She\u2019s a local legend, and at 84, she\u2019s only getting better.<\/p>\n
Ellen Hart, the larger-than-life owner of Broadway\u2019s iconic Ellen\u2019s Stardust Diner<\/a>, has made maintaining her health and wellness a top priority in her golden years \u2014 though her motivations looked very different earlier on.<\/p>\n \u201cI was always interested in beauty and staying physically attractive, because I was Miss Subway<\/a> in 1959, and you\u2019ve got to maintain your reputation,\u201d the New York native told The Post. \u201cBut from my 40s on, I became curious about how to stay young.\u201d<\/p>\n Ellen Hart is the co-founder and longtime owner of Ellen\u2019s Stardust Diner in Times Square. Stephen Yang<\/p>\n Over the past four decades, Hart has cracked the code \u2014 and the results speak for themselves. <\/p>\n At 52, she ran the New York City Marathon. Twenty years later, she conquered the Empire State Building\u2019s 1,860 steps to raise money for multiple myeloma research. <\/p>\n These days, she can be found gallivanting around the Upper West Side, catching the latest Broadway shows and occasionally hopping onstage to belt show tunes with the waitstaff at her beloved Times Square restaurant, where she remains hands-on with the business.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a packed schedule for anyone, let alone someone who has already outlived the average life expectancy for US women born in the 1940s<\/a> by more than a decade. <\/p>\n And as she gears up for her 85th birthday this June, Hart has zero plans to slow down. She gave The Post a behind-the-scenes look at how she keeps going strong. <\/p>\n Fitness over 80<\/p>\n Hart has worked out for most of her life, fueled by a longtime love of tennis<\/a>. Staying active, she said, has been key to aging well.<\/p>\n Still, she had a bit of a wake-up call when she saw photos of herself singing at the diner.<\/p>\n A longtime tennis player, Hart has worked out her entire life. David Hausen<\/p>\n \u201cOh my god, I\u2019m a little rounded over,\u201d she recalled thinking. \u201cI didn\u2019t like that.\u201d<\/p>\n It made her focus on improving her movement patterns and muscular endurance, with an emphasis on how she holds herself.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you get older, balance<\/a> is very important, and so is posture,\u201d she said. \u201cSo we\u2019re trying to work on keeping my head back, keeping my shoulders back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI must say that I\u2019m in good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n Ellen Hart<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But her workouts are \u201cconstantly evolving,\u201d said certified master trainer Rolland Cheng.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough the overarching focus is quality of life, strength and mobility, what we do on a daily or weekly basis changes monthly,\u201d he said, explaining that her sessions are modeled after the National Academy of Sports Medicine\u2019s Optimum Performance Training model<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hart\u2019s workouts today revolve around strength training, as well as improving her balance and posture. David Hausen<\/p>\n Working out four days a week, Hart starts with stretching<\/a> to improve flexibility and reduce stiffness.<\/p>\n Strength training, crucial for maintaining bone density, is a major part of remedying her poor pasture, too. She starts with simple shoulder exercises, like squeezing her shoulder blades together and lifting her arms slightly out to the side.<\/p>\n She follows it with moves like rows and lat pulldowns to strengthen her back; leg presses, squats and step-ups onto a balance pad to build lower-body strength; plus farmer\u2019s carries to mimic everyday tasks like lugging groceries.<\/p>\n To keep her core strong, she does crunches<\/a> and Pallof presses, which resist twisting and help stabilize the midsection.<\/p>\n Hart\u2019s stay-fit regimen also includes walking to Nordstrom \u2014\u00a0and she notes shopping is also \u201ca sport.\u201d Stephen Yang<\/p>\n The payoff is clear.<\/p>\n \u201cAt my age, you start having cholesterol and pressure issues here and there, so it\u2019s not going to be perfect,\u201d Hart said. \u201cBut I must say that I\u2019m in good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n An added benefit: Strength training may also help lengthen her life. <\/p>\n A 2022 study<\/a> of more than 115,000 people ages 65 and older found that those who did strength training at least twice a week had a lower risk of dying from any cause over a 20-year period compared to those who didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n Even on rest days, Hart makes a point of getting her heart rate up by taking the stairs in her building and walking two miles a day.<\/p>\n How\u2019d she get to that number?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the walk to Nordstrom and back,\u201d she quipped. \u201cShopping is also a sport. It\u2019s relaxing at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n Staying active is one of the most essential parts of Hart\u2019s healthy living regimen. Stephen Yang<\/p>\n Younger on the inside \u2014 and on the outside<\/p>\n Fitness is only part of Hart\u2019s anti-aging arsenal. Though she \u201cbaked in the sun\u201d when she was young, she now never skips sunscreen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n