Rod Stewart, 80, issues major health update after worrying fans with schedule shake-up

has issued a new health update as he shared his plans to break a new world record at 80 years old. The rock sensation recently began running 100m on a private track within the grounds of his sprawling home in a bid to stay fit. And while he's happy with his current running speed, he's keen to shave a few more seconds off despite ihs advancing years.

The dad-of-eight insisted he is stll "very fit" and has found underwater swimming particularly helpfulin looking after his physical health and his voice. Now, the musician has shared his new goal to break a sprinting world record.

Speaking to AARP - The Magazine, he explained: "I got it down to 19 seconds by learning how to push off. I'm going to try and do 17 seconds, which I think is a world record for an 80-year-old."

He went on: "I keep myself very fit. I played soccer all my life - don't so much anymore, because I had a knee replacement. And I've always had a trainer - same guy for 38 years.

"I have an indoor pool, massive gym, golf course, everything. We do a lot of underwater training, where the trainer throws a brick into the pool and I have to dive in, push the brick to the end of the pool, and come up.

"Frank Sinatra once said to me, 'Rod, the secret to being a great singer is having powerful lungs. Do lots of underwater swimming, where you hold your breath.'"

His new health challenge comes after fans were left concerned when the rocker was struck down with last year, which forced him to put his schedule into chaos.

He was set to perform in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and California, before he worried his fans after making a with where he said his "days were numbered". He later addressed fans and said that he made the comments out of jest.

Now, the musician is back to full health and is set to take to the stage at for the Legends slot next month. To mark his 80th birthday in January, Rod and his whole family enjoyed a celebration on a yacht, and his wife Penny Lancaster secretly arranged for everyone on board to dress up as him.

Asked how he had celebrated hitting the milestone, he said: "We hired a massive yacht. Cost me an absolute fortune. I don't mind - you're only 80 once.

"I've got eight kids and five grandchildren, plus various boyfriends and husbands, so there were 15 of us. We had three chefs. The boat was so big that I didn't even see some of it. We dressed up every night, with a different theme."