In fact, Martha says her workout routine has barely changed throughout her life. \u201cI might not be as energetic as I used to be, but I’m pretty good,\u201d she says. \u201cThe amount of weights and things that I use are pretty much the same as they’ve always been, so I’m strong. I’m very strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll say. Ahead, learn all the ins and outs of Martha\u2019s exercise routine at 84, how gardening keeps her active, and some of her favourite recipes to make this time of year.<\/p>\n
Martha\u2019s main workouts are Pilates and weight training<\/p>\n
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she\u2019s at the gym bright and early weight lifting with her trainer. During their 45-minute sessions, they\u2019re hitting the dumbbells<\/a> and machines<\/a>. Then, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (or Saturdays, depending on her schedule), she\u2019s with her Pilates instructor<\/a> at 6:30 a.m. working on the mat<\/a> and reformer<\/a>. \u201cI do a very intense program and it’s nonstop for 45 minutes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Martha loves Pilates because it helps her work on her flexibility<\/a>. \u201cIt also is very good for strengthening one’s bones, keeping one limber, working with aches and pains, stretching<\/a> out.\u201d The stretching is particularly important because Martha sits in the car for extended periods of time while commuting to New York City from Bedford, New York. \u201cIt’s hard to sit all that time\u2014you have to do a lot of stretching,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n She also loves yoga<\/a>, but doesn’t practice it as religiously as Pilates. \u201cPilates reminds me a little bit of yoga,\u201d she says. \u201cI end with yoga stretches on blocks at Pilates.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, Martha has been a lifelong gardener, which has also kept her flexible and mobile. She started gardening \u201cas soon as I could walk and sit out in the garden,\u201d she says. Her father taught her gardening and introduced her to the gardening brand Miracle-Gro<\/a>, for which she\u2019s now the Chief Gardening Officer. \u201cI’ve been a Miracle-Gro fan for a very, very long time,\u201d she says. Martha has worked with the brand through segments on her television show and through a newsletter. She specifically loves<\/a> their new organic soil<\/a>.<\/p>\n Martha is frequently moving around in her big greenhouses and vegetable garden and on the ground planting trees, shrubs, and other crops. \u201cI’m always outside directing or working on various projects,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n