Martha Stewart’s Daily Routine in 2026 — Independent Review of Her Beauty, Wellness, and Fitness Habits

Waking Up & Mind Sharpening

Martha Stewart begins her mornings long before most people are awake, setting a steady tone for the rest of her day. This quiet time in the early hours gives her space to think clearly, stay informed, and ease into the day without rushing.

• Early morning start: She wakes up between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m., keeping the same schedule almost every day. Even on weekends, she avoids sleeping in and is usually up well before 7:00 a.m., which helps her keep a consistent rhythm.
• Slow start in bed: Instead of jumping out of bed right away, she spends some time lying down and letting her mind wake up naturally. This calm start helps her feel alert without stress.
• Newspaper reading: She reads The New York Times from beginning to end each morning. This habit keeps her informed and gives her a quiet way to focus early in the day.
• Brain games: Along with reading, she works through the paper’s word and number puzzles like the Mini Crossword, Letter Boxed, Tiles, Wordle, and Connections. These short games help her stay mentally active.
• Mental warm up: She has said that even though these games feel light and fun, they are good for the brain and help keep her thinking sharp.

This mix of early rising, reading, and light mental activity plays a steady role in how she keeps her mind active over time. It reflects how the Martha Stewart morning routine supports focus, consistency, and mental strength as part of her everyday life.

I do all of those silly games, but it’s good for your brain.

Pet Care and Pre-Workout Prep

Life on a large farm shapes how Martha Stewart moves through her early morning hours. Before the day turns busy, she focuses on responsibility and readiness, balancing care for her animals with simple steps that prepare her for exercise and time outside.

• Morning animal care: Living on a 150-acre farm estate, she begins her morning by feeding and checking on her animals. Her dogs, cats, horses, and red-factor canaries are all cared for early so they can settle into the day.
• Wide range of pets: She has shared that she has three cats, five dogs, and around 30 canaries. As the sun rises, she makes sure their lights are on and their spaces are ready for the hours ahead.
• Routine before screens: Animal care comes before emails or work tasks. Starting the day with hands-on responsibility helps her stay focused and present.
• Getting ready to move: Between about 5:30 and 6:00 a.m., she showers and gets dressed for exercise. Putting on workout clothes early helps her move into activity without delay.
• Always prepared: She jokes that she is known as the “bag lady” because she often leaves home with several bags of clothes for different plans during the day.
• Simple skin care habits: As part of her morning prep, she applies moisturizer and SPF before heading outside. Wearing hats and sunscreen every day is a steady habit she follows to protect her skin.

These early choices reflect how care and preparation guide the start of her day. Together, they show how the Martha Stewart morning routine blends farm life, movement, and personal habits into a steady start.

I have three cats, five dogs, and 30 red-factor canaries… I uncover them and turn on their light [at sunrise].

Exercise (Pilates & Fitness)

Movement plays a steady role in how Martha Stewart keeps her energy up throughout the day. Her mornings often include planned workouts along with natural activity around her property, helping her stay active and capable as the day unfolds.

• Early workout window: She usually begins exercising between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m., making movement one of her first priorities of the day. Starting this early allows her to stay consistent without feeling rushed later on.
• Pilates preference: Many mornings are spent at a Pilates class or in her home gym. She enjoys the quiet of early sessions, often sharing the space with very few people.
• Weekly consistency: She aims to exercise at least three times each week. This steady rhythm helps her keep her body strong and flexible without overdoing it.
• Trainer sessions: On certain days, she trains with her personal trainer, Mary Tedesco, who comes to the farm early in the morning. These sessions focus on proper form and full body movement.
• Workout variety: Her routine changes from day to day and may include weight training, yoga, stretching, or cardio. Cardio workouts often involve time on the treadmill or the StairMaster to keep her endurance up.
• Workout companions: She sometimes brings two of her dogs with her to the gym. Having them nearby adds a light and familiar presence during her workouts.
• Daily movement beyond workouts: Even outside planned exercise, she stays active by walking across her property and tending to gardening tasks. Moving around the farm adds natural physical activity throughout the day.
• Horseback riding: About once a week, often on weekends, she goes horseback riding. This adds another form of movement that works balance, strength, and coordination.

