2 smart Mark Wahlberg workout changes that keep him ripped at 52

Actor and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg is unfairly seen as something of a fitness lunatic, but I give a lot of credit to the 52-year-old for his approach to exercise as he ages.

The reason is that, for far too long, I didn’t respect the aging process and how you need to adjust for it as you enter your 40s.

Too much pushing and not enough recovery time.

Too much impatience and not enough process.

The result was too many injuries and too much time on the shelf NOT exercising.

Wahlberg isn’t making the same mistake, as he explained to the TODAY show last week.

Here are two smart ways he’s changing his approach to fitness so he can stay jacked as hell even as he approaches his mid-50s.

The first way Mark Wahlberg is adjusting his fitness regime

Now dialing back or adjusting our fitness activities as we age can mean something different for everyone.

For someone like me, who is just a consistent, regular gymgoer, it means taking a day off even if I don’t want to but my body is telling me I should via stiffness or soreness.

Or it could mean still exercising, but doing something a little less onerous.

Maybe it’s an hour walk outside followed by an hour of yoga.

For Wahlberg, it means taking his brutal workouts down from two a day to just one.

Remember, he’s coming from a much higher fitness baseline — he works out like a professional athlete.

Wahlberg never does get into why he made the choice, and I do wonder if going as hard as he did was maybe just starting to wear on his body at 52.

Or maybe he suffered a minor injury that got him thinking about ways to stay off the shelf and in the gym.

Said Wahlberg: “Now that I’m older, I’ve realized that for me, it’s all about longevity.”

Same, Mark, same.

The second way Mark Wahlberg is adjusting his fitness regime

So what does he do with that time?

Cold water therapy like ice baths and cold plunges.

I’m trying to get over this one as too gimmicky, but I think that’s just because I don’t want to do it (lol).

Here’s what Wahlberg told TODAY:

“A friend of mine that I’m working with to try to live longer and be healthier told me that the best way to start the day is to get into cold water, no matter where I’m at.

“I always feel a lot better.

“It actually helps me sleep a lot better, and I don’t feel the aches and pains that I do, no inflammation.”

I remember not too long ago when this site was flooded with articles about taking cold showers, and at the time it just felt like a fad.

I have yet to work up the courage to experiment with ice baths or cold showers, but as a former sports journalist, I know how the top, top pro athletes use ice baths and cryo chambers all the time to bounce back from physical activity faster.

And as I said, Wahlberg may not be a pro athlete, but he’s definitely built like one.

There has to be something to it.

Personally, I’ve been experimenting with heat ever since I read this fantastic book about peak performers (affiliate link). According to author Steven Kotler, research has linked saunas with all sorts of beneficial effects, not the least of which is warding off dementia.

I’ve made a habit of hitting the sauna after every trip to the gym and honestly … I frickin’ love it.

It relaxes me, it tires me out, it loosens up my muscles, and given I go to the gym late at night, sets me up for a good night’s sleep.

I can’t say if it’s warding off dementia or not, but hey, check with me in 20 years.

Working up the courage to try cold showers or ice baths is step 2.

The final piece

Wahlberg still keeps weird hours, hitting the gym at 3:30 a.m. before starting his workday, but as I wrote in this piece, his schedule isn’t as insane as it sounds.

As long as you get your eight hours, it doesn’t matter all that much what time you start or finish your sleep session.

In fact, new research shows that keeping a consistent schedule may actually be more important than the number of hours you get.

For Wahlberg, that schedule is how he ensures workout time doesn’t get lost in the chaos of life— and that really is the key to the whole thing.

Hey, thanks so much for reading! Have you personally experimented with heat or cold therapy? How did you like it? Let me know in the comments!

My top 5 trending stories:

1. Star singer Adele revealed a MASSIVE challenge after you quit alcohol
2. The real truth of making big money writing online (they’re lying to you)
3. 3 super healthy habits that keep Victoria Beckham fit as hell at 49
4. The 1 main reason most people fail to make big money writing online
5. Quit alcohol, look as young as this legendary football coach at 72