Mick Jagger Diet and Exercise Program

The Mick Jagger Diet and Exercise Program

Though band members of The Rolling Stones have lived life in the fast lane it turns out that Mick Jagger has lived a pretty clean lifestyle since the mid 1990’s. He has a meticulous diet and exercise program. And, other members of the band have also been more health-conscious in their later years.

In Keep Rolling Like The Rolling Stones we stressed the point that staying active, having a passion for something, and living life with purpose can offset poor health habits to a certain degree as well. Combine all of that with a healthy diet and exercise program and you can function well in your later years as Mick Jagger has demonstrated.

From a sports medicine perspective, two things impressed me most about Jagger’s performance at The Rolling Stones’ Zip Code Tour show in Columbus in 2015. His stamina is remarkable and his posture is still very good for a 71-year-old. What he does and can do at age 71 should be an inspiration to all of us especially those over the age of 70.

We all know the importance of stamina. But, I have found posture also to be a reliably good indicator of someone’s overall health and fitness after age 55. If you can maintain your posture in your 70’s you probably are doing a lot of things well when it comes to health and fitness.

As we age gravity pulls us down. Women tend to succumb to gravity in their upper backs and men in their lower backs and both in the neck. You have to be in good health and fitness to fight off gravity as it is a rather persistent force. Jagger has very good posture – and there is a good reason he does which we will get into later.

Watching him perform I figured Mick Jagger must have a personal trainer and decided to research it. It turns out he does have a trainer and more. When on the road the Stones employ a staff of 200 including fitness trainers, dietitians, physiotherapists, massage therapists, and chefs.

His workouts are reasonably intense and diversified. He is careful about what he eats. According to this article, he now eats a keto diet. The keto diet restricts carb intake (he does eat some carbs before a show – see below) and is higher in protein than the usual American diet. It does not necessarily restrict calories but is a form of a low glycemic diet that facilitates the maintenance of healthy body weight.

He is very disciplined and is very regimented. He approaches his training and nutrition just like a competitive endurance athlete. There is a teaching point there. We ALL need to be disciplined with our eating and exercise even if we are not training for something because after all, we are all training for life.

What my research on Mick Jagger’s health habits and family history uncovered may surprise many of you.

Jagger’s Dimensions

He is taller than most people realize at 5’10” and now weighs 161 pounds and has maintained a 28-inch waist throughout his adult life. (I recall a Dallas Cowboys running back having thighs that were 32 inches each). He probably seems shorter as he seems to like tall women. L’Wren Scott, a former girlfriend stood 6’4″.

He has youthful genes. His father died at age 93. His father was a physical education teacher and Jagger has been exercising since age three and has remained fit ever since. His father instilled in him a strong work ethic. While inheriting youthful genes helps, about three-quarters of how well or poorly we age is now felt to be driven by our lifestyles.

The video below is still the best in terms of overall quality I have seen showing Mick Jagger up close moving and strutting on the Zip Code Tour. We used it in our previous post on The Rolling Stones.

Mick Jagger’s Workouts

What does it take to be a young Mick Jagger even in his 70s? First, his trainer is Torje Eike, a Norwegian trainer whose clients include Olympic athletes and professional soccer players. Jagger’s overall exercise program is quite diverse.

He trains five to six days a week and his workouts emphasize stamina and balance. Leading up to a tour Mick Jagger runs eight miles a day including sprints. He also swims, kickboxes, and cycles. This would explain his ability to sing and move continuously during a concert without sounding short of breath.

He does some resistance training. To maintain his balance and POSTURE he takes ballet lessons and performs yoga and Pilates. On stage, I did not witness any hesitancy in his movements and he still moves with a certain amount of fluidity, grace, and efficiency.

He’s been known to cover 12 miles on stage dancing and strutting during a concert. I find this hard to believe though for a two-hour concert as it would mean he is moving at 6 mph which is a running pace and he does not run the entire show. At that pace, he would complete a marathon in less than 4 hours (3 hours and 51 minutes if I calculated correctly). The numbers are more believable if the 15 minutes of encore time are included which would mean he is moving at 5.33 miles per hour which is a jogging pace. I suspect that 12 miles reflects a three-hour concert which I believe The Rolling Stones performed in their youth which would mean moving at the brisk walking pace of 4 miles per hour the entire show.

Regardless, he usually moves in one fashion or another for most of the concert. Remember – MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE!

Mick Jagger Diet

He eats organic foods after being sold on the idea by Jo Wood, wife of Ronnie Wood band mate of The Rolling Stones. Jagger eats far more than people might think because he expends a lot of energy and I suspect also has a naturally high metabolic rate.

His diet has been consistent with that of high endurance athlete for many years and consists of whole-grain bread, potatoes, rice, beans, chicken, and fish. While on tour he eats one pasta meal a day four hours before a show. This would ensure that his muscles are glycogen-filled for his performance. He also loves avocados – a terrific source of healthy fats.

As mentioned earlier he has gravitated to a Keto diet and it’s unclear if he maintains a Keto diet while touring or goes back to a more endurance athlete diet where he consumes more carbs when he is on tour.

He uses the following nutritional supplements: vitamins A, C, D, and E along with B complex. He also takes cod liver oil (omega-3 fatty acids), ginseng, and ginkgo Biloba which help endurance and brain function.

Long before they became fashionable among rock musicians, Mick Jagger protected his hearing by wearing custom-made earplugs. He drinks minimally nowadays and reports no use of drugs in decades. And, he has found healthier ways to unwind and manage stress. He prepares for a concert two hours before it starts getting his body, mind, and voice ready for the performance.

Fun Facts About the Columbus Concert

I have a patient who had insider knowledge of The Rolling Stone’s performance in Columbus. He came into the office to see me four days after the concert.  He shared with me these tidbits.

• The Rolling Stones stage and sound and lighting equipment came loaded on 18 semis. It takes nearly a week to transport, assemble, and take down the stage, three large video screens, and sound towers. Since they are performing two shows a week there are two-stage crews that leapfrog each other going from city to city.
• In addition to cans of beer being sold at concession stands, beer kiosks were also used in which individuals could swipe their credit card and receive two cups of beer at a time – but no more than every 11 minutes.  No more than 10 beers every 55 minutes should keep one sober.
• When going through their soundcheck Mick Jagger was all business and there was no doubt he was in charge and everything was done to his liking.
• Mick Jagger used oxygen when he came off stage during the show. But, so do football players. I think this simply shows how active he is on the stage and also highlights that he prepares himself as an athlete, wants to perform as well as possible, and leaves nothing to chance.

As a fan and someone who admires those who reach the pinnacle of their profession, I appreciate individuals who are consummate professionals, prepare diligently to display their craft, and take it to the next level. Mick Jagger is one such person and he highlights the benefits of the “anti-aging” model that focuses on exercise and nutrition.

He is the exception. And, that should be the goal for all of us. To take whatever we do and whatever we are to the highest level possible and not settle for anything less than our best.

It has now been four years since the Zip Code Tour and Jagger is now 75 and still going.

At this stage in life, Jagger tries to live in the present. I will end with this quote of his. “I try not to think about when I can’t do this anymore. I say, ‘Don’t look at the clouds of tomorrow through the sunshine of today.'”

See related articles”

Become More Attractive: Improve Your Posture

Don’t Resist Resistance Training

10 Tips for Starting an Exercise Routine