9 Martha Stewart Pics That Hint Her 80s May Be Her Best Decade Yet
In 2023, at 81, Martha Stewart was the oldest woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated to date. The iconic entrepreneur posed in a plunging white swimsuit — another trend Stewart proved women can rock at any age. Since the magazine is famous for featuring youthful supermodels on its cover, Stewart was challenging ageist cultural conventions just by showing up. She's determined not to let her age define — or limit — her life. "I paused for about one minute and said, 'Oh, why not?'" Stewart said, explaining her reaction to the invite from Sports Illustrated, during an interview with AARP. "The shoot came out great. People told me it made them feel good about themselves, and that's important to me."
Clearly, Stewart isn't letting age slow her down. In fact, now that the multi-hyphenate is in her 80s, her life appears to be more vibrant and exciting than ever. "All of us should think about good living, successful living — and not about aging," she told Sports Illustrated (via Vogue), continuing, "The whole aging thing is so boring." Whether she's entertaining, traveling, or goofing around with Snoop Dogg, Stewart proves that age is just a number. She's defying all kinds of stereotypes about what life looks like after 80, proving that women don't need to give up on feeling sexy, fulfilled, or exciting, just because they're in a later stage of life.
She's staying active
Getting older clearly hasn't slowed Martha Stewart down, since the entrepreneur finds plenty of ways to stay physically active. Occasionally, like in the photo above, Stewart shares photos of herself on horseback. In fact, getting into the saddle is one of her favorite ways to get moving, along with Pilates, hiking, and sailing. "I might not be as energetic as I used to be, but I'm pretty good," she told Women's Health. "The amount of weights and things that I use are pretty much the same as they've always been, so I'm strong. I'm very strong."
She's not ashamed of a little Botox
Though many public figures demur when asked about cosmetic procedures, Martha Stewart has been open about what she's done to stay youthful. "It's not cutting me and sewing me up," Stewart shared on an episode of "The Martha Stewart Podcast". "It is really preventative and very encouraging because it really does make me look better." As a result, Stewart doesn't need a full face of makeup to look incredible. She clearly enjoys showing off her ageless beauty for social media, with the occasional sultry selfie — even while she's in the salon chair!
She's still experimenting in the kitchen
Like always, Martha Stewart is writing cookbooks, but she isn't only in the kitchen for recipe development. Stewart shared that she often prepares food for herself and her friends — like a big tray of pierogies — and derives pleasure from sourcing ingredients from her own garden and playing with new flavor combinations. "I had a friend come over for lunch and I put a butternut squash soup with a tomato soup, and it made a delicious combination," she told Women's Health. "It couldn't have been more delicious or more healthy, for that matter."
She's regularly out and about
Whether traveling in style or exploring business ventures with Snoop Dog, Martha Stewart is clearly committed to staying curious and exposing herself to new places and things. "As one gets older, and we were getting older the minute we're born, right away I think it's terribly, terribly important that we learn something new every day," she shared during a talk at the Radically Reframing Aging event (via Martha Stewart). It's that enthusiasm for the world that keeps Stewart jetting off to the Olympics, judging baking competitions, or exploring slot canyons in Utah.
She's spending time with her friends
Martha Stewart got divorced in 1990, and while she still spends plenty of time with her family, she's focused on her friendships. "At this point, I don't have to have a love affair; having friends is good enough," Stewart told AARP. In a 2023 Instagram post, she posed for a selfie with Bette Midler, above a caption honoring her friend's 80th birthday, proving her commitment to showing up for her pals. "Meeting a friend for a drink or a dinner can turn your whole week around," she explained to Woman's World.
She's pampering her skin
Martha Stewart never skimps on skincare, and if there's one skincare mistake Stewart is begging people to stop making, it's skipping out on washing their face. "There are two things I always do before bed: check on all of the animals and then do my skincare," Stewart wrote in the caption of the above 2026 Instagram post, a selfie featuring her signature pursed lips and smooth, glowing skin. But beyond just sticking to her regimen, Stewart enjoys indulging in plenty of treatments, too, including facials and antioxidant treatments to keep her skin bright and smooth.
She's finding new ways to challenge herself
While plenty of people retire from their professional lives, Martha Stewart is staying as productive as ever. "I'm 100% active all the time," Stewart told Woman's World, continuing, "I always thrive when I'm working. You know, I'm not thinking about retiring at all." Most notably, Stewart is still writing cookbooks as well as an autobiography. "Creativity is really probably the best thing one can do — to be creative to keep one's spirit alive," she said at the Radically Reframing Aging event. "Because if you can't create, you just sort of stagnate" (via Martha Stewart).
She's mastered the thirst trap
Martha Stewart doesn't believe that hotness is reserved for the young, and we're right there with her. In fact, Stewart has embraced the art of the thirst trap — evidenced above — and she's even got tips for how to take a better sexy selfie. "First of all, feel like you look good. And look good. It helps to have a little bit of makeup on; you don't have to have a lot of makeup. And the lighting is all-important," she shared on an episode of "The Run-Through" podcast. "Try to feel attractive. That's important."
She's still working in the garden
Martha Stewart started puttering in the garden with her dad when she was just a toddler. Now, eight decades later, she's still getting her hands dirty. She regularly shares Instagram updates from her garden, from sprouting bulbs to heavy machinery. Stewart might be a bit less hands-on these days — she has a head gardener now — but she admits she's in the yard most days anyway. "I'm always outside directing or working on various projects," she told Women's Health.