Alongside her busy career as a journalist, television host, author and media business co-founder, Katie Couric is making time to invest in her future health.
It’s an area of her life she’s always been open about. After being diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine appointment in 2022, she used her platform to advocate for women with dense breast tissue to get regular screenings. More recently, she revealed her experience with transient global amnesia (TGA), which left her with temporary short-term memory loss.
Now, she’s spoken about another health challenge: osteopenia. While osteopenia is not the same as osteoporosis, it means bone mineral density is lower than normal and can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.
Osteopenia can have a number of causes, but it becomes particularly common in women after menopause, when falling oestrogen levels can accelerate bone loss.
The good news is that there are ways to help maintain and strengthen bones – and resistance training is one of them. It’s something Couric has now made a regular part of her routine.
In a recent Instagram post, she gave followers a glimpse of one of her workouts, featuring six exercises targeting both the upper and lower body.
‘So proud of myself for keeping up with strength training,’ she wrote in the caption. ‘I try to do three days a week, two with my wonderful trainer @dstranskytraining and another by myself watching his videos on YouTube and its true, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!!!’
She continued: ‘If you can’t get a trainer, do it with a friend and find someone like Daniel you can watch. I have osteopenia, so I’m trying to strengthen my bones.’
Katie Couric’s 6-move strength workout
Couric’s routine combines upper- and lower-body exercises using dumbbells, cables and a TRX.
Choose weights that feel challenging while still allowing you to maintain good form, and gradually increase the resistance as you become stronger. This principle, known as progressive overload, is an important part of continuing to build strength over time.
How to do the exercises1. TRX row
- Set the TRX straps to a short length and stand facing the anchor point, holding one handle in each hand.
- Walk your feet towards the anchor and lean back, extending your arms so your body forms a straight diagonal line.
- Bend your elbows and pull your chest towards the handles, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause briefly, then extend your arms with control to return to the starting position.
2. Overhead cable tricep extension
- Attach a rope handle to a high cable pulley and stand facing away from the machine, holding the rope behind your head.
- Adopt a split stance for stability and brace your core.
- Keeping your upper arms still, extend your elbows to straighten your arms forwards.
- Pause briefly, then bend your elbows to return to the starting position with control.
- Start with your feet together, holding a dumbbell close to your chest.
- Step one foot out to the side so your feet are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned out slightly.
- Brace your core, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping your chest lifted and your knees tracking in line with your toes.
- Lower until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor, then drive through your feet to stand.
- Bring your feet back together before repeating on the opposite side.
- Sit against an upright bench with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, your palms facing forwards.
- Brace your core and keep your back supported by the bench.
- Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended.
- Lower the weights back to shoulder height with control.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent, holding a rope attachment with a neutral grip.
- Keeping your upper arms still and your elbows close to your sides, curl the rope towards your shoulders.
- Pause briefly, then lower the weight back to the starting position with control.
6. Single-arm dumbbell lateral lunge
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
- Shift your weight onto one leg, bending that knee and pushing your hips back as you reach the dumbbell across your body towards the foot of your working leg.
- Keep your opposite leg straight and your chest lifted, using your free arm for balance.
- Push through your working foot to return to the starting position.
- Complete your reps on one side before switching.
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
Lauren Geall is deputy site editor for Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK. She graduated from Exeter University with a BA in English Literature before studying an MA in Magazine Journalism at City, University London. She’s been writing about health, fitness and wellbeing for over five years, with a total of seven years in digital journalism. Prior to her current role, she worked at Stylist as the acting health and fitness editor. As well as being a keen runner, Lauren is passionate about women’s sport and can often be found cheering on Arsenal Women at the Emirates or keeping tabs on the Red Roses’ latest win.