July 13, 2026, 3:16 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
The days when he wielded a whip and shot action scenes as Indiana Jones are over. But even at 84, Hollywood star Harrison Ford remains fit and healthy. His secret? Staying active. How his lifestyle looks today and how he achieved his “Indy” form around 40 years ago can be read at FITBOOK.
Standing in front of the camera, learning lines, and enduring long shooting days in his mid-80s—many seniors can only dream of such fitness. Not Harrison Ford. The actor appears mentally and physically agile and healthy. What’s his secret?
Exercise in Old Age
In old age, one deserves to take things a bit slower. But balance is important. Those who become completely inactive quickly lose muscle mass and mobility as they age. This makes one more frail and susceptible to injuries—from which one may never fully recover. Harrison Ford apparently knows this and ensures he gets enough exercise in his daily life. “I am physically active. I play tennis, ride a bike, and do a little gym training,” he revealed in an interview with “Film Inside”.
What he does in his personal gym, he shared at age 75 on the U.S. talk show “The Ellen Show.” Host Ellen DeGeneres asked him about his routine after a GQ cover showed him with a toned bicep. He trains with weights and an ab roller, Ford replied. “I’m old school.”
According to earlier media reports, Ford’s strategy has long been to incorporate regular and consistent light exercise into his daily routine rather than relying on intense fitness programs. There is talk of daily walks and plenty of activity on his ranch in Wyoming. Additionally, the actor is a hobby pilot, which also requires a certain level of physical and mental fitness.
His Diet
Also in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres a few years later, Harrison Ford revealed some details about his diet. He eats a lot of “vegetables and fish.” Additionally, his diet does not include dairy or meat products. “I just decided I didn’t want to eat meat anymore,” the actor revealed.
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Fit Like Indiana Jones
Harrison Ford’s perhaps most famous role is that of adventurer Indiana Jones. As a hero who battles through treacherous terrain and defeats villains with a whip, the actor had to get in shape. This was especially true for the second film in the series, which required many shirtless scenes from Ford. But unlike today, it wasn’t standard in Hollywood back then to transform into muscle-bound figures with minimal body fat with the help of a team of personal trainers and nutritionists.
In his early 40s, Harrison Ford worked with a trainer for the first time on his body for “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” The training, as Ford’s “Indiana Jones” trainer Jake Steinfeld revealed in a 2024 interview with “Men’s Health,” did not involve lifting heavy weights. Instead, the Hollywood star trained with moderate weights and many repetitions, six days a week. Towels and brooms were also used.
According to Steinfeld, the workout began at 5:30 a.m. with a 30-minute warm-up session consisting of stretching exercises with a broom. The main training always focused on one body region. “Monday, Thursday: chest and triceps. Tuesday, Friday: back and biceps. Wednesday and Saturday: shoulders and legs. Abs every day,” Ford’s former trainer revealed. The duo used towels for resistance training, followed by exercises with dumbbells. They seemed to use the towel like the fitness bands popular for home workouts today. “It wasn’t about turning Indiana Jones into a bodybuilder. The guy was super defined, and you achieve that through many repetitions. We did sets of 100 reps. I love supersets. I’m old school.”
Harrison Ford Knows How It’s Done
Based on this experience alone, Harrison Ford knows what it means to train in the gym. Even though he doesn’t do it in the same way at over 80: some studio training, some tennis, some horseback riding, and a healthy diet—that’s how you stay mobile and healthy even in old age.