‘Life at 72 is looking different’: Oprah Winfrey shares the exact fitness routine making her stronger than ever

What’s the best decade of life? The strongest and healthiest? For Oprah Winfrey, at least, the answer might surprise you.

‘Life at 72 is looking different than every other decade,’ she wrote in an Instagram post earlier this year. ‘Two summers and two new knees ago, I decided to add strength training to my workouts because we all need to maintain muscle as we get older.’

For Oprah, the spur to get fit may have been knee surgery in 2021 but solid science highlights the importance of resistance training for all of us as we age. Experts say we lose 3-5% of our muscle mass per decade and regular resistance training is essential to stay strong and healthy, particularly in your 70s when muscle mass starts to decline more quickly.

So how does she do it? On Instagram, she marked her 72nd birthday by cycling (pun intended) through the details of (appropriately) a 72-minute workout and strength session.

‘I never thought I’d spend my birthday doing a workout, let alone a 72-minute one!’ she wrote. ‘But as I get older, I am fully aware that it’s a privilege to have a body that can do the treadmill, the bike, the climber, the ski machine, and every machine Trainer Peter throws my way.’

In a recent video she showed herself doing kettlebell swings and in yet another she executes some impressive trap-bar deadlifts – a compound weightlifting exercise using a specially shaped hexagonal bar. You stand inside the shape, gripping the handles at your sides rather than in front, allowing for a more upright posture, neutral grip, lower back stress and a full-body exercise.

First time you’ve heard of them? Well, don’t worry. Oprah was in the same boat till recently: ‘I didn’t know what a deadlift was,’ she said. ‘I remember Adele told me she was deadlifting and...I pretended to know what she was talking about.’

Now, however: ‘I can’t say I’m ready for the Olympics... but I sure feel stronger. So in honor of another trip around the sun for me, go try something new. You never know where it will lead you.’

Not sure where to start? Walking worked for Oprah. If you’ll pardon another pun, for her it was the first step towards better fitness. She told People magazine shortly before her 70th birthday that, after knee surgery and significant weight loss, she started taking regular long walks. Soon: ‘I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I’d felt in years.’