Malaysian bodybuilder, 72, believes exercise fights Covid-19 – and he still pumps iron every day
- Grandfather works out with weights every day, and says ‘weightlifting and exercise can slow down ageing and keep you healthy’
- Five times a Mr Universe contestant, he won gold in the 1981 Southeast Asian Games, and runs a gym in Perak where he charges the public US$1 a day to train
Working out with ageing equipment in his modest gym, 72-year-old Malaysian bodybuilder A. Arokiasamy bench presses two dumbbells and then flexes his muscular arms.
Despite his advancing years, Arokiasamy still pumps iron every day, and believes staying healthy with a vigorous routine is the best defence against the coronavirus.
He got into bodybuilding after dropping out of school. He went on to represent Malaysia in several editions of Mr Universe and won gold in the 1981 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.
Arokiasamy – whose hero is Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie star and former Mr Universe – started coaching aspiring bodybuilders in lifting weights and opened his gym in his hometown of Teluk Intan in the state of Perak.
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Malaysia’s 72-year-old bodybuilder proves age is just a number
“Weightlifting and exercise can slow down ageing and keep you healthy,” Arokiasamy, who has seven children and five grandchildren, said. “The deadly coronavirus pandemic is threatening us – we can fight it by lifting weights to stay fit.”
While bodybuilding may not be commonly associated with the elderly, some research suggests it does have health benefits for those getting on in life. A 2016 US study found that when people aged 65 and older did strength training at least twice a week, their life expectancy improved substantially.