John Cena, known for his physical strength and larger-than-life persona, is determined to keep fitness a central part of his life well into old age. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the 47-year-old actor and WWE star discussed his partnership with MET-Rx and how his approach to fitness has evolved over the years, even as his commitment remains unwavering.
Cena reflected on how his fitness goals have changed throughout his life. “When I was a young 12-year-old, it was to look muscular so I couldn’t get beat up. And then as a late teen, it was to be strong so I could play sports,” he shared. “As a young 20-something, I wanted to aesthetically look good just to keep myself disciplined.”
His focus shifted significantly after he began his professional wrestling wrestling career in 1998. “After landing the ‘job opportunity of a lifetime’ in 1998 as a professional wrestler, my focus shifted to being a really strong over-the-top entertainer,” Cena explained.
Now, at 47, Cena’s goals are geared towards longevity and maintaining physical activity into his late 80s or 90s. “My goal is to be physically active until I can’t. I put a number in my head of like, I’d like to be physically active into my late 80s or 90s. To do a parallel squat in my late 80s,” he revealed.
With these new long-term goals, Cena has adjusted his workout regimen. He now spends four days a week weight training and dedicates three days to rest and focus on mobility and flexibility. He emphasized the importance of being “physically active” rather than maintaining the intense pace he followed in his younger years.
Despite eyeing his WWE retirement, Cena reassures fans that fitness will always be a part of his life. “I know my WWE journey is coming to an end, but fitness was a part of my life long before the WWE journey started,” he stressed. “Fitness will be a part of my life, hopefully as long as my heart’s beating.”
Cena expressed that he feels better than ever, noting that his well-being encompasses more than just physical health. “Graduating from Springfield College, their ethos was ‘Spirit, mind and body.’ It’s not just how you look, it’s how you think, and also what’s on the inside,” he explained. “At 47, I’m the best I’ve been in all 47 of my years on this earth.”
Consistency and making good choices have been key to maintaining his healthy lifestyle, he said. “Without specific goals, it’s really tough to go through that process. That just always helped me,” Cena noted.
This dedication to goal-setting and fitness is part of why Cena has partnered with MET-Rx for their “MET-Rx Flex” campaign. The campaign aims to give people a space to showcase their achievements and redefine the flex emoji. “Whether it’s being an engineer, if you’re a gym goer, if you play an instrument. It could be anything, any skill you have could be MET-Rx Flex worthy, because MET-Rx is indeed fuel for life,” Cena told PEOPLE.
Cena looks forward to recognizing and celebrating the hard work of others through the campaign. “We want people to be active and show us their MET-Rx Flex and in tune, I am going to be able to, through my TikTok accounts, shout these people out and hopefully get them some extra recognition that they’ve earned,” he said.
