Tom Cruise is among the greatest superstars Hollywood has ever seen. For over five decades, Cruise had portrayed romantic heroes to super spies and nearly everything in between. Besides critical acclaim, Tom Cruise’s movies are renowned for the action, stunts, and realism portrayed in otherwise over-the-top Hollywood action. To achieve this, the 60-year-old Mission: Impossible star has shown immense dedication to his craft. From traditional training to an incredible variety of sports, the 60-year-old excels at them all.

As VFX-powered action sequences became over-saturated, there has been a renaissance of practical stunts and meticulously detailed action. However, Tom Cruise is among the few actors who have done their stunts for years. In an interview with Men’s Health, the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning actor opened up about how he maintains a physique and physicality of a man half his age.

It’s not just about lifting weights and a strict diet?

While traditional training, including cardio, weight lifting, and bodybuilding style training, has helped the Top Gun actor, he does a lot more. When Men’s Health asked Cruise how he stays young, the actor named a few of the activities he does. The things he named contained everything from the treadmill to extreme sports.?

“Sea-kayaking, caving… fencing, treadmill, weights… rock-climbing, hiking… I jog,”?said the then 59-year-old Top Gun Maverick actor. Unlike many actors, Cruise rarely uses a stunt double. In fact, the Eyes Wide Shut actor took?“doing your own stunts,”?to never before territory. From hand-to-hand combat, rock climbing, jumping off of aircraft, piloting them, and stunt driving, Cruise has done it all.

Hence, to look and act like a man in his thirties, Cruise mastered as many physically demanding activities as possible. “I do so many different activities,” Cruise told Men’s Health. The reason Cruise does so many activities is to maintain his strength, flexibility, and balance. According to sports scientist Anne Elliott, flexibility and balance are “the first two things that give your age away.”

Read More | 11 Years After Losing Out on a $218M Film Role to Tom Cruise, Dwayne Johnson Sends a Personal Message to Him

Technical skills like flying, sailing, stunt driving, and extreme sports also keep Cruise’s mind and reflexes sharp. In other words, Tom Cruise is as close as one can get to becoming a real superspy. In fact, his dedication has resulted in massive injuries over the years.

Performing stunts nearly cost Tom Cruise his life

Since most of his death-defying stunts are from the Mission Impossible movies, it’s no surprise that Cruise met with several accidents while filming the seven films of the franchise (so far). While filming Rouge Nation, fierce winds smashed him against the side of the Burj Khalifa while he hung from piano wires. On the sets of Fallout, Cruise nearly fell to his death from a helicopter. In a much-publicized stunt gone wrong, Cruise broke his ankle while jumping from one building to another, again while filming Fallout.

However, not all his accidents happened while filming Mission: Impossible films. Cruise once slammed into a wall while driving a Stock Car during Days of Thunder in 1990.

Watch this story | Popular MCU Stunt Coordinator and Director for Various Hollywood Movies Shares His Workout Routine

It’s safe to say there probably is no other Hollywood star going to the lengths Tom Cruise has for cinema. Hence, he not only looks and performs like a man half his age, but he might also take more risks than any 30-year-old action star for cinematic perfection.