Oprah Shares Joy and Wisdom Found in Hiking

Quick Smiles:

• Oprah shares her love for hiking and its life lessons.
• She finds inspiration in progress, not the distance left to go.
• Weight-loss medication brought her a new sense of freedom.

Oprah Winfrey has recently opened up about why hiking is her favorite exercise, often embarking on long treks, including a 10-mile hike during the holidays.

In an interview on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle, Oprah described how hiking has become central to her health journey since her knee surgery in 2021.

“The reason why I love hiking so much is because you’re looking at the top of the hill, and this is what happened when I got my knees done. I would just look at the window because I couldn’t walk and think, ‘God, I would like to get to the top of that hill.’”

She believes that each step on the trail is a reminder to focus on progress rather than the distance left.

“But you’re looking at the top of that hill, and this is what I love about it: Don’t look at how far you have to go,” she shared. “Every step you take, turn around and look at how far you’ve come.”

Alongside hiking, she emphasizes the importance of resistance training as she gets older to maintain muscle tone.

“Resistance training is really important as you get older for muscle tone,” she said.

For Oprah, hiking is more than physical movement—it’s a metaphor for appreciating one’s journey.

“You get halfway there and you look how far you’ve come,” she said. “That gives you the fuel and the strength to keep yourself going. And that’s a great metaphor for life: Don’t look at how far you have to go, look at how far you’ve come!”

Recently, she has found freedom through weight-loss medication, which helped her see obesity as a chronic condition rather than a willpower issue.

She told Jenna and Sheinelle that she feels a newfound lightness in her daily life.

“I’m not waking up and the first thing that I think about is how much do I weigh? … I’m not thinking about what am I going to eat for breakfast and if I ate something for breakfast, now I can’t eat a lunch or I’m going to skip a meal.”

“The constant (food) noise has subsided,” she added. “That is what has been transformational for me.”

Be inspired by Oprah’s story and remember to celebrate every step forward on your own journey to health and happiness.

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