Susan Lucci's Favorite Low-Impact Exercise Is Perfect For Older Women

Susan Lucci's radiant appearance is living proof of how well she takes care of herself. The "All My Children" alum, who turns 80 in December 2026, has long been the embodiment of good health and vitality. The actor credits her glow and inner sense of calm to a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and healthy eating. And for Lucci, her favorite way to stay active is a low-impact workout that's perfect for older women: Pilates. Despite facing personal challenges, including two major heart surgeries in 2018 and 2022, as well as the loss of her husband of 52 years Helmut Huber in 2022, Lucci has credited Pilates with helping her stay on top of her fitness. "I started doing Pilates in my 40s, and I'm really glad I did. I wish I'd started sooner," she told Hello Magazine. She particularly likes that Pilates incorporates different exercises that produce different results for both the body and mind. "It really helps [with] the stress, and I wish I had known about that," Lucci said. Pilates also helped her transition to healthy eating in the most seamless way. "Two weeks into doing Pilates, my cravings changed," she shared with the outlet. "Suddenly I did not want any more tacos or cheeseburgers. If anyone had told me that before, I would not have believed it. Suddenly I wanted salads and salmon and blueberries, like that." Now, Lucci follows a Mediterranean diet that mainly involves eating "fish and vegetables and fruit," she said, which "all stood me in good stead, and that's kept me healthy." Like Susan Lucci, getting older is one thing, but dealing with life's many challenges in your later years can be particularly difficult. The last thing you want is to add unnecessary stress to your life, especially through overly strenuous exercise routines. Pilates offers a low-impact solution for older women who want to maintain an active and balanced lifestyle. Just as wall Pilates can be an effective at-home workout, Pilates as a whole can be tailored to suit an individual's unique needs, health conditions, and fitness level into account. Whether someone has joint pain or mobility issues, Pilates can be modified to be gentler on weakened or compromised areas of the body while improving them over time. Research shared from UCLA Health found that Pilates significantly increased core strength and balance in individuals in as little as four weeks. Gentle Pilates for seniors may also benefit emotional health through breathing and concentration techniques (much like meditation) which can also help reduce stress. For Lucci, who underwent two separate surgeries to implant arterial stents due to severe coronary artery disease, research shows that Pilates can improve key risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure and cardiorespiratory fitness. Women should also bear in mind that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Along with eating healthy, managing stress, and monitoring blood pressure, low-impact exercises like Pilates could be the first step toward better cardiovascular health.