Brooke Burke adapts.
“At this stage in my life as a woman, Mother Nature throws us one challenge after another,” the television personality told Fox News Digital in a conversation about fitness and wellness.
Burke, who turns 53 in September, has incorporated compound exercises and heavy weights into her workout routine, which women often steer clear of.
“I want to jump in here quickly because most women are afraid of heavy weights. And there’s a myth that we’re going to get muscular. That’s not true. We have to consume so much protein, get so heavy, and be so diligent with that program to really change the body,” she said.
“What I found, I’m in my 50s, no one prepared us for menopause and said, ‘Learn how to lift weights.’ The reason we need to lift weights is for bone density. It’s bone health, osteoporosis. It changes your hormones. It increases your metabolism. It creates strength. It allows you to develop more coordination so we can do other things.”
“This is my first time adding really heavy weights. And heavy for me is like 10 pounds on arms, right? I’ve always added heavy weights to my booty burn programs to build curves in the glutes,” said Burke, who hosts a LIVE! Zoom workout class every Friday on her website, BrookeBurke.com. “But it makes me stronger. I can feel my body changing, I can maintain lean muscle. I also add a lot of protein to my diet because my body needs it.”
The former “Dancing with the Stars” host advises not to deprive your body of what it needs: food.
“I feel like we’re in a phase in our country of a quick fix. And this fad diet and shocking the system and so much discipline that we’re not enjoying our lives. I’m eating more. I’m leaner, I’m stronger, and I’m more satisfied. And I have more energy. I’m eating nutrient dense foods, I’m eating more protein. My smoothie – someone on social media recently asked me how many calories were in my smoothie. I was like, ‘I don’t count calories.’ I just don’t. I don’t. I have so many things to count in my life,” she said. “There are so many calories in my smoothie, but here’s the difference. It’s nutrient dense. It’s full of good fats. I’m feeding my brain. I’m feeding my body. I’m energizing my whole system. It’s just retraining the brain. Eat, everybody. Don’t starve.”
Burke says that while she does intermittent fasting in the morning, she does it “on purpose” and adds heavy cream to her coffee.
“I would never have done that. The younger me? No chance. I feel my body with it. I am happy and I eat very well. Tasty meals, herbs, spices, oils, it is a different way of approaching well-being. Different from when I was in my twenties. It is better, more fun and tastier.”