Regular movement in many forms helps her stay strong and mobile over time. This approach shows how steady activity and variety shape the Martha Stewart fitness routine in a practical and lasting way.

I’m strong and I’m healthy. But I work at it. I take care of myself.

Green Juice & Breakfast

After her morning workout, Martha Stewart turns her attention to refueling in a way that feels steady and familiar. Breakfast is treated as a reset point that helps her shift from exercise into the working part of the day while staying alert and ready.

• Daily green juice habit: She drinks green juice every morning using vegetables grown in her own greenhouse and gardens. This routine has stayed the same for years and is something she sticks to without skipping.
• Vegetable blend: Her juice usually includes spinach, cucumber, parsley, celery, ginger, and citrus. She often uses half an orange with the peel, along with other produce she grows year round like mint and cucumbers.
• One coffee rule: After her juice, she allows herself one coffee for the day. It is usually a single shot cappuccino made with organic whole milk.
• Simple breakfast choices: Breakfast stays light and basic. She often eats a home raised egg, usually soft boiled, or chooses whole grains like wheat germ or spelt.
• Cereal option: She also enjoys puffed cereal and likes it because a full cup is very low in calories while still feeling filling.
• Yogurt or oatmeal: On some mornings, she eats homemade Greek yogurt made from rich cream top milk with a small drizzle of honey. Other days, she has a small bowl of Maine grain oatmeal prepared with skim milk.
• Ready for the day: By 7:00 a.m., she is dressed and prepared for the day ahead. She often packs extra outfits for TV shoots or events and makes sure she is fully awake when her farm staff arrives.
• Leading by example: Living on a farm means the workday starts early, and she believes in being alert and active when everyone else begins their day.

These morning food choices help her stay focused, energized, and present from the very start. They reflect how consistency and preparation remain a steady part of the Martha Stewart daily routine.

I start my day religiously with my own homemade green juice that includes vegetables from my own greenhouse.

Morning Supplements

Alongside breakfast, Martha Stewart treats supplements as a supportive habit rather than something rigid or overly structured. Her morning choices reflect a practical mindset that focuses on how her body feels instead of following a fixed plan.

• Selective approach: Rather than taking a single multivitamin every day, she chooses specific supplements based on what she feels she needs that morning. This gives her room to adjust without overloading her routine.
• Core supplements: Vitamin D is a regular part of her morning, often paired with calcium and magnesium. These supplements support her bones and help her stay active as part of a physically busy lifestyle.
• Occasional additions: On some days, she adds lysine to her routine. She has shared that she finds it helpful for managing stress and supporting nerve health.
• Green juice support: Her homemade green juice plays a role in her supplement approach as well. The vegetables she uses add a wide range of vitamins and minerals that complement what she takes in pill form.
• Long term habit: Using supplements has been part of her wellness habits for many years. Her long standing interest in nutrition even led her to develop her own line of nutritional supplements.
• Energy support: This combination of food, juice, and supplements helps her keep her energy steady throughout the day. It supports her ability to stay active and alert despite sleeping fewer hours.

This balanced approach shows how thoughtful nutrition choices can support a demanding schedule without feeling strict or heavy. It highlights how the Martha Stewart supplement routine fits smoothly into her mornings and supports her daily pace.

I only take what I feel I need that day.

Commute and Work Kickoff

Once the morning routines at home are done, Martha Stewart shifts into work mode with intention and focus. The time between leaving the farm and arriving at the office is treated as a useful window that helps her stay informed and prepared.

• Morning commute: Many days, she travels from her Bedford, NY farm to her Manhattan office. She usually leaves between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. for the roughly one hour drive into the city.
• Car setup: She often rides in a Chevy Suburban with her driver. The car serves as a moving workspace rather than downtime.
• Reading on the road: During the drive, she keeps up with print newspapers. She brings along The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York Post to stay current on news.
• Puzzles in transit: Along with reading, she works on puzzles like Sudoku and KenKen. These activities help keep her mind active during the commute.
• Calls and meetings: Drive time is also used for phone calls. She often handles interviews, conversations, or meetings by phone before reaching the office.
• Arrival window: Depending on traffic, she usually arrives in Manhattan between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. By then, she feels caught up and ready to start work.
• Schedule adjustments: On days with very early commitments, such as a 7:00 a.m. appearance on the Today show, she leaves the house much earlier. On those mornings, hair and makeup may happen in the city, with workouts moved to later.
• Workday start: On a typical day, she aims to be in the office around 9:00 a.m. and begins working right away without delay.

