Agile at 88: The Simple Routine Behind His Insane Longevity

This man is a ballet legend. Hollywood, Broadway. And he still teaches ballet at 88. Finance Zhang. But is it just genetics, good luck, or is there a secret to staying this mobile and energized at nearly 90? Today, he'll show us a simple routine, habits, and hacks that keep him moving, starting with ballet. Hello. Oh, here's Sierra. Now we can begin class. Finance's first key to agility comes from what he learned through dance. So this is just the easy stretch like everybody does, even if you're an absolute beginner or not. Okay. Do your students know how old you are? I mean, most people are surprised to find out I'm 88. This is Finance Zhang, dancer, teacher, and ballet legend. He rose to the top of the ballet world, performing as a principal dancer with the Harkness Ballet, and later on Broadway and in Hollywood. But for more than 50 years, he's taught the Finance Zhang ballet technique to Broadway stars and total beginners through his studio, videos, CDs, and books. Today, at nearly 90, he moves with remarkable ease. What's his secret? To find out, he challenged me to just the basics. Okay, now look at yourself in the mirror. You're actually on the stage. And every motion we do in ballet has to have opposition. And when it doesn't, then you see people clunking, they look clumsy. And stand with posture, stand as tall as you can. Yeah, this is the most important thing because nobody teaches this. That's why so many people take class and they get injured and they never learn to dance. And do you know how old Finus is? Yes, he's 88. Does that shock you? If I didn't know him, it would shock me because he is literally ageless. Yes. That's it. You don't move it, you lose it, right? The energy he has is kind of passed down to me. The age doesn't mean anything. Like this, and drop your head. Again, relax. Now bend your knee and bend your back, Sarah. Look at the light, look at the light. He is always curious, always growing. Rolling, five toes, take your time. Do you ever miss a class? Knock on wood, I never sit. In 52 years of teaching. I've always been healthy. So before the class is very relaxing. But the moment he starts the class, he's there 100%, 120%. You look like what you do in ballet. That's the unavoidable truth. So you either do it right or wrong. So now we're gonna start to work seriously. Okay, this is it. But I was already sore, so sore. That's ballet, pain in a pretty outfit. True, but I was thinking I might finally try ice bath, foam rolling, crying on the floor. No, I was thinking more magnesium. It's so perfect you said that because today's sponsor is Ritual. What? Ritual helped me and a lot of people who are feeling tired, wired, and sore. Once I started taking Ritual's Magnesium Plus, which is a combination of magnesium bisglycinate and tart cherry, I slept better and recovered faster. Okay, it's not always easy to get enough magnesium. In fact, about 50% of us are not getting enough of it, which is crazy considering magnesium's required for over 300 plus bodily function, including protein synthesis and nerve function. But with the powder plus the multivitamin, I'm filling that gaping hole of not enough magnesium. Since then, my sleep scores have been stellar, and while my muscles are still sore sometimes because ballet, the recovery is way faster. Listen, I know it can be hard to turn off after a long day. With Magnesium Plus, it's now become my cue to wind down. The magnesium helps calm my mind, the tart cherry juice helps me sleep better and with muscle recovery, and this one has no sugar, which is huge. I just mix it, drink it, and that's a signal to my nervous system, ah, we're resting now. Can I say something? Absolutely. Plus, Ritual's actually transparent about what's in their products and where their ingredients come from. Everything is third-party tested and clean certified. So stop waiting, stop guessing, and get the magnesium you need. Go to ritual.com and use code HUMAN25 or click the link in the description below and get 25% off your entire order. Got it. Anyways, back to the story. But then, Vinus challenged me to pick up the pace. So face the bell. Okay. He has high standards even for adults who maybe have never danced before. No, you never do this. That's not turnout. And your toe is moving your leg, your toe is moving your leg. Keep your turn out. Come on, keep your turn out. And keep this. Don't move this side. You can't move this side. Right shoulder back, look at the mirror, look at the mirror, you got it, look at your head that way. He's a very hard teacher. He very hard on the student, but he means good. He want you did the right way. Okay, amazing. Yay. Yeah. New York City can be a tough place to navigate. And yet, Finus moves with incredible independence and ease. So I had to know. How do you normally get around? I used to, some place, the bus. My doctor was five blocks away. I walk. My body is used to walking. What is it like to move through New York City as an 88 year old? Stressful. So I try to find ways that has fewer people on it. So you can walk. While daily walking is critical for Finus' longevity, this next piece is key to how he stayed limber all of these years. Every morning when he gets up, he immediately starts to stretch. But how he stretches was not what I expected. Wow. That arch. He uses this hanging bar to relieve pain and realign his spine. I mean, you see people walking like this, their muscles, that's from sitting. They're locked. Cause a good friend of mine who is like that, and he says it's really helped him. So you roll over like that. So you feel like you're. Oh, yeah. And what about these fun toys? This massage gun is one of his favorites. Try it, we can. Yeah. Grab it, grab it. Oh, oh my God. Is that possible? Ah! That is so tickly. Yeah, see? And he released trigger points with this cane. See what I'm doing? I'm pushing through. Yeah, try it on yourself. But there was something I was missing. And how many minutes a day would you say you stretch? Keep your body in action. Ah, so you're constantly in movement. Yes. Constantly doing stretches throughout the day. Cause that's what's wrong with most people is they just sit all day. Or they sit and watch