jeremy Clarkson<\/a> had a particular disdain for exercise, healthy eating and denying himself life\u2019s pleasures. He never worked out, smoked 40 cigarettes a day and, in his own words, drank four pints of wine daily. Now, at 65, his entire outlook on health and longevity<\/a> has shifted.<\/p>\n

At the heart of Clarkson\u2019s desire to change are his young grandchildren.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m not going to dwell on the joys of being a grandparent because what can be said about it has already been said. But I have decided that it is so wonderful that I want it to go on for as long as is humanly possible. Which means I must do everything in my power not to die,\u2019 he wrote in his column forThe Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And the British TV personality has certainly had a couple of wake-up calls.<\/p>\n

After being admitted to hospital with pneumonia in 2017, Clarkson then suffered what he described as \u2018really bad coronary artery problems\u2019 at the end of 2024. Documented in the latest series of Clarkson\u2019s Farm, he experienced a \u2018sudden deterioration\u2019 in his health and needed a stent fitted to restore proper blood flow.<\/p>\n

Why Clarkson Finally Started Taking His Health Seriously<\/p>\n

Since then, he has taken up reformer Pilates<\/a>, had a pickleball court installed at his Oxfordshire home and started going for walks<\/a> when the weather is just right.<\/p>\n

\u2018Eventually, I decided that organised, indoor exercise was not for me and decided instead to do walking. Not when it\u2019s raining obviously. Or if it\u2019s too cold, or hot. And not if I\u2019m busy. But on a reasonably temperate Sunday morning, I\u2019d get out there and pootle along,\u2019 he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u2018So far I\u2019ve relied on luck to keep me alive. But I\u2019m in sniper\u2019s alley right now and I have to work at dodging the bullets. Two years ago, I saw old age as a wearisome tangle of tubes and knee-replacement surgery. Now though, thanks to my grandchildren, I\u2019m actively looking forward to it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Clarkson\u2019s comments highlight just how much his attitude to ageing has changed.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m buying time. It hurts and it\u2019s expensive. But it\u2019s better than wasting your money on a new watch.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Diet Changes Behind Clarkson’s 3-Stone Weight Loss<\/p>\n

Diet has also become a key part of his health overhaul.<\/p>\n

He now eats burgers wrapped in lettuce<\/a> rather than buns and opts for alcohol-free versions of his Hawkstone beer. Underpinning much of that change has been a microdose of the GLP-1<\/a> medication Mounjaro, which Clarkson credits with helping him lose more than three stone in six months by suppressing his appetite \u2013 although he admits he doesn\u2019t particularly enjoy the experience.<\/p>\n

\u2018When you are on Muntjac [his name for Mounjaro] you can come down in the morning and idly help yourself to a small handful of sunflower seeds,\u2019 Clarkson said<\/a>. \u2018And it\u2019ll feel like you\u2019ve just finished a massive Christmas lunch. You\u2019re stuffed.<\/p>\n

\u2018So you find yourself living a minibar existence. Tiny packets of milk, sachets with only three grains of sugar in them, vodka in thimbles. That\u2019s not living, though. That\u2019s existing.\u2019 <\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it\u2019s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in \u2013 all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio. <\/p>\n

Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here<\/a> to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men\u2019s Health app.<\/p>\n

\"fitness<\/a>\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men\u2019s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.<\/p>\n

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.<\/p>\n

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running \u2013 he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark\u2026<\/p>\n

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs<\/a> or on X @ryandabbs_<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n