71-Year-Old Cher ‘Turns Back Time’ Eating a Veg Diet and Doing Planks Everyday
At 71 years old, Cher is as fabulously fit and and fashionable as ever. Fans who caught her performance at the Billboard Music Awards earlier this year can attest to the singer’s apparent agelessness, thanks in part to her super toned bod. And now the style icon is fronting the Gap’s fall campaign, alongside rapper Future, not looking a day over her infamous Bob Mackie days.
So just how does Cher turn back time? We did some digging to find out the legend’s secrets to staying fit and looking fresh, even as a — dare we say it? — septuagenerian.
She Planks for Five Minutes
When it comes to holding planks, Cher is total #goals. “I started out with 30 seconds and I thought I was gonna die,” she recently told People magazine. “Now I do three to five minutes!”
The plank is one of the best total body exercises you can do. Not only does it work the entire core, but it also works your glutes and hamstrings, supports proper posture, and improves balance. Though you don’t have to hold it as long as Cher does (30-second intervals are fine), when you throw in some additional progression moves, like alternating legs or side planks, you will still have an excellent workout.
She Exercises Five Times a Week
Cher’s been a diehard gym rat for decades, and shows no sign of slowing down.
“I exercise about five times a week because it’s something I’ve always done and I just enjoy it,” she told Hello! back in 2013. “I try to play the age card with my trainer but she just doesn’t go for it.” In addition to working out at the gym, Cher’s also a big fan of surfing, walking, and playing Wii tennis to get her heart rate up.
Though Cher probably doesn’t refer to herself as a senior citizen, she is one. And working out as a senior is one of the best things you can do for your health. Regular moderate exercise prevents chronic disease, improves mood and lowers chances of injury. Additionally, many medical conditions common among seniors, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease, are known to improve with a consistent exercise program.
Working out five times a week might be excessive for the average senior, which is why it’s important to consult with your doctor before embarking on a new exercise plan.
She’s a Vegetarian
Cher’s adhered to a veggie diet for years. “I don’t like meat and so most of things that I like are healthy for you,” she told Hello!
Because a vegetarian diet is often filled with a higher consumption of fiber, vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fat, and countless phytochemicals, vegetarians often have lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as a reduced risk of heart disease, which undoubtedly helps Cher to keep performing and exercising as much as she does. Studies have also shown that vegetarians have a lower body mass index than non-vegetarians, which helps explain the singer’s svelte figure.
Writing in her 1991 book, “ForeverFit,” Cher says that dairy products “are not good for us. I weaned myself from whole milk to nonfat milk — if I’m having milk at all. I think cheese is one of the worst things for the body. It doesn’t digest well, and most cheeses are too high in fat and cholesterol.”
There are a number of reasons to ditch dairy. High cow’s milk intake is associated with increased risks for bone fractures as well as osteoporosis, while increased exposure to estrogen, thanks to the hormones in cow’s milk, may increase the risk of cancer. Plus, a dairy-rich diet will most likely make you feel bloated — which you know Cher will not have.
The Takeaway
Ultimately, to look as timeless as Cher, sticking to a regular workout program and plant-based diet well into your seventies will make believers of us all.
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