Brooke Burke adapts.
“At this point in my life as a woman, Mother Nature is giving us challenge after challenge,” the TV personality said in an interview with Fox News Digital about fitness and wellness.
Burke, who turns 53 in September, has incorporated compound exercises and heavy weights into her workout routine, the latter of which women often shy away from.
“I want to talk about this really quickly because most women are afraid of lifting heavy weights. There’s a myth that we’re going to gain a lot of weight. That’s not true. Like, we have to eat a lot of protein and do really heavy exercise and stick to this program in order to really change our bodies,” she said.
“I found that I was in my 50s, and no one prepared us for menopause and said, ‘Learn how to lift weights.’ The reason we need to lift weights is bone density. It’s bone health, osteoporosis. It changes hormones. It increases metabolism. It creates strength. It allows you to develop more coordination so you can do other things.”
“This is the first time I’ve added really heavy weights. And heavy weights for me are like 10-pound arms, right? I’ve always added heavy weights to my fat-burning routines to build curves in my glutes,” said Burke, who hosts a live Zoom workout class every Friday on her website BrookeBurke.com. “But this makes me stronger. I feel my body changing, and I’m able to maintain lean muscle. I’m also adding a lot of protein to my diet because my body needs it.”
Depriving your body of what it needs — food — is something the former “Dancing with the Stars” host doesn’t recommend.
“I feel like we’re in a phase in our country of a quick fix. And this extreme diet and the shock of the system and so much discipline has made us not enjoy our lives. I’m eating more. I’m leaner, I’m stronger, I’m more satisfied. I have more energy. I’m eating nutrient-dense foods, I’m eating more protein. My juice — the other day on social media, someone asked me how many calories are in my juice. I said, ‘I don’t count calories.’ I just don’t. I’m not going to. I have enough things in my life to count,” she said. “There are a lot of calories in my juice, but here’s the difference. It’s nutrient-dense. It’s loaded with good fats. I’m feeding my brain. I’m feeding my body. I’m giving my whole system energy. It’s just retraining the brain. Eat, guys. Don’t starve.”
Burke says that even though she intermittently fasts in the morning, she does so “intentionally” and puts full cream in her coffee.
“I would never do that. If I was younger? No way. I feel in my body though. I feel good and I eat really good food. Delicious meals, herbs, spices, oils, it’s a different way of approaching wellness. Different than when I was in my 20s. It’s better, more fun, more flavorful.”
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