TV. They're passive. Right. And that's really the death of people. But what does Finus eat? Or more importantly, what's his system for healthy eating? This is what I'm eating today. And here are all the calories, the carbs, sugar, fiber, sodium. So every day you track your calories, carbs, what else? Sugar, fiber, sodium, saturated fat, and protein. And you put this down for everything you eat. Yeah. And why do you do this? Well, so I know what I'm doing so I can eat properly. And you've been doing this for three years? Yeah. For every meal? Yeah. Incredible. I've got nothing else to do. Incredible. A calorie counter is great, but means nothing without practice. So I wanted to know, how does he actually use it? I have the same breakfast every day. So this is about two tablespoons, again, according to my spreadsheet. And that's my breakfast. Toast with peanut butter and jam, coffee, milk, and an egg. Okay. See if you like it. Yeah. Hmm. It is, right? It works. Yum. You know, so I mean, as long as the sugar is within your limits for the day, you know, you balance out with whatever else you eat. Right. That's why I keep a spreadsheet. Yes. Faina Shung was born in Hawaii in 1937, just years before the bombing of Pearl Harbor started World War II. He grew up in wartime, the son of tailors, who ran a small shop on a military base and went to strict English standard schools where art wasn't part of the plan. So I had to ask. So how did you discover ballet? I guess through the movies, because God knows we didn't live in an artistic family. We were just living in a neighborhood of ordinary people. And yet here you are, far from Hawaii, in New York City, having lived- It was just, well, you know, when I was little, it must've been from seeing all those Hollywood musicals. And so I told my mother, I said, I want to be a dancer. I want to go to New York and Hollywood. I want to be famous. And I was nine years old. And so she let me learn ballet and I learned hula. Years later, he rose to the top of the ballet world. But when the ballet company he built folded in the 1980s, he had to change course. Instead of fading out, Faina doubled down on teaching, reshaping ballet for real bodies and real lives. Which is how a kid from wartime Hawaii became a ballet legend. And how decades later, I found myself wondering, how is he still doing this at 88? Well, when you take ballet, you have to be consistent. They're paying you to go on stage and do those things they told you to do. You can't go up and say, oh, I don't feel like it today. You know, you've got to do it. So ballet is wonderful for that discipline. Well, even a little bit you did today, you see, that you've got to follow the rules. Yeah. While his story explains how he got here, it doesn't explain the calm and focus Faina carries through everything he does. This is how I begin every morning. The reason I took up Buddhism was to study the philosophy and as a way of purifying my own life. I was a big leader in New York. And so this room used to be filled with people that we converted. And that scroll you see is called the Gohonzon. And this is what we consider the object of worship or our focal point. It's really, it's supposed to be the life of Buddha. And the lighting is kind of improvised because this altar is 60 years old. So the lights inside burned out, but I want it to look beautiful. And I love this room because it's so quiet and these drawings on the wall were made by students I've had through the years. But the main thing is that then I have a list where I write down all my thoughts. So that's the first thing I start with. So, I mean, this means something to me and I believe that, you know, I'm sending my energy through the universe. And, you know, as I said, I've been doing this since 1966 because the idea in Buddhism is that you are responsible for everything in your life, bad or good. So you don't blame anybody else. You see something you don't like, change yourself. Finest takes ownership of his health, but I discovered he has one rule that rules them all. So you got to get a good grip. And what's good is that the sink's not going to move. So you start by this, because now I'm just letting my back sag, okay? And then I'm going to start, again, swinging. And then you push forward like this. Again, this is like anti-sitting, isn't it? Yes. Exactly. It's the opposite of sitting. So it seems like all of these movements are to keep you moving and flexible. And you're constantly- To keep your body in action. Yes. But it sounds like this is like all day. You're kind of just- Yeah, yeah, whenever. Beautiful. Movement is the key, really. Moving the muscles, moving your body. For dinner, Finest enjoys pre-packaged Korean meals for easy, healthy eating. But I had to know. What do you want your students to carry forward? Well, to take care of their health. I mean, again, you think of most people, they don't do anything. They sit and watch TV. Why do you think you have lived so well for so long? Just learning to live and to enjoy life. As I said, reading or streaming, I'm learning. Yeah, I mean, I just feel like I'm enjoying that. And every week I try to create some new exercises for that class. But it's mainly, I think, in your outlook on life and what you think of. You don't have to be doing something all the time. But despite all of this, I wanted to know the final missing piece that helped Finest stay youthful well into his late 80s. What keeps you motivated to wake up and do the next day? What's your sense of purpose in life? Well, to see what I can do for people. So the thing that keeps you going is people. Absolutely. And any final things that you would say to your younger self, if you were to speak directly to him? You did the right thing. Finest didn't wake up agile at 88. He earned it through decades of showing up. He built a life organized around movement, focus, and discipline, and stayed consistent long enough for grace to become effortless. And that's the hope in his story. Aging doesn't have to mean shrinking. It can mean moving freely if you choose the same simple practice and stick to it day after day. Put these two things together, right? Yeah, so it becomes a natural, yes. Yeah. That's a lot of pet peeves to that.