This steady approach helps her move smoothly from home life into a full workday. It shows how Martha Stewart’s routine uses commute time as a bridge between preparation and productivity.

I have my New York Times, my Wall Street Journal, and my New York Post… I do the sudoku, and I do the KenKen.

Office Routine and Emails

Once she arrives at her New York City office, Martha Stewart moves straight into a focused work mindset. The first hour of the day is used to clear communication, set priorities, and prepare for a full schedule ahead.

• Inbox first: Around 9:00 a.m., she starts responding to emails. She receives hundreds each day and prefers to handle them herself rather than handing access to anyone else.
• Hands on communication: Even with a full staff, she personally reads and manages her messages. Business requests are reviewed carefully, while invitations and scheduling items are passed along to her assistants.
• Multiple devices: Over the years, she has been known to use more than one device to stay on top of messages and reading. In earlier days, this included a BlackBerry, an iPhone, and even multiple iPads.
• Team check in: After working through urgent emails, she meets with her executives during a daily operations meeting. This usually happens around 10:00 a.m. and helps align everyone on the day’s priorities.
• Project reviews: During these meetings, she reviews ongoing work and long term initiatives. In the past, this included projects from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and efforts like the American Made initiative that supports artisans.
• Active leadership: Even in her 80s, she remains deeply involved across her businesses. This includes TV shows, media projects, product lines, and restaurants such as The Bedford.
• Idea driven mindset: She has shared that starting each day with new ideas keeps her motivated and mentally engaged.

This part of the morning shows how seriously she treats ownership of her work. Managing communication herself and staying closely involved with decisions reflects how the Martha Stewart work routine stays sharp, hands on, and deeply connected to everything she runs.

I generally have meeting after meeting all day long.

Lunch

Midday meals are treated as a short pause rather than a long break in Martha Stewart’s day. Lunch is meant to refresh her energy while keeping her clear headed and ready to move straight into the afternoon.

• Midday timing: She usually stops for lunch around noon. The meal is kept light so it does not slow her down for the rest of the day.
• Hydration focus: Drinking water is a constant habit throughout lunch. Staying hydrated is a priority and often takes center stage alongside food.
• Simple lunch option: On some days, her lunch may be as basic as a few pieces of mozzarella cheese with carrot and celery sticks. This kind of meal keeps things easy while still providing nourishment.
• Farm fresh meals: When eating with colleagues, she often brings produce from her own farm. This can include steamed artichokes and salads made with corn, peppers, and cucumbers.
• Protein additions: To round out salads, she may add cottage cheese or hard boiled eggs from her chickens. These help keep the meal filling without being heavy.
• Quick city meals: When she is out in the city, she sometimes chooses Japanese foods like oshinko, oshitashi, miso soup, and sushi. She enjoys these choices because they feel light yet satisfying.
• No daytime alcohol: One thing she avoids entirely is drinking alcohol at lunch. She has shared that wine or other drinks during the day would affect her focus and energy.
• Working lunches: Lunch time is often used efficiently. She may host meetings, record content, or continue working while eating, rather than stepping away for long.

Lunch in her day is brief, practical, and purpose driven. The choices she makes at midday show how the Martha Stewart eating routine keeps her fueled without pulling attention away from the work still ahead.

Work Routine

The afternoon hours reflect how Martha Stewart balances creativity with constant involvement. This part of the day blends decision making, hands on work, and steady movement, keeping her fully engaged well past lunchtime.

