12 Genuinely Amazing Health And Fitness Records

1. Oldest person to conquer the seven continents’ highest summits

Even for a comparatively young person, conquering the highest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents is quite a feat. But, to complete it when you’re over 70 years of age is incredible.

That’s just what Spanish-born Roman Blanco did. After climbing Aconcagua in the Argentinian Andes at the age of 42, he waited 18 years before taking on the other six peaks. He managed to climb all six, including Everest, before his 74th birthday.

2. Youngest person to run marathons on every continent

According to the Guinness Book of World Records this honour falls to Tim Harris who, at the age of just 23, took just three months to run his way around the world. Beginning in South America he moved on to New Zealand, Italy, USA, Singapore, Morocco and Antarctica to complete the set. He then went on to compete in a trans-Antarctica 100km run – just for fun.

3. World’s largest Zumba class

The combination of dance and aerobic exercise has made Zumba one of the most popular kinds of cardiovascular exercise in recent years. But however crowded your class becomes, it will never compete with the world’s biggest session featuring 12,975 participants. The record was set in Mandaluyong in the Philippines, with a total of 84 licensed Zumba instructors.

4. World’s largest Greek salad

If you’re following a strict marathon nutrition plan, then salad could play an important role in your diet. And while a big plate of the green stuff may look like a challenge to eat, it’ll be nowhere near the 13,417kg Greek salad made in Crete in 2010. Containing 7,000 kg of tomatoes, 3,000 kg of cucumbers and 800 kg of Feta cheese, the record for the world’s biggest Greek salad is definitely an impressive one.

5. Heaviest aircraft pulled by a man

Another impressive fitness record is the one set by the “Powerlifting Pastor”, Kevin Fas. Back in 2009, the American priest, pulled a 416,299-pound, CC-17 military-grade cargo plane, 29-feet along the runway at a Canadian Air Force base. But that’s not his only feat, he’s also dragged loaded tractor-trailers, arm-wrested a fire truck, and lifted a platform with 20 women standing on top of it.

6. Longest ever hula hoop session

There’s nothing like hula hooping for developing your core muscles - not to mention building abs of steel. For most people just a few minutes is enough before they have to let the hoop fall to the ground, but not Aaron Hibbs. He kept his hips gyrating for 74 hours and 54 minutes in 2009. Admittedly he had a five minute break each hour, but it's a pretty impressive record nevertheless.

7. Laughing for the longest

They say that laughter is the best medicine and that was certainly what Belachew Girma hoped to prove when he set out on his attempt to break the world record for the longest chortle-athon. In the end he managed to chuckle non-stop for three hours and six minutes. His overall aim was to encourage others to relieve the stress in their lives through laughter. He’s even set up what he thinks is the first ever laughter class in Africa to further his cause.

8. Most marathons over a year

Sticking to a marathon training plan and completing the run is a massive achievement in itself. So imagine how pleased IM Chae Ho must have been in 2009 when he completed 106 marathons in a year at the age of 59. The female record is held by Yolanda Holder who also completed 106 marathons a year later in 2010.

9. The longest snog

Did you know that a long and passionate kiss has been shown to cut down stress, release “feel good” endorphins and burn calories? Well, just imagine how much good a kiss lasting 46 hours and 24 minutes must do. That’s how long Ekkachai and Laksanka Tiranarat, kept up their smooching in a contest organised by Louis Tussaud's Waxworks in Pattaya, Thailand.

10. Longest bouncy castle bounce-athon

In March 2011, five staff members at the “Hero’s the Party Experience” venue in Ohio decided they were going to see just how much bounce they had in them by attempting to beat the world bouncy castle record. As well as raising awareness of their business, they were also raising money for the state’s Diabetes Youth Services. They managed to keep up the jumping for an exhausting 26 hours!

11. Mile record on a space hopper

An equally bouncy world record was cracked by Ashrita Furman in 2010 when the New Yorker jumped aboard that iconic 1970s toy ‘the space hopper’ and set about bouncing a mile on it. She covered the distance in an amazing 13 minutes without suffering a puncture.

12. The world’s oldest person

One of the main reasons people get fit is to live a long and happy life – something which Jeanne Louise Calment did. Born in 1875, Jeanne died a staggering 122 years later in 1997. When asked the secret of her longevity, she believed it was down to a diet including a great deal of olive oil – which she also used as a skin moisturiser – and eating a kilo of chocolate a week. The record for men is held by Jiroemon Kimura of Japan who died on 12th June 2013, aged 116 years and 54 days old.