There's no stopping the 81-year-old Rod Stewart, as he prepares for 37 tour dates across the US and Europe. Keeping a fit body is necessary for this. The British rockstar has maintained a heavy, disciplined fitness routine for years now.

The way Stewart trains is extremely unconventional."I keep myself very fit," Stewart told AARP. "I played soccer all my life — don't so much anymore, because I had a knee replacement. And I've always had a trainer — same guy for 38 years."

Gary O'Connor, Stewart's trainer, has created Stewart's program around 3 things: attainability, repeatability, and lifestyle relevance.

The underwater workout is attributed to the late, famous singer Frank Sinatra. Sinatra believed that his lung strength came from underwater swimming and breath-holding. And O'Connor used this input to give Stewart a structured routine.

"We do a lot of underwater training, where the trainer throws a brick into the pool and I have to dive in, push the brick to the end of the pool, and come up," Stewart said.

Sessions also include treading water while holding a brick overhead and retrieving bricks from the bottom. "He really likes doing this because he says it helps his singing," O'Connor explained. "These aren't just swim sessions — they're almost military-type workouts."

Let's take a deeper look at Stewart's training and show preparation.

Rod Stewart Sprint Training and Pre-Show Prep

Rod Stewart has taken his fitness beyond the pool. He not only sprints but also sets goals for his runs. In 2025, he revealed his aim to clock 17 seconds in the 100m, which he believes is the world record for the 80-plus age group.

His time was already 19 seconds after he had worked on his push-off technique. American Kenton Brown currently holds the 80-plus benchmark at 14.21 seconds, set at the 2024 Nevada Senior Games, so Stewart has ground to cover, but his private 100m track and treadmill sessions under medical supervision keep him in the chase.

Stewart has a well-structured preparation for his show. He is known to arrive at the venue two hours early, do his 30-minute vocal warm-up, and ride a bike to prep his legs.

"We'll do perhaps three to five one-minute pushes out of the saddle just to pump your thighs up so that you feel ready to go,"

Stewart also credits strict voice care, extended rest, constant hydration, and avoiding loud environments on the road as part of what keeps him consistent across a demanding tour schedule.

Does Stewart's fitness routine change how you think about training as you age?

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil