Barbara Eden marked a major milestone in August 2025. The “I Dream of Jeannie” star celebrated her 94th birthday on Aug. 23, and she continues to marvel over her long and lucky life.
When she first became a nonagenarian in 2021, Eden told The Television Academy she was “so surprised to be ninety.” “The time had passed so fast,” she said at the time. “I wasn’t paying attention. Now I guess I have to. Every time I turn around, somebody says, ‘Hey, you’re ninety!’ And I say, ’Hey, I’m really lucky!’”
In 2024, Eden told People magazine that she was “grateful to have completed another trip around the sun.”
Eden has talked about the diet and fitness routine that she still follows. So what are her secrets to staying young and fit?
Barbara Eden Changed Her Workouts—And She Still Eats Sweets
GettyEden shared some of her secrets in an interview with Fox News in 2024. Working out has always been part of her lifestyle, but she adapted things a few years back.
“I used to work out all the time. I used to do spinning classes and then do weights with a trainer,” Eden said. “[But] when COVID hit, that ended my heavy workouts. Now I have a stationary bicycle, and I lift five pounds. I use very lightweight weights, but they’re good for your bones.”
“If you can walk briskly, which suits me just fine, that’s good for you,” she added. “It’s good for your knees and ankles. I find it better than running.”
Eden also said she’s “conscious of eating well” and enjoys “everything in moderation” as her parents taught her. But she added, “I like sweets. I like key lime pie. My sister brought me one for my birthday. I also like angel food cake. I make my own angel food cake and then put a very sharp, sweet lemon icing on it.”
“And chocolates, of course — I love them,” she added, noting she really likes “anything sweet.”
In a 2021 interview with Closer Weekly, Eden said the bulk of her diet is protein and vegetables. “I’m a carnivore … I like steak. We eat a lot of pork, chicken, steak [and] vegetables,” she shared.
Barbara Eden Said It’s a Gift to Do Work You Love
GettyEden has also attributed her love for her work as a factor in her long life. Eden’s acting career dates back to the 1950s when she appeared on shows such as “I Love Lucy,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Father Knows Best.”
She told People magazine that she considers her long career to be a “gift”. “So many people have to work in jobs they hate, and they have to do it just for sustenance, but aren’t we lucky when we can study for something, enjoy it and know that other people enjoy it?” Eden said of her career. “I think that’s a gift that life gives us, if we are willing to work for it.”
