- American popstar, actress, and Grammy-winner Cher turned 74 Monday.
- The iconic performer maintains the same youthful energy as she did more than 50 years ago, when she first rose to stardom.
- Cher credits her health to consistent exercise, a plant-based diet, and an “eclectic” skincare routine.
Cher just turned 74, and the Goddess of Pop celebrated her birthday in quarantine as best as she could: with an outdoor party featuring masks, gloves, and social distancing. “Not easy!” Cher tweeted on Thursday. “Hope we did it right. A million things you’re used to doing that you can’t do.” We totally hear you, Cher.
Even though Cher rose to stardom in her early 20s after Sonny & Cher’s I Got You Babe topped the charts—she’s not slowing down just yet. Several decades later, she continues to sell out solo shows worldwide as one of the most successful entertainment figures of all time.
Now, at 74, Cher maintains the same vibrant, youthful energy as she did more than 50 years ago when she was an aspiring performer. Her iconic show attire has featured skin-tight leotards, sheer, lacey fabric, and knee-high stilettos—even to this day. The way she moves on stage is nothing less than impressively athletic, and it has left many of us wondering how she does it.
Well, we did some digging to find out all of her diet, skin care, and fitness secrets—and apparently a five-minute plank is involved. Here’s how Cher looks so young at 74.
1. She works “twice as hard” in the gym.
Walking in 5-inch heels is difficult enough, but imagine strutting around a huge stage in them while singing and dancing at 74. While Cher makes being fit look easy, she works hard to maintain her physique. She told Hello! Magazine that she works out five days per week with a trainer who doesn’t let her “play the age card.”
She admitted to E! Online in 2010, though, that “you have to work twice as hard” and “be in the gym all the time” as you get older. Oh, and did we mention she can hold a five-minute plank?
In 1991, the singer released a book dedicated to her diet and exercise routine, which she says is nothing short of hard work. “I’ve killed myself in the gym to have this body. It isn’t like I have some amazing secret that nobody else has.” Still, Cher also finds some time for fun workouts, like surfing, walking, and yes, even Wii Tennis.
2. She follows a plant-based, dairy-free diet.
It’s not exactly surprising that Cher’s diet doesn’t include greasy bacon or fatty burgers. The Grammy-winner has admitted on Twitter that she avoids ham and red meat. “I don’t like meat and so most of things that I like are healthy for you, apart from desserts.” she told Hello! in 2013.
In her book Cher Forever Fit: The Lifetime Plan for Health, Fitness, and Beauty, the star outlines her strict, low-fat diet. “I try to avoid foods with a high fat content because they make me sluggish and keep my weight up,” she confirms. “I weaned myself from whole milk to nonfat milk—if I’m having milk at all. I think cheese is one of the worst things for the body. It doesn’t digest well, and most cheeses are too high in fat.”
She admitted to snacking on M&Ms and Goldfish while filming movies, but eventually opted to give up junk for healthier options in between takes.
“Michelle [Pfeiffer] and I found out we could microwave sweet potatoes in four minutes, and that changed our entire lives,” she wrote. “We lived on sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, and Caesar salads.”
Brown rice, legumes, vegetables, pastas, and fruit are also on the menu, according to her book. “Pastas give me a lot of energy, and so do fruits like bananas, papaya, and nectarines, because they have a lot of sugar but it isn’t refined.”
3. She avoids smoking and alcohol.
In addition to increasing your risk of various cancers, smoking has also been linked to heart disease and weight gain. Luckily, Cher quit the old habit.
“Being healthy has always been part of my life. It just works for me,” she told Closer in 2013. “There are things I don’t like that are unhealthy, like drugs and drinking, so I never got into them to begin with. I smoked cigarettes for a while and I’d have done drugs had I liked them, but they didn’t agree with me.”
She also passes on the happy hour invites. “I’ll only drink three or four times a year, too.”
4. She takes care of her skin.
Cher’s favorite skin care brands? “I have a friend, her name is Dr. Barbara Sturm, and she makes an eye cream and face wash that I love. I love Jan Marini products too. I also have Proactiv products that I love,” she told People.
She also pointed out that she doesn’t exactly have a strict skin care routine. “My skin care routine is very eclectic. I don’t stick to one particular product, I just have things that I love from different people.”
Dr. Barbara Sturm Cleanser
Jan Marini Age Intervention Retinol Plus Face Cream
Dr. Barbara Sturm Eye Cream
Well, whatever you’re doing, Cher, you’re doing it right! Happy 74th birthday to the queen!
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Currently an assistant editor at Prevention.com, Nicol is a Manhattan-based journalist who specializes in health, wellness, beauty, fashion, business, and lifestyle. Her work has appeared in Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Houston Chronicle, Business Insider, INSIDER, Everyday Health, and more. When Nicol isn't writing, she loves trying new workout classes, testing out the latest face mask, and traveling. Follow her on Instagram for the latest on health, wellness, and lifestyle.
