Bernhard Langer’s golf game has aged like a fine wine.
Getty Images
Welcome to Play Smarta regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you become a smarter and better golfer.
Bernhard Langer seems to have done the impossible as he continues to best Father Time. Although he’s on the wrong side of 65 (he turned 67 this summer), he continues to play spectacular golf. While most people his age are moving to the front tees at their retirement community courses, Langer is still competing on the Champions Tour.
It should come as no surprise that Langer has one of the most decorated resumes of all time on the senior circuit. Since turning 50, he’s won 46 times – including an absurd 12(!) major titles. Combine that with his 42 Euro Tour wins, three PGA Tour wins and two Masters titles and you have a hell of a trophy case.
Even with all that hardware, however, Langer refuses to slow down. Even after tearing his Achilles this spring, he continued to play a full Champs Tour schedule over the summer, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Ascension Charity Classic.
So how has Langer maintained such good fitness and health into his late 60s? At the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club in June, he shared some of his secrets with us.
Langer’s Fitness Tips
1. No alcoholic beverages
Alcohol is a vice that many enjoy, but it is not always good for our body. According to National Institute of Aging, frequent drinking “increases the risk of harmful consequences, including injury and health problems.” Avoiding these health problems is key to staying fit, so Langer cuts out alcohol for the most part.
“I don’t drink alcohol at all,” Langer said. “I drink a little, but very, very little.”
2. No smoking
Smoking is another popular habit for many people – and the negative health effects are obvious. It’s also something Langer avoids at all costs to preserve his health.
“I don’t smoke (at all),” he said.
3. Stay active every day
As we age, we need to stay active to maintain the fitness that came naturally when we were younger. Taking days off from being active has far more consequences than before, so it’s important to stay active as much as possible.
“I exercise and stretch every day,” Langer said. “I’ve been doing it forever since I can remember. I think it certainly helps to be reasonably fit, have some stamina and feel better. Only the body works better when we move the body. If we become too sedentary, sooner or later you will pay the price for it. I talked to my PT, the physical therapist, and he said, if you stay in the hospital for two weeks, just two weeks, do nothing, guess how much strength you lose? Fifty percent. I was shocked. It just encourages me to do more, to do something every day, instead of laying around for days on end.”
