John Cena Saves Father's Life by Helping Him Lose Weight
WWE Superstar John Cena helped his father save his life in order to be happier and healthier. The younger Cena took charge of his father's diet and exercise regimen and got him help from sports scientists and nutritionists. Now, Cena Sr. has lost 50 pounds and is feeling like a new man.
The Cena men had had their ups and downs throughout their relationships, but there was always an undercurrent of love and respect. After Cena Jr. made it big in the WWE, he moved to Florida and invited his father for a visit. That's when he noticed that all was not well with his father.
"He couldn't finish the tour. Dad had to stop and catch his breath," Cena Jr. told the Huffington Post.
"The doctors told me if I had a heart attack now, there's nothing they could do," Cena Sr. said.
He weighed nearly 285 pounds, down from his heaviest at 310. Cena Jr. knew that his father needed help and decided to get involved and make sure he did all he could to save his father's life.
"My dad thinks he's invincible, thinks he'll live forever. But he's like most people – give him an excuse like the weather's bad or I'm going to this or that party – and some fancy diet program just isn't gonna happen," Cena Jr. said. "Basically, the program is eat healthy for six days a week, eat whatever you want that last day. On the third week, we add two, 20-minute workouts."
At the end of the 10-week program, Cena Sr. had lost 50 pounds and his blood pressure was back in the normal range. Plus, he felt much, much better and had rekindled a relationship with his son-- perhaps the best gift of all.
"I'm 70 years old and people say I look 52," Cena Sr. joked. "I want to stick around a while, remember those days, the boys wrestling in the basement. I want to remember those days with my kids, to laugh and just enjoy life."