Enrico Macias at 87: How daily habits keep him fit and the directive he gave his children
On a studio stage on Saturday, March 21, 2026, Enrico Macias sat with a quiet steadiness that felt deliberate: a singer framed by soft lights, a presenter visibly moved as he sang an homage to the city of his birth. What began as a musical moment quickly turned into a compact lesson on routine, stamina and choices that have shaped a long life.
What does Enrico Macias say about his daily routine?
His explanation was spare and practical. The singer says he attributes part of his well-being to destiny and providence, but he also points to a lifetime of sports and disciplined habits. He recalled that when he was young he practiced sport “almost at high level, ” building endurance and daily discipline that he still relies on. He no longer smokes, he follows a balanced rhythm of healthy eating and sufficient rest, and he works with exercises adapted to his age—most notably an exercise bike he uses regularly.
Asked about the tone of those exercises, he offered a wry aside about age: “I still do them; they’re old people’s sports, ” a comment delivered with the mix of humor and self-awareness that punctuated the conversation. He framed the maintenance of fitness not as a secret but as habit: “It’s a matter of habits and discipline. I continue to exercise and take care of myself; that’s what allows me to stay in shape, ” he said, describing a regimen that ties physical activity to everyday choices.
What has he decided about his end-of-life and family arrangements?
Alongside talk of vitality, the singer has also been explicit about his wishes for the end of life. Enrico Macias, who is father to two children and grandfather to five grandchildren, has already given directives to his children about his end-of-life care and about placement in a collective residence for elderly people. He made those intentions public in the context of his recent work as the star of the fiction “Maison de retraite, ” a series that began broadcasting earlier in March, and in interviews where he said he had been clear about his plans.
That combination of forward planning and maintained physical discipline creates a portrait of someone balancing present strength with practical preparation. The directives to his children are an extension of the same discipline he described for health: a conscious set of choices meant to ease the path for himself and his family.
Back in the studio: a closing scene
Back on the stage, the moment that opened the conversation—his sung tribute to Beirut—felt to the presenter like something intimate and unavoidable. The presenter, who has recently moved and is herself originally from that city, was visibly moved by the homage, and the exchange underscored how habit and memory sit side by side in his life. Enrico Macias returned again and again in the conversation to the twin themes of discipline and roots: daily routines that preserve the body, and clear instructions that preserve dignity for the end of life.
That image of the 87-year-old singer—steady on a studio chair, laughing at the notion of “old people’s sports, ” speaking plainly about destiny and giving clear directives to his children—leaves a simple, human question open: can the habits someone keeps now shape not only how long they live but how they choose to live through the final stages? For Enrico Macias, the answer is bound up in small, deliberate acts every day and in the conversations he is already having with the family who will follow his wishes.
