Martha Stewart's 5 Secrets to Good Health at Age 83

Martha Stewart is getting a lot of new attention with “Martha,” the new Netflix documentary about her life, although the lifestyle doyenne never seems to leave the spotlight.

At 83 years old, she became the oldest cover model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2023. Fans are mesmerized by the sultry selfies she posts online and her seemingly timeless looks, including her signature blonde bob hairstyle.

The astute businesswoman and first self-made female billionaire in the United States has been a fixture on television and book covers for decades, offering culinary, entertaining and decorative advice.

Stewart also seems to be the picture of healthy longevity.

“I had no health problems. I don't take any medication. I have very good blood pressure,” she told AARP last year.

“Getting older is not something I think about. How old I am, slowing down, retiring – I just don’t dwell on that.”

Her health idol is her late mother Martha Kostyra, who lived to be 93, she added. “She was never sick. She was fantastic, she swam every day. She was an amazing woman. “Very, very good role model,” Stewart said last year.

What are Stewart's longevity secrets? Here are some of the healthy habits she's talked about over the years:

Green juice daily

Stewart says she eats a very healthy diet and drinks green juice every day, which she praises for giving her glowing skin and more energy.

“Green juice provides your body with a variety of plant-based nutrients,” she previously told TODAY.com.

Her favorite green juice recipe consists of a pear or apple, celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, ginger and lemon.

Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals – beneficial compounds that plants produce to protect themselves.

Apples and spinach are among the heart-healthy fruits and vegetables that cardiologists name as their favorites.

Pilates

Stewart does Pilates three times a week at 6:15 a.m., she told AARP.

This famous core workout strengthens and shapes the body with small, precise movements of the arms and legs, explains certified Pilates instructor Stephanie Mansour.

The low-impact exercises can be done on a mat or on a reformer machine, which helps lengthen muscles and build strength, she adds.

When TODAY's Craig Melvin tried a reformer Pilates class, he called it “perhaps the most intense exercise” he'd ever done and noticed that it used muscles he didn't know he had.

Stewart's other favorite exercise is horseback riding, which also works the core muscles, can be a good cardiovascular workout and helps people relax, notes the American Heart Association.

Positive body image

Stewart has “absolutely not had any plastic surgery” and hates Botox, but does occasionally get wrinkles on her face filled, she said in a 2023 interview with Variety. She wears sunscreen every day to protect her skin from the sun.

“I have nice legs, I have a good body, I have good skin,” Stewart told TODAY.com when her Sports Illustrated cover was unveiled.

“Maybe I'm a little fat here and there, but who cares? Overall it looks good, the package is good.”

It's important to accept and appreciate your body, as body dissatisfaction can damage self-esteem, psychologists say.

Getting up early

Stewart likes to get up early, often at 4 a.m., she told AARP. She catches up on the news and then does her exercise routine.

Many experts say that morning workouts are the best time of day to exercise. People get it over with straight away, so there's less chance of something derailing the session, and they feel good about getting it done first thing.

Studies show morning people are also happier than those who wake up later in the day, and they have other health benefits, including a lower risk of depression and premature death.

Little regrets

According to psychologists, fixating on regret can be a major source of stress, but Stewart seems to focus on resilience and positivity.

She cites her “sad divorce and my well-documented legal troubles” as the two real setbacks in her life – “that's pretty good when you only have two,” she told AARP.

That being said, she has a few regrets — like not collecting more art and not paying more attention to a potential love interest — but “nothing major,” Stewart said.