Oprah Champions Strength Training
Oprah Winfrey is publicly championing strength training in her 70s to protect bone and muscle health. Recent studies find that grip strength is a strong predictor of longevity for older women and could become a routine health metric.
- After undergoing double knee surgery in 2021, Oprah Winfrey shifted her fitness focus to include strength training to maintain muscle, mobility, and balance. - Her comprehensive workout routine includes hiking 3 to 5 miles daily, with longer 10-mile treks on weekends, sometimes while wearing a 10-pound weighted vest. - For strength training, she works with a trainer 3 to 4 times a week, incorporating exercises like heavy deadlifts and squats with weights up to 50 pounds. - Winfrey has been open about her past struggles with her weight, including her highest weight of 237 pounds in 1992 when she was unable to complete a hike she has since finished in under two hours. - She has publicly stated that she now uses a doctor-prescribed weight-loss medication as a tool to manage her health, alongside her diet and exercise regimen. - This fitness journey marks a significant mental shift for Winfrey, who has said she previously viewed exercise as "punishment" but now considers daily movement a "non-negotiable" part of her self-care. - In addition to exercise, Winfrey follows a diet focused on whole foods and finishes her last meal by 4 p.m. to allow for a longer period of digestive rest overnight. - Winfrey has hosted public conversations about obesity, advocating for it to be recognized as a chronic disease to help remove the shame and blame she has said she experienced for 25 years.
