Christie Brinkley in Two-Piece Workout Gear Looks 20 Years Younger

Christie Brinkley is one of the most legendary supermodels of all time. Her career has spanned decades. Brinkley is still looking amazing today, and recently celebrated her 70th birthday. She shared a set of photos on Instagram for the occasion. Brinkley captioned the post, “Looking in the mirror on my 70th Birthday and what do I see, I’m finally happy with the person looking back back at me. I’m no longer critical and demanding now I’m grateful and understanding. I’ve put this body thru it. I’ve broken every bone, in tiny miracles I’m all healed, in my heart and soul I’m home. It’s taken 70 years to get here, in tears and joy I’ve found my happy, so now I’m going to end this poem, before I get too sappy! Happy Birthday Indeed!” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Christie Brinkley stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Does Things That Build Her Confidence

Brinkley is open about having work done. She talked about why she chose to have it done to People. “When I look in the mirror, I want to feel like I look as good as I feel. And if you can have something done to feel more confident and better about yourself, then you feel like your face matches your spirit—and my spirit is enthusiastic and energetic."

2. She Ignores The Haters

Shutterstock

Brinkley tells People that she doesn’t care what people think about her. Especially when it comes to the people who critique her plastic surgery. "There are always going to be the people who build themselves up by pulling you down. But then there are the women who are supporting women. And if there are little things that I can do that are going to make me feel great, make me look good for my job and that would be selfish of me not to share it.”

3. She Exfoliates Her Skin

Brinkley has amazing skin, and she makes sure to take care of it. She shared her secrets in an interview with Byrdie. “I start every day by exfoliating my face. That’s something I’ve done for the past 40 years. I feel like it’s really contributed to my skin feeling fresh and smooth. Forty years ago, I read an article that said men always look five years younger than women who are their same age. They contributed that to them shaving every day, and the daily exfoliating with shaving their skin makes them look younger. I was like, I’m not going to let them get away with that!”

4. She Eats A Lot Of Produce

Brinkley is open about being a vegetarian. She tells Byrdie that she eats a lot of fruits and vegetables. “My diet is plant-based. I’ve raised my kids on what I call the ‘rainbow diet.’ I want as many colors as possible. These are all the ingredients that do wonderful things to your skin. The deep green, the leafy greens, the purples in the skin of the grapes, which produce all the antioxidants and vitamins you get from a colorful, rich diet like that.”

5. She Eats Healthy

Brinkley makes sure to eat healthy. She tells Byrdie that she avoids certain unhealthy foods. “I would say avoid sugar as much as possible. It causes inflammation...And can cause all kinds of problems... I think avoiding artificial sugar, avoiding white bread, and going for deep, rich, plant-based foods is best.”

Christie Brinkley is showing off her forever young figure – in her swimsuit. In a recent social media post the 1980s icon looks incredible in a white bathing suit as she poses in the crystal clear ocean while vacationing at Lucky House Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos. “Water, Sky, Seashells and Driftwood ..a few of my favorite things,” she captioned the set of Instagram snaps. How does the 69-year-old manage to look half her age? Celebewell rounded up her top lifestyle habits.

1. Moving All the Time

Christie has a theory: If you stay moving, you will constantly burn calories. “Don't stop moving because you'll rust. You have to grease the joints and keep moving," she told The Cut. "As long as I do that I feel great. If you start to hold still, they'll start acting up." She manages to squeeze exercise into daily activities. "While I'm brushing my teeth, I'm doing leg lifts. When I'm drying my hair, I do all kinds of squats,” she added.

2. Eating Big Meals in the Morning

Christie Brinkley/Instagram

Christie eats heavier earlier in the day. "A lot of mornings lately I will take a bowl and I throw some oatmeal right into it," she told Shape. "I rarely have time to cook it so I just eat it raw. Then I'll pour some flax seed on top of that and maybe a little wheat germ, then I'll grab a couple of handfuls of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and rinse them off, toss them in and then I pour one of those Dannon things on top and stir it up. I always describe it…it's like a really moist juicy muffin. It is so good. I feel like it is giving you a lot of good things. You can also throw a handful of walnuts in there."

3. Plant-Focused Diet

"I haven't touched a piece of meat since I read a graphic description of Chicago's slaughterhouses when I was 12," Christie told Harper's Bazaar about her almost entirely vegan diet. "I call myself a flexible vegan because, you know, Italy exists. Mozzarella and pasta exist. In France, I may have to have a piece of Camembert, you know. Un petit sandwich au fromage,” she added to The Cut.

