Russian singer Grigory Leps has said he avoids competitive sports because he considers high-intensity athletic activity mortally dangerous for people of his age.
The musician shared his views in comments reported by the media outlet Furor Media on Instagram, a social network owned by parent company Meta, which Russian authorities have designated an extremist organization and banned from operating in the country.
The 64-year-old performer said he continues to do physical exercise every day, swimming approximately one thousand metres and walking at least five kilometres on foot. However, he specifically avoids strength workouts and lifting heavy weights.
Leps explained that sport at his age could prove mortally dangerous.
Career and background
Leps, whose full name is Grigory Lepsveridze, is one of the most prominent and commercially successful musical artists in Russia. Holding the honorary title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation, the country's highest state honour for performing artists, he is widely recognized for his distinctively raspy baritone voice, dynamic vocal range, and theatrical delivery.
Born in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Leps performed in local venues before moving to Moscow in the nineteen-nineties. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he built a massive national following by blending Russian chanson with pop and rock music. His best-known songs, including A Glass of Vodka on the Table and The Best Day, have made him a permanent fixture on Russian radio and television, drawing large crowds to arena tours across the country.
Adoption refusal
The singer's comments about his age follow earlier public statements regarding his personal life and his desire to expand his family. Leps previously revealed that social guardianship authorities had refused to allow him to adopt a child.
According to the singer, guardianship officials turned down his application because of his advanced age and his heavy concert touring schedule. Leps noted, however, that his chances of securing approval to adopt might change in the future in the presence of a young wife.