• Afternoon schedule: From early afternoon through around 5:00 p.m., her time is filled with meetings and hands on work. No two afternoons look exactly the same, depending on what projects need attention.
• Product development: She often attends meetings for her merchandise lines, which range from pet products to cookware. This can include reviewing designs for pet clothing or kitchen items, with her own pets sometimes testing early versions.
• Editorial oversight: Part of the afternoon may be spent reviewing content for her magazine or website. She works closely with her team on upcoming issues, photo shoots, and blog content.
• Kitchen studio work: She frequently spends time in the kitchen studio testing recipes or filming for her TV shows. For Martha Bakes, this has included recording multiple segments in a short period while baking items like coffee cakes, roulades, and custards.
• Recipe tasting: She tastes everything that is made during filming and testing. Staying involved in this step helps her fine tune results for both shows and publications.
• Staying active at work: She avoids sitting for long stretches and keeps moving throughout the office. This can include walking laps around the floor or stepping up to the rooftop for fresh air.
• Walking breaks: On rare slower days, she may take a 30 minute walk outside to stay active and reset her focus.
• Detail focused checks: She stays closely involved by checking project details in person. This can mean walking through test gardens, inspecting sets, or moving between work areas.
• Workspace preferences: She prefers offices with open windows and natural light. Having access to daylight and fresh air is something she values during long work hours.

The afternoon shows how work and movement are tightly connected in her day. This stretch of focused activity highlights how the Martha Stewart work routine stays active, hands on, and deeply involved until the day begins to wind down.

Early Evening Routine

As the workday slows, Martha Stewart shifts into a more relaxed but still intentional pace. Early evening blends practical habits, home life, and food, often tying the end of the workday back to her farm and personal space.

• Closing the workday: Around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., she wraps up remaining meetings and calls. This is the point where she prepares to head home or attend an evening event.
• Heading back to the farm: When she is in the city, she drives back to her Bedford farm. Her car is often packed with items collected throughout the day.
• Eco minded habits: She brings vegetable scraps from test kitchens to feed her chickens and coffee grounds from the office café to use in her garden. These habits help support her farm and reduce waste.
• Farm focused mindset: Feeding her chickens fresh scraps plays a role in keeping them productive year round. The drive home often doubles as a supply run.
• Dinner timing: Once back at the farm, dinner usually happens between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. If she is staying in, she prepares a meal for herself and sometimes for friends or family.
• Home cooked meals: Dinner at home is often fish or vegetable based, with home grown produce and eggs featured regularly.
• Evening drinks: She may enjoy a small cocktail like vodka with a slice of home grown orange, or a glass of wine alongside dinner.
• Moderation rule: Even though she enjoys wine, she usually limits herself to one glass or slightly more.
• Entertaining style: When hosting at the farm, she prepares seasonal meals such as homemade pasta, mushrooms, seafood, and fruit based desserts. At her other homes, she enjoys themed meals like paella or lobster dinners.
• Balanced choices out: When dining out, she allows herself more flexibility, such as bread and butter at a restaurant, while still keeping overall choices thoughtful.
• Work and social overlap: Many evenings include social plans tied to work, blending conversation, meals, and business naturally.

Early evening shows how she eases out of work without fully shutting it off. This stretch reflects how the Martha Stewart evening routine connects productivity, home life, and enjoyment in a grounded and practical way.

Socializing

Evenings often reflect a mix of connection and personal downtime in Martha Stewart’s schedule. This part of the day can shift between social plans and quiet moments at home, depending on how full the day has been.

• Evening plans: Many nights include dinners with friends, colleagues, or business contacts. These gatherings give her time to stay socially connected while also keeping conversations engaging.
• Dining out: She regularly goes out for dinner and enjoys visiting well known restaurants. Spots she may go to include Sushi Yasuda, Kurumazushi, Le Bernardin, and Jean Georges Vongerichten’s vegetarian restaurant ABCV.
• Hosting at home: On nights she stays in, she may host a relaxed dinner at one of her homes. These evenings are often casual and focused on good food and conversation.
• Cultural outings: Some nights include attending events, performances, or other cultural activities. These outings add variety to her evenings beyond meals.
• Quiet nights in: When there are no plans, she values calm personal time at home. This helps her slow down after a full and demanding day.
• Evening entertainment: Watching a good movie is one way she relaxes. She also enjoys late night comedy and often switches between Colbert, Fallon, and Kimmel for light humor.
• Catching up with friends: Phone calls with friends are another evening habit. These conversations help her unwind and stay connected.
• Late evening tasks: Between about 9:30 and 10:00 p.m., she may check emails one last time or write notes in her notebook. In earlier years, this time was also used for drafting blog posts or short memos.
• Night skincare: Before bed, she follows a consistent skincare routine. This includes applying night cream with collagen and vitamin A along with hydrating serums.
• Product rotation: Her routine often rotates between products like a super collagen mask, herbal serum, oil free moisturizer, and Revitalin night cream.
• Care habits: She credits steady care habits, vitamins, thoughtful eating, and sun protection for maintaining her skin over time.
• Preparing for sleep: As the evening wraps up, she finishes small tasks and begins settling in for sleep around 10:00 p.m.

