I’m 90 but I look 20 years younger – these are my 3 secrets

Many people spend their lives searching for the secret to ageing gracefully.

But one 90-year-old reckons he’s figured it out.

Robert Eddison, a writer from London, says people accuse him of lying about his age and say he looks 20 years younger.

‘Every time I go out, people tell me I must be in my 70s or 60s. They even accuse me of lying to them,’ said Mr Eddison, who shares his daily routine on TikTok.

And he has now revealed his three tips for retaining youthful looks and good mobility — daily stretches, yoga and a strict skin care routine. 

And he has now revealed his three tips for retaining youthful looks and good mobility — daily stretches, yoga and a strict skin care routine

Stretch exercises 

‘My back was so bad it skewed to the right,’ Mr Eddison said. ‘So, I decided to fix it, and I went to an osteopath who worked himself out of a job.’

He was recommended two to four exercises to do daily and says they were ‘incredible’. 

In a recent video, Mr Eddison says: ‘I’m 90 and I bet I have a more flexible back than you. Let me show you.’

He then proceeds to sit on the floor and roll backwards into a shoulder stand with his feet behind him touching the floor. 

Mr Eddison then demonstrates some of the exercises he does each morning, starting by lying in his bed and pulling his legs into his chest.

He then rolls left and right before keeping his feet together and opening his legs – which can also help the hip flexors. 

Mr Eddison then kneels on the floor, puts his hands above his head and leans backwards, looking up to the sky, before being filmed doing sit-ups.

He claimed that if you exercise daily, you will have ‘no back problems in old age.’ 

Researchers from the University of St Mark and St John in Plymouth conducted a review of previous studies, which gave some credence to Mr Eddison’s claim.

They found that aerobic exercise increases the blood flow and nutrients to the soft tissues in the back, improving the healing process and reducing stiffness that can result in back pain. 

Researchers from the University of St Mark and St John in Plymouth conducted a review of previous studies, which gave some credence to Mr Eddison’s claim that exercising daily means you won’t have back problems in old age

Mr Eddison also completes balancing exercises, such as standing on one leg for a few minutes as often as he can, which means he has never had to use a cane. 

He demonstrates slowly walking with a cane and claims that while this is what comes to mind when people think of a 90-year-old, it’s ‘BS’.

Filmed standing at his front, Mr Eddison stands on one leg, steadying himself with his arms – one of the balancing exercises he says he does regularly. 

‘If you use a stick you become dependent on it and you lose the ability to walk without one,’ He added. ‘I aim to do my balance exercises every day.’ 

Yoga

Mr Eddison also credits the centuries-old practice of yoga for helping him to look younger.

And studies have shown that doing regular yoga is a great way to slow the clock. 

Researchers from Arizona, the West Indies and India conducted a review of previous studies to measure if yoga really can help you age well.

The authors wrote in 2011 in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine : ‘Yoga practice has positive effects on cellular ageing, mobility, balance, mental health, and prevention of cognitive decline.’

They added that recent research supports the idea that yoga counteracts the ageing process, as a 12-week programme involving classical yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation was associated with ‘positive changes in the levels of biomarkers of cellular ageing’.

Mr Eddison also credits the centuries-old practice of yoga for helping him to look younger

Dr Vonda Wright, an orthopaedic surgeon and the author of Fitness After 40, said that as you age you lose muscle mass, ‘as much as 15 per cent each decade if you’re not active’.

But she said that doing yoga plus other strength exercises four to five times a week helps slow this loss. 

‘The skin is like a drape for the underlying musculature,’ she added. ‘So if those muscles are toned, you’ll look firmer and your skin will be less baggy.’ 

Skin care routine

Mr Eddison also credits his youthful looks to a strict skin care routine. 

He uses a day cream, which protects him from the sun, a night cream and an anti-ageing cream, which he puts under his eyes. 

He also pinches the skin on his face daily to prevent wrinkles. 

Mr Eddison said: ‘I’ve been massaging in anti-ageing cream with UV protection for the past 50 years and to avoid wrinkles under the eyes I have been pinching the skin under them for most of my life. 

‘What’s more I neither drink nor smoke. So take good care of your face, use sun protection and avoid stress. That’s it.’