WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Paulina Porizkova says exercise has helped ease her severe anxiety while improving her appearance and strength.
  • The 61 year old supermodel tries to visit the gym three times weekly and combines strength training with Pilates.
  • Porizkova works with a trainer and says she feels stronger after bilateral hip replacement, menopausal weight gain and arthritis.
  • Fans praised her as an inspiration, including one person facing a possible future hip replacement.

At 61, supermodel Paulina Porizkova is celebrating what exercise has brought to her life. In a recent Instagram post, she showed followers her gym routine and explained how training has helped her appearance, strength and severe anxiety.

Exercise was not always part of her routine. “I really used to hate to work out. And so I didn’t do it until I was in my 40s, and I realized that it really helped with my pretty severe anxiety,” she said over footage of herself lifting weights.

Porizkova added another straightforward reason for staying active. “And also it made me look better.”

Even now, she said she does not particularly enjoy working out and would “much rather be reclining on the couch and reading novels.” Reading would “feed my brain, but it doesn’t really do it for my body,” she explained, so she continues going to the gym.

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Her routine typically includes three gym visits each week. She alternates between sessions that focus on her upper body and lower body, while reserving another day to work on both areas.

Porizkova said she has listened to advice from doctors and Instagram influencers encouraging her “to lift heavy.” She also incorporates Pilates into her fitness schedule.

The Instagram footage showed her performing several exercises, including hammer curls, cable pulls, deadlifts, pull ups and lunges. The workout offered followers a closer look at the strength training behind the results she described.

Porizkova said the benefits extend beyond managing anxiety and changing her appearance. She now feels considerably stronger, even after gaining 10 pounds.

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“So, despite my 10 pound weight gain, I can dance the night away with people half my age. How about that?” she said.

She supported that claim with footage of herself dancing alongside a group of people at the wedding of her son’s friend. Although the other dancers were younger, Porizkova wrote that “we still pretty much out-danced them all.”

Safety has also been part of the process. Porizkova assured followers that she and her husband work with a trainer who “taught us HOW to lift properly so we don't injure ourselves.”

The results have given the couple a striking new perspective on aging and physical fitness. “To feel like we’re in the best shape of our lives in our sixties is a revelation,” Porizkova wrote.

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She placed that feeling in the context of significant physical challenges. “This is after my bilateral hip replacement that kept me in severe pain for years, after my menopausal weight gain, after Jeff’s knee trouble, and including arthritis in both of our shoulders … and yet, We have never felt more at home and at ease in our bodies.”

Followers responded with supportive messages, and one called the former “America’s Next Top Model” judge an inspiration. The commenter said physical therapy was helping postpone a possible hip replacement and that seeing everything Porizkova could do after having both hips replaced offered hope.

The story also featured nutritionist Marissa Clark discussing exercise and nutrition on “Fox & Friends First.” Clark said women should prioritize protein intake and strength training.

Clark warned that muscle loss can undermine long term health, particularly among people using weight loss medications such as Ozempic. Porizkova’s post focused on her own experience of becoming stronger, easing anxiety and feeling more comfortable in her body through consistent training.

Are you feeling overwhelmed or hopeless right now? Have you been withdrawing from people or activities you usually enjoy? Are you having thoughts about hurting yourself, or feeling like things will never improve?

You do not have to handle those feelings alone. Support is available, and talking to someone can make a difference. You can reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or by chatting online at 988lifeline.org. Trained counselors are available 24 hours a day to listen and help.

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call emergency services right away. Even a small step, like reaching out to a trusted friend, family member, or professional, can help create a path forward.