Oprah Winfrey, 70 years old, is not afraid of aging

“I’m excited to do every number. I remember many, many years ago, when I was a young girl, I always thought I would never make it to the 60s or 70s,” Winfrey said, referring to her difficult childhood in who grew up in poverty. .

She is grateful that she has come much further than she ever thought she would, and is now focused on aging healthily and gracefully.

“There’s a sense of knowing that there’s not that much time left, and I’m at peace with that news,” Winfrey said. “There is a sense of urgency for me to live well.”

She went on to share that the importance of being well really hit home when she had knee surgery in 2021.

“I was getting weaker and weaker to the point where it was hard to even go down two steps just to get into the car. You know that pain,” she told Roker, who has had two knee replacement surgeries. “When I finally went to the knee doctor and said, ‘I don’t know, is it time?’ He says, “It’s time if you want to move on.”

Winfrey said she had never had surgery before and was “intimidated” by the thought of it, although the procedure turned out to be “the best thing” she ever did.

“I really felt like I had a new opportunity to live inside my body in a way I hadn’t been able to for years because I’m overweight, which makes my knees even worse Winfrey said.

She also told Roker not to “be afraid” of aging and to embrace each day as it comes.

“My great gift is being able to live in the present moment. I think that’s the thing that brings me the most joy, because no matter what’s going on in your life, you can compartmentalize and be right here right now,” he said Winfrey. . “So I’m not a worrier. I’ll worry about this thing when it comes up.”

Like many other countries in the world, the US is facing an aging population. right Population Reference Bureauthe number of Americans age 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050.

Average life expectancy in the US is 80.2 years for women and 74.8 years for men, according to the CDC.

However, there are regions of the world where people are believed to live longer and healthier lives. These places, known as Blue Zones, share common lifestyle habits — such as avoiding processed foods and having strong social ties — that can be adopted elsewhere.