Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk might have retired from competition, at age 31, back in 1999 but he's still regularly shredding massive half-pipes three to four times a week thanks to a health wake-up call. 'I would say 10 to 15 years ago, I would skate until I was just exhausted and kind of sick. And now, I skate at least [as] much as I used to, and I feel energized,' the 56-year-old pro-skater told People on Tuesday.

'I just was going non-stop and taking whatever opportunities arose and taking red-eyes to events. I felt the effects of that greatly, but thought I was invincible.'. Tony noted: 'I had high cholesterol and high blood pressure for my age.'. Hawk's father Frank passed away, at age 72, in 1995 from lung cancer but he was also plagued with 'severe heart problems through his life.'. 'He had two heart attacks by the time he was 55. He had another one while I was a teenager, and he just didn't take care of himself,' the 6ft3in athlete explained.

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk might have retired from competition, at age 31, back in 1999 but he's still regularly shredding massive half-pipes three to four times a week thanks to a health wake-up call (pictured August 24). 'And I realized that I sort of had the same DNA makeup as I got older.'. Tony's skating endurance 'dramatically changed for the better' when he began taking care of his body more and exercising three times a week.

'I eat well. I eat much better than I used to, and just kind of watch my intake and I don't indulge in anything that is bad for me,' Hawk noted. The San Diego native also began taking the heart supplement Qunol Ultra CoQ10 and wearing a ring that measures his heart rate and fitness (like an Oura Ring). 'According to the app, my cardiovascular health is seven years younger than my actual age. So… I'll believe those steps,' Tony boasted.

'And as I get older, heart health is super important, my joint health. I went through some injuries a few years ago and I feel like I'm on a trajectory now that is way different than I've been on for a decade. Getting older, I feel really good about skating these days.'. Hawk's biggest incentive to living a longer healthier life is his family, having fathered four children with three ex-wives and he has two stepchildren through his marriage to fourth wife Catherine Goodman.

'Birdman' is now a proud, doting grandpa to four-month-old grandson Ronin from his eldest son Riley's marriage to Frances Bean Cobain. 'I will definitely spoil him and [be the] one who is willing to drop everything to get some time with him at any turn,' Tony gushed to The Pinnacle Gazette on Tuesday. The 56-year-old pro-skater told People on Tuesday: 'I would say 10 to 15 years ago, I would skate until I was just exhausted and kind of sick. And now, I skate at least [as] much as I used to, and I feel energized' (pictured January 19).

He continued: 'I just was going non-stop and taking whatever opportunities arose and taking red-eyes to events. I felt the effects of that greatly, but thought I was invincible'. Hawk noted: 'I had high cholesterol and high blood pressure for my age'. The 6ft3in athlete's father Frank (R) passed away, at age 72, in 1995 from lung cancer but he was also plagued with 'severe heart problems through his life'.

Tony said: 'He had two heart attacks by the time he was 55. He had another one while I was a teenager, and he just didn't take care of himself. And I realized that I sort of had the same DNA makeup as I got older'. Hawk's skating endurance 'dramatically changed for the better' when he began taking care of his body more and exercising three times a week. The San Diego native also began taking the heart supplement Qunol Ultra CoQ10 and wearing a ring that measures his heart rate and fitness (like an Oura Ring): 'According to the app, my cardiovascular health is seven years younger than my actual age'.

Tony's biggest incentive to living a longer healthier life is his family, having fathered four children with three ex-wives and he has two stepchildren through his marriage to fourth wife Catherine Goodman (M, pictured June 27). 'Birdman' is now a proud, doting grandpa to four-month-old grandson Ronin (M, pictured last Friday) from his eldest son Riley's (R) marriage to Frances Bean Cobain (L). Tony gushed to The Pinnacle Gazette on Tuesday: 'I will definitely spoil him and [be the] one who is willing to drop everything to get some time with him at any turn' (pictured November 11).

'Let's say I brought him on a skateboard, sitting down on it. [Catherine] said, "You can't stand up. That's the only rule." Because I have to leave it for my son to do with him first.'. Hawk - whose bio reads 'Old AF and still skating' - was a child prodigy with an IQ of 144 and he began skateboarding at the tender age of nine. By 14, the Birdhouse Projects CEO turned pro. By 16, Tony was widely regarded to be the best competitive skateboarder in the world.