Oprah Winfrey is ringing in a major milestone birthday! Winfrey turned 70 on Monday and celebrated by getting active, sharing a video to Instagram of herself going for a run on the beach. She paired the video with Jill Scott’s “Golden,” writing, “This is 70! Celebrating 70 with a run on the beach. #healthisthebestgift,” she captioned the post. “Thank you for all the birthday loveLast month, the media mogul told PEOPLE that she’s feeling stronger than ever after incorporating more fitness into her life.
She admitted that she recently got a better handle on how to maintain a healthy weight long-term by using a holistic approach that includes regular exercise and other lifestyle tweaks. Winfrey also confirmed she has also added a weight-loss medication to her regimen.
Weight fluctuations “occupied five decades of space in my brain, yo-yoing and feeling like why can’t I just conquer this thing, believing willpower was my failing,” said Winfrey, whose dogged rehabilitation after knee surgery in 2021 kick-started what has been steady weight loss over the last two years.
“After knee surgery, I started hiking and setting new distance goals each week. I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends,” she said. “I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I’d felt in years.” Winfrey’s birthday with a new special edition titled Oprah: Her Incredible Life, out now. The special edition compiles all the ways Winfrey changed the culture, from a groundbreaking talk show (and its 25-season run!) to a movie career, philanthropic work and more.
When she spoke to PEOPLE for a cover story in December, Winfrey said, “Gratitude really is my religion,” adding that her 1985 movie The Color Purple “was a spiritual opening for me to see my life in a different way” at that time in her life.
She added that her lifelong purpose is to help uplift others. Oprah Winfrey’s Movie and TV Roles: 10 of Her Pop Culture Moments You Might Have Forgotten. I still continue to rise, and I’m in a space now where my offering is to help other people to rise,” said Winfrey. “The principle that is the underbelly, the cornerstone for how I operate in the world. … Life is better when you share it. Oprah: Her Incredible Life also features a 1985 interview from the PEOPLE archives, when Winfrey was on the brink of global stardom. She said at the time, “What works best in television is your ability to feel comfortable in front of the camera — and I feel real good.