Oprah Does Strength Training at 70
Oprah Winfrey has committed to strength training in her 70s to protect bone and muscle health. Her example is part of a growing movement encouraging older adults, especially women, to make resistance training a cornerstone of their longevity and wellness routines.
- Oprah's current fitness routine includes hiking 3-5 miles daily, with 10-mile hikes on weekends, sometimes while wearing a 10-pound weighted vest. Her strength training sessions happen 3-4 times a week and incorporate exercises like heavy deadlifts and squats using weights up to 50 pounds. - A significant catalyst for her renewed focus on fitness was a knee surgery in 2021, after which she aimed to regain and build strength to feel "strong, more fit and more alive." - The benefits of such a routine for women over 60 are supported by research; one study, the LIFTMOR trial, found that postmenopausal women with low bone density who engaged in high-intensity resistance training twice a week increased their spinal bone density by an average of 2.9%, while a control group performing lighter exercise lost bone density. - Beyond bone health, strength training helps combat age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, which in turn boosts metabolism, as muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. - Her longtime personal trainer, Bob Greene, whom she met at a spa in 1992, has been a key figure in her health journey for decades and co-authored a book with her. - Winfrey has also been open about using a GLP-1 weight-loss medication as a tool to quiet "food noise," viewing it as a supplement to, not a replacement for, her exercise and nutrition habits. - Other notable women who champion fitness later in life include actress Angela Bassett, who works out with a trainer doing cardio and weights, and fitness influencer Joan MacDonald, who began a viral fitness transformation in her 60s.
