At 80, Goldie Hawn’s Fitness Routine Is All About Movement, Balance And Fun – here's Why It Works

At 80, Goldie Hawn is still as mobile and active as ever – very much keeping up with daughter Kate Hudson. Classically trained as a dancer – ‘I consider myself more a dancer than anything else’, she told The Guardian – she’s always been passionate about movement and wellbeing, and in the early 2000s, launched MindUp, an initiative designed to bring mindfulness into schools.

Goldie regularly posts snippets on social media of how she incorporates mindfulness into her own routine, which is often through exercise. Below, we look at some of the movements she relies on and why they are so effective for fitness and longevity.

Rebounding

Goldie often shares videos of herself using a mini trampoline to work out, and she recently posted a clip doing a short dance workout, rebounding in time to the music.

‘Rebounding is essentially low-level plyometric work performed on a compliant surface. That surface changes the ground reaction forces compared to hard-floor jumping, reducing joint impact while still exposing the body to acceleration and deceleration forces,’ physiotherapist, strength coach and founder of Move Well Gym, Kim Johnson previously told WH.

She added that it’s an effective exercise for women, particularly as they age, due to its positive effective on bone density. ‘Bone responds to load, specifically to rapid changes in load. Small jumps, hops and accelerations stimulate osteoblast [the cell responsible for bone formation and mineralisation] activity and help maintain bone mineral density.’

Then there’s the cardiovascular and coordination benefits of rebounding, as it ‘can elevate heart rate quickly, and challenge coordination, reactive stability and neuromuscular [how the nervous system and muscles communicate] timing, which, as we age, become important for fall prevention and maintaining athleticism’.

Walking

Walking is also an integral part of Goldie’s routine. In fact, in a video posted a few years ago, she said it’s ‘the most important thing you can possibly do’. In the same clip, she also recommends walking backwards in order to use ‘a whole different part of your brain’.

Indeed, one study found that walking backwards – which targets muscles you're typically not using often – can improve balance, potentially helping to reduce fall risk.

Another way to boost the benefits of your daily walk? Adding extra weight, which is exactly what Goldie did in a recent video, but using a child as said weight. Much more fun when your weighted vest can talk back and sing along, right?

At-home strength exercises

Another key part of Goldie’s routine? Weight training – but again, not in the way you might expect. In this video, she’s seen doing overhead press and standing fly with wine bottles instead of dumbbells.

It’s testament to the fact that strength training can be as simple (and resourceful) as you want it to be.

Dancing

As a trained dancer, it’s no surprise that dancing remains a big part of Goldie’s life, and she often posts clips of her dancing it out to her favourite songs.

Indeed, there’s a considerable body of research touting the benefits of dance, with one study suggesting it can significantly improve body composition, blood biomarkers and musculoskeletal function – as well as provide great cardio fitness benefits.

Stretching

Instead of ‘jumping out of bed right away’ Goldie prefers to do some simple breathing exercises before performing some leg, arm and full-body stretches, all while still lying down, which she demonstrates in this recent video.

A comprehensive review of stretching research found that regular static stretching can help improve flexibility, increase range of motion and reduce muscle stiffness.

Often, the key to sustaining a fitness routine, experts agree, is finding something you enjoy as you’re much more likely to stick at it – just like Goldie has.

Ignore the social media trends and start simple, and you might also be jumping and dancing well into your 80s.

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