Dolly Parton's Fitness Routine Proved Older Women Can Have Fun While Getting Exercise

Dolly Parton was the first to admit that she didn't exactly love exercising. While some stars love the burn and endorphins of a good workout — like Martha Stewart, whose strict fitness routine includes the perfect workout for older women – Parton wasn't quite as gung-ho when it came to hitting the gym. Instead, she opted to get regular movement in her own unique way. "If you tell me I've got to do an exercise routine, that I've got to do this and do that, I dread it so bad," she told Allure in 2021. "So I just put on music or sing gospel songs and do my own kind of workout — shouting and stretching and praising. I do more 'rejoicing' than I do 'working out.' I do a few little floor exercises now and then, a few little squats."

Finding a way to make movement fun and authentic was one of the ways Parton found to make sure she stayed consistent with it. She revealed that the inspiration for her unusual workouts came from her childhood. "I grew up in the Pentecostal church where we used to do a lot of shouting and jumping around," she told WSJ Magazine in 2021. "I keep my motor running in the mornings when I just shout through the house praising the Lord. It gave me an idea to create some easy exercises." Parton's approach is a great example of how to transform your relationship with exercise to nourish both your body and mind.

Dolly Parton might not have been a huge fan of the rigors of exercise – she even joked that she was "lazy" – but she found a way to stay active because she understood that movement was important for her health. After all, Parton, who once summed up the beauty of aging in a single sentence, was committed to caring for her body in a way that felt authentic to her. That attitude is consistent with her overall approach to her well-being, which centered on making smart choices while still making space for pleasure. This was true when it came to mental health, relationships, or her work-life balance, but it's perhaps most obvious in her uncomplicated relationship to food. "I just watch moderation for the most part," Parton told WSJ Magazine in 2021. "If I'm working I'll stay on a low-carb diet during the week and then eat anything I want on the weekends."

Parton admitted that she loved to eat, but rather than depriving herself, she focused on healthy, high-protein meals. Importantly, she also made space for indulgences. In fact, she once proclaimed that she had a soft spot for Taco Bell takeout. "I always get a Taco Supreme, with the sour cream and all that, in the soft shell. I love that," she told Business Insider in 2025.