Oprah Winfrey marked her 72nd birthday with an intense gym session on Thursday. She shared a video on Instagram demonstrating herself deadlifting during a workout. In the clip, she wore navy leggings, a long-sleeved blue top, and white sneakers. Her hair was pulled back with a headband.
In the video, Winfrey completed several reps with a weighted barbell before walking toward the camera and laughing. She admitted that at one point, she had no idea what deadlifting even meant. She joked that singer Adele had mentioned it years earlier, to which Winfrey pretended to understand, likening her experience to when she was asked about her relationship status by fans.
Winfrey included a throwback clip from a 2021 interview where Adele spoke about lifting heavy weights. In the caption, Winfrey reflected on how life feels different at 72. “Life at 72 is looking different than every other decade. 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,” she wrote.
She added, “I can’t say I’m ready for the Olympics like Adele, 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.”
Throughout recent interviews, Winfrey has been open about using GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy to assist with her weight loss journey. She also discussed lifestyle changes, including working out six days a week and quitting alcohol.
In these discussions, she expressed that being more at peace with aging has allowed for a renewed connection with her body after knee surgery and weight loss. “There is a sense of knowing that there isn’t as much time left, and I am at peace with that knowing,” Winfrey said on the Today show in 2024. She further explained, “I really felt like I’ve had a new opportunity to live inside my body in a way that I hadn’t been able to for years because being overweight caused my knees to deteriorate even more.”