David Suchet health: Poirot actor, 75, reveals ‘key’ to growing old ‘gracefully’

Poirot: Inspector Japp discovers a necklace in a bush

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The BAFTA award-winning actor has appeared on both stage and screen, and his new show Poirot and More, A Retrospective fondly looks back on this illustrious career. The show, which is returning for a limited three-week run, sees the actor sharing some of his most beloved performances in a new and intimate light. Despite plans to return to the theatre stage, the actor was also recently plagued with disappointment when he tested positive for Covid, missing out on his investiture at Windsor Castle.

Taking to Twitter, the star wrote in a since deleted tweet that he had “sad news,” going on to explain that was seeking to get a lateral flow test in order to confirm a positive Covid result.

Having had to isolate until December 23, David kept his 58,000 followers updated on both his and his wife Sheila Ferris’ condition.

On December 20, he tweeted saying: “Hi everyone. Thanks so much for your caring messages. My Covid symptoms have been mild. Still isolating til 23rd. Sheila til 25th. We have been fortunate. But still being very cautious. I beg everyone else to be also.”

Then only four days later, and seeming joyous about the festive season, he again tweeted saying: “I am now out of isolation! Feeling 100 percent. I would like to wish EVERY SINGLE ONE of my followers a HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!”

According to The Mayo Clinic, the risk of developing dangerous Covid symptoms may be increased in people who are older, or people of any age who have other serious health problems.

In this respect, with David being in his 70s, developing Covid may have been a cause for concern. However, in a candid interview with The Irish Times, the star revealed his surprising fitness routine that he credits for giving him “10 more years of life as an actor”.

Guided by his personal fitness trainer son Robert, both David and Sheila try to keep as fit as possible, and it has clearly worked, with the star not obviously having had a bout of bad health, and taking Covid in his stride at the age of 75.

During the interview, David revealed that he tried to go to the gym at least “two or three times a week,” trying to keep fit not only for himself but for his body, mind and voice.

He said: “I try to go to my gym two or three times a week and try to keep as fit as I possibly can, not just for myself, but also because my body and my mind and my voice is my instrument, through which I work. I want to be as fit as I possibly can. Keeping fit will hopefully give me 10 more years of life as an actor.

“We [him and Sheila] go to the gym together and we stretch out in the morning together and we try to give each other encouragement. I meditate with my wife most mornings. It’s a wonderful start to the day to start calm, with an empty slate.”

Going on to explain his dietary habits, the star confessed to not being as disciplined as he would like, but admits he does his “best” to be careful about what he eats.

However, for David, regular gym visits and healthy eating has not always been a priority. Sitting down with his son Robert to discuss his health and fitness journey, David said that before a dedication to his health, he had “every bad habit you could have imagined,” using full fasting and trying every diet out there to try and keep on top of his weight and health.

He said: “I used to think that either full fasting was the way to go, and I was always trying this diet or that diet or that diet, and I didn’t know that carbohydrates, fibre, calories, I mean you drive yourself crazy. It’s a minefield!

“I now know what things to eat and how to eat and what things not to combine with what I want.

“Strangely enough I think fitness is more important now than when it was when I was younger. The older you get the stiffer you get, so regular exercise is the key.”

The NHS agrees with David, stating that physical activity and exercise can help you stay healthy, energetic and independent as you get older. With many adults aged over 65 spending on average 10 hours or more sitting down each day, there is a higher risk of falls, obesity, heart disease and early death.

Commenting on getting old, David added: “It’s something we all have to face. Do I worry about it? No. Am I aware that this is happening? Oh, yes. Am I enjoying growing older? No. But I’m trying to grow older gracefully. Everybody has aches and pains at my age and it’s part of where we are in our life. I try to accept them rather than fight them.”

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The NHS continues to state that if individuals want to stay “pain-free, reduce your risk of mental illness and be able to stay independent” then you are advised to keep moving.

Exercising and eating healthy doesn’t have to be a chore, in fact it is more about simple exercise and moderating your diet that will contribute to ageing well. The health body recommends that individuals should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity every week, that’s about 10 minutes a day.

Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities include:

• Walking fast
• Water aerobics
• Riding a bike on level ground or with a few hills
• Playing doubles tennis
• Pushing a lawn mower.

Age UK also adds that it is never too late to start eating healthy. They recommend the following foods as the best in order to maintain health:

• Fruit and vegetables
• Beans and pulses
• Fish
• Eggs
• Potatoes, bread and other wholegrain carbohydrates
• Dairy
• Oils and spreads.

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