4. Rainbow Diet

Christie Brinkley/Instagram

Like Christina Aguilera, Christie is a fan of the rainbow diet. "For lunch, I go into greens and do a salad, then add a protein like a bean or nuts," she explained to The Cut. "For many, many, many years, I've always said go for as many colors as possible in a day. That's my main concept for making sure my kids get all the nutrients—making sure the deep greens, yellows and reds and purples, all of that."

5. Warm Water with Lemon

Shutterstock

Christie starts every day “with warm water and lemons. It's something I picked up on my Instagram," she told The Cut. "Some days I alter it, and I get fancy and I put a little bit of mānuka honey on the rim of the glass, turn it upside down, and dump it in red cayenne pepper. Then I put the lemon juice in and then the hot water. That's when I have a little time. I figure that the pepper gets my system all revved up, and the lemon water gets everything flowing through."

6. Outdoor Exercise

Christie is all about outdoor exercise, including cycling, paddleboarding, surfing, skiing, and swimming. "When I was doing Chicago, I noticed that the second you do any activity and you add your arms as though you're dancing, it revs you up. Whether it's walking down the beach and moving your arms like you're swimming, or picking up rocks and walking with them, you really start sweating and breathing heavily," she told The Cut.

7. Workout Buddies and Classes

Christie prefers working out with others over solo exercise. "Everyone asks if I really use the Total Gym, and I do! It's perfect for stretching and lengthening my body. Last summer I got into SoulCycle, and in the winter I do yoga at Yoga Shanti,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.

Call it the Benjamin Button effect or the Fountain of Youth, but supermodels over 50 show no signs of slowing down and giving up on their infamous physiques and enviable looks. With solid fitness and diet routines (not to mention a healthy dose of discipline and good habits), models like Christie Brinkley, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Helena Christensen are proof that staying fit after 50 is not only possible but absolutely the norm. Here are 10 supermodels that seem to be aging in reverse.

1. Naomi Campbell

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Naomi Campbell, 53, does yoga and Pilates every day, and follows a vegetarian diet. “I just became a vegetarian, and I find it a little hard to figure out what to eat, so I just bring stuff from home,” she says. “I went to this place where they teach you how to take care of your body and clean it inside and out. After that I decided I didn't want to eat pork, chicken, or anything I felt was unhealthy. I never thought I would ever do it. It was just something I decided to do. I don't know how long it's going to last, but I feel lighter and just easier.”

2. Paulina Porizkova

Craig Barritt/Getty Images

Paulina Porizkova, 58, admits staying in shape after menopause isn’t easy. “Staying in shape after menopause takes a lot of frickin' work. Especially when you have wonky hips,” she captioned an Instagram video. “I've had to cut down on my Pilates since I came back for the jungle shooting #beyondtheedge because my hips won't cooperate. What I'm doing instead, for now, is some serious PT. I found an amazing personal trainer at my local Crunch, Shelly, who alternates hip PT with strength training. But because I’ve been doing so much traveling, my results are inconsistent. So, yes, there are drawbacks to aging. One has to work a lot harder on things that were taken for granted. On the outside. On the inside, however, all the hard work already done is finally paying off.”

3. Christy Turlington

Craig Barritt/Getty Images

Christy Turlington, 54, swears by yoga sessions. “I practice yoga almost every day,” she says. “I kind of schedule my life around it to be honest. I don't want to treat it as something that I have to squeeze in. It’s really important, and so having it be the centerpiece of my day is how I try to approach it.”

4. Iman

Taylor Hill/WireImage

Iman, 67, enjoys plenty of cardio exercises. “I try to work out every day,” she says. “A lot of walking, jogging, treadmill, jump rope. I have one bad knee, which I injured years and years ago, skiing. That's why I don't like running very much. And treadmills are so boring. Jump rope, if you do a good 10 minutes, it's a difficult cardiovascular workout. I started jump rope after I had my baby eight years ago and I could barely do three minutes. And I thought I was fit!”

5. Cindy Crawford

Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

Cindy Crawford, 57, loves pole dancing classes and anything that gets her outdoors. "Once a week, I try to go on a hike with a friend so I combine exercise and girlfriend time—it's the best multitasking," she says. "I try to get 20 minutes of cardio at least three times a week. Then I do anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour of old school lunges, weights, squats, and bicep curls—it's just stuff that I learned 30 years ago."