Evening hours show how social connection and self care fit naturally into her day. This part of the Martha Stewart routine highlights how she stays engaged without carrying the full pace of work into the night.

Sleep Routine

Sleep looks very different for Martha Stewart compared to most people. Instead of long nights of rest, she keeps a compressed schedule that fits the pace of her full days and very early mornings.

• Short nights: She does not spend many hours sleeping and has shared that rest has never been a major interest for her. Even so, she understands its importance and treats it as a necessary part of the day.
• Limited sleep hours: Most nights, she falls asleep around 11:00 p.m. and wakes up again between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. This usually adds up to about four hours of sleep, sometimes closer to five.
• Earlier habits: Earlier in her career, there were periods when she functioned on as little as three hours of sleep while building her business.
• Comfort focused rest: Because her sleep time is short, she prioritizes comfort. High quality bedding is important to her, and she likes fresh, ironed sheets on her bed almost every day.
• Natural wake up: In the morning, she wakes naturally with the sunrise. She prefers not to use window shades so natural light helps signal the start of the day.
• Consistent rhythm: This early rising pattern has stayed consistent for years and sets the tone for her early morning routines.
• Personal view on sleep: She has openly said that her sleep habits are uncommon and admits they are not typical. Still, she feels this schedule allows her to get more done each day.

Sleep for her is brief but intentional. This part of the Martha Stewart sleep routine shows how she structures rest to support early mornings and full days without slowing her overall pace.

Weekend Routine

Weekends look familiar but slightly looser in Martha Stewart’s schedule. While the structure stays intact, these days leave more room for personal interests, hands on projects, and time spent at home.

Morning Rhythm Stays the Same

• Early wake ups: She wakes up just as early on weekends as she does during the week. Being up around 4:00 to 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday is not unusual for her.
• No lingering in bed: She does not stay in bed after waking. Mornings are seen as a chance to start doing something meaningful right away.
• Core habits continue: Green juice, feeding animals, puzzles, and movement remain part of her mornings even on weekends.

Personal Projects and Hobbies

• Horseback riding: One of her favorite weekend activities is horseback riding. She aims to ride at least once a week and often schedules this on weekends when her daytime schedule is more open.
• Time with horses: She usually rides one of her Friesian horses around her farm or nearby trails. This time offers both physical activity and mental calm.
• Creative freedom: Without a tight office schedule, weekends allow her to focus on personal projects. This may include experimenting with recipes or working on a photoshoot without weekday interruptions.

Gardening and Farm Time

• Hands on gardening: Weekends allow more time in the garden. She may spend hours pruning plants, working in the greenhouses, or planting seasonal crops.
• Daily garden check ins: Even during the week, she meets with her head gardener after workouts. On weekends, she can take on more of the physical garden work herself.
• Connection to routine: Gardening remains a constant part of her life and does not pause just because it is the weekend.

Hosting and Social Time at Home

• Entertaining at the farm: Weekends are often when she hosts friends and family. Brunches or dinners may take place at her farm in Bedford or at her other homes in East Hampton, NY and Seal Harbor, Maine.
• Seasonal gatherings: In summer, she may host outdoor dinners using produce from her garden and fresh seafood. Meals can include grilled dishes or lobster bakes depending on the location.
• Enjoyment through hosting: These gatherings allow her to enjoy the results of her work in a social setting.

Writing and Content Time

• Kitchen creativity: Sundays may be spent testing new recipes or refining existing ones. This time is more relaxed than weekday filming or production.
• Photography and writing: She uses weekends to take photos and write updates. The Martha Blog is often updated with stories and images from her recent farm activities.
• Documenting projects: She takes many photos each week to capture progress and ideas, especially when working around the farm.

