Turn on the television any time of day, and there’s a good chance you’ll see the welcoming, gap toothed grin of Michael Strahan. The former New York Giants defensive end is a co-host of Good Morning America, and on weekends sits along other NFL greats as a football analyst and commentator for Fox NFL Sunday. Early this spring, he also reprised his game show hosting role on ABC’s eighth season of The $100,000 Pyramid.
His professional persona also extends beyond the screen. For over a decade he’s spearheaded a lifestyle brand, Michael Strahan, which this year launched custom, made-to-order suits through Michael Strahan Design Lab. He's also co-founder of SMAC Entertainment, a multidimensional sports and entertainment company.
It’s a diverse career that keeps him on his toes, and Strahan says that’s exactly how he likes it. “It’s exciting because everything I do is unique,” says Strahan. “Hosting a game show is nothing like doing an NFL show, which is nothing like doing GMA and the news. They all make me exercise a completely different part of my brain.”
This mental fitness in his 50s is a healthy complement to the physical fitness Strahan — a professional athlete for 15 years — long had as his focus. These days wellness means a more balanced mind/body approach.
Fitness After 50
When he was in his 20s, Strahan said he was “just out there going hard and grinding without thinking about the big picture.” Thirty years later, his mindset and actions have shifted.
“I'm more mindful of what I put into my body — of drinking, of cigars, of all of that, but I’m also more mindful of the mental aspects of my life: doing the things I want to do, the things that bring me joy and make me happy, and trying not to add stress — especially other people’s stress — to my plate,” Strahan says.
Part of what keeps him feeling good at 53 is at least an hour of exercise every day. Sometimes that’s weightlifting, sometimes it’s cardio, sometimes it’s Pilates. The point is to move. After all, an aging body is a gift, he says, even when things get weird.
“Heck, sometimes I wake up and have an injury I didn’t have the night before,” Strahan says. “I'm like, ‘How did I hurt myself sleeping?’ I can't quite figure that one out. But despite all that, I don't feel like just because you hit a certain age that suddenly you're supposed to act tired and have less enthusiasm for life.”
A Focus on What Matters
When it comes to preventative health, Strahan admits he used to fall into the male stereotype of “dealing with it myself” when something felt off with his health. But now he stays on top of things with prostate exams, physicals, blood tests, vaccines, even whole-body scans.
“I’ve finally learned to just go to the doctor,” Strahan says. “Why in the world would you go through your life not feeling right or in pain? If I'm driving my car and I'm hearing something knocking, I'm getting my car fixed. Why wouldn't I do that with my body?”
And as Strahan learned in the past couple of years, certain life events can also help put everything into quick perspective. In 2023, Strahan’s 18-year-old daughter Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a fast-growing, malignant brain tumor. Now in recovery at 20, Isabella shared her story in an ABC special Life Interrupted: Isabella Strahan’s Fight Against Cancer. Strahan says walking alongside Isabella through her cancer journey “completely changed everything.”
“Isabella showed me what real courage and strength are,” Strahan says. “Hearing her say, ‘Dad, I'll do whatever it takes. I really want to live,’ that broke me. But it also made me appreciate life in a new way and put things into perspective. We all have busy jobs and lives; those things pale in comparison to what's important, which is family.”
