Paul Walker's outdoor training regime

Paul Walker's outdoor training regime

The Hollywood star hasn't set foot in a gym for years, yet he retains his action hero physique

The obvious question: how can you look like Paul Walker? The face, unfortunately, we can't help you with. And as he doesn’t have a nutritionist or a personal trainer we can’t refer you to an eight-step workout. But he does have a program, a very effective and simple one: “My motto is, you have to do a sport every day,” he says. “Playing a little basketball, volleyball, going out surfing, skating, whatever it is. It’s the best way to live.”

Kayaking

Muscles worked shoulders, back, arms, lower back, abs

Benefit “It looks as if the paddle stroke is all arms, but the power actually comes from your torso,” says kayaker Ben Selznick, star of the movie Nurpu: Extreme Kayaking. “As a resistance exercise, paddling works both sides of your body while strengthening your core, giving better posture and tighter abs.”

Scuba diving

Muscles worked quads, hamstrings, calves, chest, abs

Benefit “You won’t break a sweat diving, but you will burn calories; your upper body will get a workout hauling the gear out of the water, and your lower body will see heavy action finning against currents,” says Travis Gainsley a PADI master diving instructor at Pro Dive USA, Fort Lauderdale, the world’s top scuba training centre. Plus, scuba is a mind-body relaxation exercise. “Underwater, there are no phones and no emails. It has a Zen aspect.”

Mountain biking

Muscles worked quads, calves, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors

Benefit “A major part of mountain biking’s appeal is that it’s a fitness sport, an exploring sport and a technical-skills sport, all in one,” says Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member John Stamstad. “Besides being a hell of a cardio workout, mountain biking improves your balance, coordination, and reaction time.”

Surfing

Muscles worked arms, shoulders, back, abs, calves, quads

Benefit “When you’re a beginner, surfing is a total cardio and upper-body workout, because you’re constantly paddling out through the waves,” says Scott Adams, a sports scientist specialising in strength training for surfing. “It’s a complete upper body aerobic workout that’ll make you incredibly fit. And once you’ve learnt to ride the waves back to shore, you’ll develop core and leg strength and balance, too.”

Snowboarding

Muscles worked hamstrings, quads, calves, abs, ankles

Benefit On the surface, boarding doesn’t seem much like a workout: ride a lift or cable car up the mountain, then slide back down. Not so says Adam Gendle, former professional snowboarder and director of snowboarding movies. “Putting in turns on the board works your legs and hips and you’ll use your abs to get back up after you wipe out.”