Wellness Does Not Change

• Same daily structure: Diet and exercise remain consistent on weekends. She follows nearly the same routine each day when she is at home.
• Small indulgences: Only when going out with friends does she allow slight changes, keeping everything else steady.
• No slow Sundays: Even on quieter days, she stays active and involved rather than treating weekends as rest days.

Weekends give her space to shift attention without slowing down. Instead of treating these days as a break, she uses them to deepen personal interests, stay active at home, and keep momentum going in a way that feels natural rather than scheduled.

Martha’s Diet, Skincare, and Wellness Philosophy

Martha Stewart’s approach to health is built on long term habits rather than quick fixes. Her daily choices around food, movement, skin care, and mindset reflect a steady commitment to feeling good, staying active, and remaining fully engaged with life.

Healthy, Whole Food Diet

• Daily food approach: She focuses on eating well every day, favoring meals that feel nourishing without being heavy. Much of what she eats comes from her own gardens and farm.
• Home grown ingredients: Vegetables from her garden and eggs from her chickens form the base of many meals. This keeps her diet simple and consistent.
• Balanced daily meals: Her day usually includes green juice and a light breakfast, a vegetable and protein based lunch, and a lean dinner that often includes fish and vegetables.
• Portion awareness: She pays attention to serving sizes and does not overeat. Small bowls of grains or a few bites of cheese and vegetables are often enough.
• Hydration and caffeine: Water is her main drink throughout the day, and she limits herself to one caffeinated beverage, usually a morning cappuccino.
• Moderation mindset: She does not fully avoid treats. When developing recipes or dining out with friends, she allows herself bread, butter, or dessert in moderation.

Routine Exercise and Activity

• Weekly movement plan: Physical activity is treated as essential. Pilates several times a week and horseback riding at least once weekly are part of her routine.
• Workout variety: Along with Pilates, she adds yoga and weight training to stay strong and flexible.
• Everyday movement: Gardening, walking around the farm, and manual tasks keep her active even outside formal workouts.
• Morning exercise value: She believes starting the day with movement supports focus and a positive mindset.
• Challenging herself: Even in her eighties, she continues demanding workouts and has shared videos of Pilates reformer exercises to show the value of consistency.

Minimal Alcohol and No Smoking

• No smoking rule: She does not smoke and stopped long ago.
• Limited alcohol intake: Alcohol is kept to a minimum. On most evenings, she may have a small vodka cocktail or a single glass of wine.
• Intentional restraint: At times, such as preparing for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover shoot, she avoided alcohol entirely.
• Energy support: Keeping alcohol low helps her avoid empty calories and stay alert despite short sleep hours.

Skincare and Beauty Routine

• Natural approach: She has shared that she has not had plastic surgery and does not rely on Botox. Her focus stays on daily care and professional treatments.
• Professional facials: She regularly visits Carmela Barabas at the Mario Badescu Spa in New York for facials.
• Advanced treatments: Before major appearances, she has done European facials with steam and extractions, vitamin C treatments, and pearl and Q10 eye treatments.
• At home care: Her routine includes cleansing and moisturizing every day.
• Product rotation: She uses a collagen mask, an herbal hydrating serum with ginkgo and ginseng, a hyaluronic acid dew cream, and a revitalizing night cream with vitamin A.
• Sun protection: Sunscreen every morning is a non negotiable habit, along with wearing hats and limiting sun exposure.
• Beauty from within: She links skin and hair health to vitamins and healthy eating and has turned supplements like collagen and greens powders into products.

Mental Stimulation and Curiosity

• Daily mental activity: Keeping her mind active is just as important as physical health. Morning puzzles, reading, and learning are part of her day.
• Curiosity driven life: She enjoys meeting new people, thinking through business ideas, and staying mentally engaged from morning to night.
• Writing and learning: She has written a book on longevity titled Living the Good Long Life and continues to apply its ideas.
• Staying socially engaged: Social connection and intellectual activity remain part of her routine as much as diet or exercise.
• Long view mindset: She has spoken with Dr. Oz about keeping the brain active and has described herself as aiming to be a super ager who keeps doing meaningful work.

This philosophy shows how discipline, curiosity, and self care work together in her life. Rather than relying on shortcuts, she builds her days around habits that support energy, confidence, and long term well being.