A 92-year-old became the oldest man to cross the Grand Canyon after getting healthy in his 70s. Here are his diet and exercise tips.

18.02.2024 - 14:23 / insider.com

Alfredo Aliaga Burdio, 92, is now the Guinness World Record holder for the oldest man to cross the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim on foot.

Burdio and his daughter, Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau, told Business Insider that his feat was possible in part because when he was in his 70s, he changed his habits to become more healthy.

Burdio, his family, and two witnesses finished their trek over two days — 21 hours and 15 minutes of hiking.

"Nobody is too old to do things," Burdio said. "Do like me. You can improve your abilities." 

During his trek, which took place in October, Burdio and his daughter recalled how fellow hikers who had heard whispers of his goal and admired his tenacity stopped them for selfies. The attention slowed Burdio's group, but they found the support motivating.

"It was just so encouraging," Anabel said. "It's like when you run a race, and people stand on the side to cheer you on. It just makes everything better." 

Burdio even made fans out of a group of firefighters from Tuscon, Arizona, who happened to be hiking through the Grand Canyon at the time. To celebrate Burdio, they made him an honorary member of the Tucson Fire Department.

Although Burdios' most recent Grand Canyon excursion is making headlines, it wasn't the first time he made the journey. In the last 30 years, he's walked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim at least seven times.

According to Anabel, her parents shared a love for natural wonders and explored the world after retiring. During that time, the pair biked 1,800 miles from Finland to Germany, visited the Mount Everest base camp in Nepal seven times, and spent a year traveling across US national parks. Burdio's wife died in 2006.

"Then my mom got sick. She had ALS," Anabel said. "My dad did the caretaking for two years, and that's hard on a person to see somebody you love die and care for them. That's physically and mentally exhausting." 

It was around this time, nearly two decades ago, that Burdio consciously made a change. 

"Now, I have no diagnosis or illnesses. I have no medicaments," Burdio said. "I am healthy."

Burdio told BI that eating well and drinking water is the first step. For dinner, Burdio often eats warm oats with a splash of milk alongside nutritious add-ins like dry figs and almonds.

"This is one of my favorites. This is always my dinner. I have my dinner at 4 or 5 o'clock in the evening," he said. 

Secondly, he advised people to walk for at least 30 minutes every day.

"It's not so much, and it is cheap to do this," he added. "If you have more time, do more." 

Burdio said he walked eight miles for three hours daily for around eight months to train for his record-breaking Grand Canyon hike.

And finally, he said getting at least eight hours of sleep is paramount. 

"I