6. Christie Brinkley

Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Christie Brinkley, 69, loves running. “As far as exercise goes, everyone always asks if I use the Total Gym and yes, I really do,” she says. “But I also might go to a spin class or work with weights. I would say running is my favorite way to sweat, but I’m not really supposed to do that anymore because of injuries… Some days the only thing I can get in is a seven-minute run on the Total Gym. Then while I’m brushing my teeth, I’m doing leg lifts. When I’m drying my hair, I do all kinds of squats.”

7. Helena Christensen

Dave Benett/Getty Images

Helena Christensen, 54, loves to maintain strong muscle. “I do boxing and conditioning three times a week and yoga twice a week,” she says. “They keep my body strong, firm and toned. I started enjoying working out when I began to understand the anatomical aspect of it and learned how to recruit muscle groups. My favorite breakfast is porridge cooked with milk and topped off with banana, brown sugar and a big lump of melting butter in the middle.”

8. Kate Moss

Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images

Kate Moss is just six months shy of 50 and in the best shape of her life. “I reached a point in my life where I wanted more balance,” she says. “I started meditating and changing the way I live. I wanted to be healthier and more grounded. I'm a firm believer in taking a holistic approach to beauty which includes exercise, my diet and, of course, great products. I start the day with 20 minutes of meditation and follow it by practicing yoga poses or Pilates exercises. I enjoy the strength they give my body."

9. Claudia Schiffer

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Claudia Schiffer, 52, loves staying active, especially if that means she gets to enjoy the fresh air. “I love going for long walks in the countryside with my dogs,” she says. “But, recently, I’ve started working out with my girlfriends, doing everything from cardio to yoga or tennis. Every day, we do something new, which makes it fun. I’ve also started doing online workouts and going on the treadmill while watching Gilmore Girls.”

10. Eva Herzigová

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Eva Herzigová, 50, follows a vegetarian diet. “I mean, I’m very active, I have three boys, but with COVID, not moving much for such a long time, you lose your muscle mass,” she says. “I feel like I need to exercise, so we have a dog and I go for a bike ride in the park every morning. I’m not pushing it but already the idea of exercise makes me sweat because I haven’t done it for so long. I’m more an advocate of the philosophy that it’s all about what you eat. Food for me is an element of energy and a source of healing, and vice versa: food can be harmful.”

Model Christie Brinkley is known for appearing on three consecutive covers of Sports Illustrated from 1979-1981—and she returned to her swimsuit modeling days in a recent Instagram snap. Brinkley posted a series of beachside photos, including selfies in a white bikini. She captioned the series of photos: “Soaking up every last inch of Summer.” Read on to see 7 ways Christie Brinkley stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bikini Photos!

1. She Stays Active Throughout The Day

Brinkley makes sure to stay active throughout her day to keep her energy up, and encourages others to do the same. "Don’t stop moving because you’ll rust. You have to grease the joints and keep moving," she told The Cut. "As long as I do that I feel great. If you start to hold still, they’ll start acting up."

2. She Loves This Breakfast

Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Brinkley eats a healthy breakfast, and she has a favorite food. “A lot of mornings lately I will take a bowl and I throw some oatmeal right into it,” she told Shape. But she doesn’t stop there. “I rarely have time to cook it so I just eat it raw. Then I'll pour some flax seed on top of that and maybe a little wheat germ, then I'll grab a couple of handfuls of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and rinse them off, toss them in and then I pour one of those Dannon things on top and stir it up. I always describe it…it's like a really moist juicy muffin. It is so good. I feel like it is giving you a lot of good things. You can also throw a handful of walnuts in there.”

3. She Loves Veggies

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Brinkley is open about being a vegetarian, which means eating a lot of vegetables. And she makes sure to eat a lot of salads throughout the day. "For lunch, I go into greens and do a salad, then add a protein like a bean or nuts," Brinkley told The Cut.

4. She Eats A Lot of Colors

Shutterstock

Brinkley told Shape that she tries to keep her lunchtime salads colorful, and tries to eat a lot of colors throughout the day. “For many, many, many years, I've always said go for as many colours as possible in a day,” she says. “That's my main concept for making sure my kids get all the nutrients—making sure the deep greens, yellows and reds and purples, all of that."

5. She Takes Care of Her Skin

Brinkley takes good care of her skin, but she told Forbes that she used to get bad advice from people. Brinkley described her early days as a model when people told her, "Here's a bathing suit and go get a tan." But now she says, "Don't bake, fake instead."