British comedian and actor Steve Coogan isn’t renowned for his physicality. But staying fit is important to him – ‘I do try and keep myself in shape,’ he told GQ – and there’s even a moment in Netflix series Legends in which the 60-year-old shows off his athleticism on screen.

In addition to leading a group of customs officers-turned-undercover infiltrators, Coogan’s character, Don, is also forced to get his hands dirty.

‘In Legends, I had to run across a dockyard at great speed, and they said, “We’ve got a stand-in to do your running for you”,’ Coogan told Absolute Radio. ‘I said, “Hang on a second. Who is it? Can I see him run first?” And I watched him run and thought, “No. I am definitely doing my own running, thanks. I don’t want anyone to think I run like that.” He looked like he’d lost his horse. So I did my own running.’

‘But when we were doing Partridge, there were often insurance people saying you can’t do certain things at a certain age. You can’t leap over a fence – I wanted to do a wheelie on a bike and they wouldn’t allow me to because they weren’t insured.’

Coogan’s enthusiasm for staying active was perhaps most obvious in how he celebrated his 60th birthday. Rather than throwing a huge party like friend and The Trip co-star Rob Brydon, Coogan instead decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

‘You do reflect a lot on big birthdays. I remember turning 40 and thinking, “Okay, I’ve got here now. Can we just slow down a bit?” But then it just carries on and on,’ he told GQ.

‘Up until your early 30s, you can do what the hell you like. I’m definitely on the other side of that now. I did have to ask for a rest at some point [during Legends].’

While he’s never considered himself a gym rat, starring in a hot tub scene alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan in the 2004 film Around the World in 80 Days did briefly spark an interest in physique training.

‘On television, by and large, I’m playing people who are unattractive. So I have to look as good as I can with what I’ve got,’ he said.

A major part of Coogan’s approach to health has been getting sober. He has spoken openly about his past struggles with addiction, including being hospitalised in 1992 after mistaking a panic attack for a heart attack.

It’s a decision he believes has improved both his life and career.

‘I don’t take drugs or drink any more,’ Coogan said. ‘I will always be a recovering addict. I’m just better at everything when I don’t drink – better at being a person, better at writing, better at everything.’

Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_