How “old man” Schumacher keeps himself fit

How “old man” Schumacher keeps himself fitThe return of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher to Formula 1 makes him the oldest driver on the grid at 41 years of age, and some might question if he still can withstand the rigours of top level racing, especially after his initial plan to step in for Felipa Massa last season was aborted when his neck couldn’t take the strain. The German has now said that although he “resprays” his greying hair, he is in perfect physical shape for Formula 1.

Schumi, who has signed a three-year contract to drive for Mercedes GP Petronas, told German newspaper Bild: “I started to dye parts of my hair in, I think, 2005.” He also revealed he’d had his eyes tested (“I don’t need glasses!”) and had lost the five kilograms gained since retiring back in 2006. Michael now tips the scales at 74kg, which he describes as his ideal racing weight.

Schumacher’s fitness regime involved playing football and swimming. “I jog very little because I’ve had back and knee problems since the age of 14 but what is strange is that I can play three hours of football without a problem but can’t jog for 45 minutes,” he said. “I now swim a lot. Half an hour of breaststroke a day makes an incredible difference.”

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Ahmad on Feb 02, 2010 at 10:32 pm

    Go Schumi!

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  • funny shumi..he cant jog but can play football…i thought in a football game u need to jog all the time while sprint at a certain period!!…wtv…he is the best!!!

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  • drMpower on Feb 02, 2010 at 10:52 pm

    of course, from the perspective of science, swimming is the best exercise where the whole body do their part each time one goes for a swim. however, it is quite absurd whenever he can go football for whole hour but cannot jogging for 45 minutes. could it be the studs? and the ground?

    if thats the case, maybe he should try go jogging in studs and on grass field.

    kudos to schummi. the body gives u back what u given it. however, aging is a process which is not reverseable. no matter how much swimming u do. getting it slow maybe, but not stopping it.

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  • peYno F**K on Feb 02, 2010 at 11:22 pm

    he already beat rosberg in practice session…nice

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  • Mazda 3 MPS on Feb 02, 2010 at 11:25 pm

    lol orang tua

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  • loveyourdidi on Feb 02, 2010 at 11:37 pm

    OLD is GOLD

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  • Schumi could cement his reputation as F1's greatest champion if he wins this years title even after retiring few years back… Go go schumi!!!

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  • tanasi on Feb 03, 2010 at 12:36 am

    that Nigel Mansell potbellied chap was a world champion at 40. No problem F1 is easy.

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  • wallstreet on Feb 03, 2010 at 12:56 am

    Schumi was known to be the fittest F1 driver during his racing days..At 41, he can easily regain all the fitness level..and if he can maintain this, I believe he can still be a F1 champion at the age of 50!

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  • peYno F**K on Feb 03, 2010 at 12:56 am

    tua bukan sebarang tua…masih kuat dari segi zahir dan batin..go go schumi

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  • bobby on Feb 03, 2010 at 12:56 am

    I felt proud with the Petronas word on his racing cloth !!!!

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  • If he wins this season, it will be one of best comebacks ever. But should he retires after three or four years down the road and then make another comeback plus winning another title after that, he would be the greatest driver in the known observable universe. Not even an ET can match this record…:)

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  • good luck schumi… try the best..

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  • aTan aHmad on Feb 03, 2010 at 2:25 am

    Can't wait to watch F1 batle…

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  • Go Micheal!. Show to the world that old is not slow.

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  • Tiadaid on Feb 03, 2010 at 3:18 am

    Schumacher's not the only person to have raced in F1 in his 40s. Mansell did it, even the maestro himself, Juan Manuel Fangio raced in his 40s. If he's fit, then there's no problem…

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  • Mazda 3 MPS on Feb 03, 2010 at 3:19 am

    im supporting alonso

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  • The master is back! 3rd in practise and that is probably him not even trying. HAHA! Hail the Kaiser of F1!

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  • Ferruccio on Feb 03, 2010 at 6:18 am

    Schumi's performance in testing, mind you it was the first day of testing at Valencia.. confirms that he is fit enough and is on par with the current drivers. It is where he is expected to be. If he(or any of the other drivers) showed signs of personal struggle, they should be kicked out immediately.

    That's the only conclusion we can draw for it.. that he is 'on par' with the current drivers. It is way, way too early to judge whether he and his car is exceptional in anyway against the rest. We haven't even seen RBR yet.

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  • former PTMSB member on Feb 03, 2010 at 8:27 am

    Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King..to the 8th World Championship Title..

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  • kimi_ on Feb 03, 2010 at 8:57 am

    The only driver i will support is Kimi Raikkonen

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  • the fighter on Feb 03, 2010 at 10:00 am

    kimi_ said,

    February 3, 2010 @ 12:57 am

    The only driver i will support is Kimi Raikkonen

    __________________________________________________________________________

    i feel sorry for u bro, as his place has been taken by alonso, he not afford to join moderate team..better doing in wrc ..but sebastian loeb is 'the master' in wrc ..

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  • The Royal Academy of on Feb 03, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    doubt schumi will be as good

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  • Leonardo on Feb 03, 2010 at 6:28 pm

    Schumi is fitter than some guys half his age! I am more concerned about the 'fitness of his car' than him.

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  • Ferruccio on Feb 03, 2010 at 7:07 pm

    Judging by the amount of effort they put in since spring 2009 on developing the MGP W01, I don't see why Schumacher's car would not be 'fit'. The litmus test will be in Bahrain of course. Until then it's hard to confirm for sure.

    Ross Brawn ran almost continuously his 2010 car development programme with no real hiccups. He also had at his disposal 2 full windtunnels plus an older one for initial work. It doesn't sound like they were handicapped in anyway against the rest.

    Interestingly the MercGP looks a bit more radical in design compared to most rivals, especially the front nose, which I don't think will change dramatically in Bahrain. However other bits near the back like double diffusers are all interim parts and will be upgraded for Bahrain. So I don't see any major issues with this team, at least for now.

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  • Ahmad on Feb 03, 2010 at 10:43 pm

    Remember Mike Doohan the MotoGP? He used to be called "The Last Mohican" since he was the oldest racer during that time. Perhaps Shumi would be called similarly among his fans.

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  • Sbpir on Feb 03, 2010 at 11:07 pm

    Go schumi…kick them all

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  • KickingDust on Feb 04, 2010 at 2:00 am

    Having work with Schumi for the past 5 years, what differs him than others, is able to match his mental & physical strength with the ability of his aging machine's performance in a race.

    In the past,many times.. his feedback to his engineers was even faster before the data from the telemetry can be translated into words.

    He also normally pace himself down towards the end of the race after taking the lead from the begining. Its normal practise for him, to finish the race side by side with his team mate. This is certainly a rare ability among the drivers off today.

    My best wishes to my dear friend.

    Cheers.

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  • no skool like the old skool.

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