Judge Judith Sheindlin has found the beauty in being fit for more than just swinging her gavel. “I have a responsibility to keep the vessel in shape and looking good,” the Daytime Emmy winner told The Post of her twice-daily exercise regimen. Both in and out of the courtroom, the 81-year-old legal luminary is a powerhouse who refuses to allow age to limit her reach. Working out every day, for a total of 10 hours a week, has become second nature to her. Rather than relying on a personal trainer, Judge Judy does her own thing, at her own pace and in her home gym space. She and her husband of four decades, former
New York Supreme Court Judge Jerry Sheindlin, 90, get their heart rates pumping for at least 60 to 90 minutes each morning. She enjoys getting a good sweat in on either the treadmill or through resistance strength training. But for Sheindlin, her exercise regimen is less about vanity and more about mental fitness. “If your mind is in shape and your body is not, [the weaker] one will eventually affect the other,” continued the “Judy Justice” lead, encouraging able-bodied folks of all ages to follow suit for the good of their well-being. “Working out is important for my physical health and my mental health,” the native Brooklynite insisted. And to no surprise, the no-nonsense jurist — known for scolding “baloney”-filled crooks on courtroom shows for nearly 30 years — is absolutely right since exercise has been shown to have many health benefits . And while exercise certainly keeps the quick-witted octogenarian in overall good form, Sheindlin, too, partially credits her enduring vitality to a good night’s sleep. But the dynamo tells The Post her Z’s are often interrupted by buzzy ideas for new TV series like the forthcoming
Amazon Freevee project, “Justice on Trial.” The docudrama is set to explore seminal Supreme Court rulings that have shaped the
American justice system. “One of the first cases we will be doing is Gideon v. Wainwright,” revealed the judge. The 1963 landmark decision required federal and state courts to appoint legal counsel to criminal defendants unable to afford an attorney. Through re-enactments, Sheindlin plans to showcase the inciting events, trials and appeals of each case in hour-long episodes. “Justice on Trial” has yet to receive an official debut date. “It’s going to be a fabulous, entertaining and informative show that subliminally teaches you something,” she said. “People want to be smarter — and they tell me they’ve learned a lot about the law, life and social interactions by watching me over the years.” Ironically, however, despite the A-list arbiter’s illustrious tenure on the bench, she has admittedly earned the highest praise for starring as makeup magistrate in E.l.f Cosmetics’
Super Bowl ad this February. “I’ve never received more respect than in the last few months due to the success of that commercial,” said Sheindlin with a laugh, adding that snagging a big game promo had been a long-time “bucket list” wish. “It came as a pleasant surprise.” Presiding as “Judge Beauty” in the 60-second spot, which also aired during the 2024
Oscars, Sheindlin brings order to the court with the trademark tagline “Beauty fades, dumb is forever.” And the purple robe-belle tells The Post she hopes fans, namely tweens and teens consumed by the current “anti-aging” trend, take heed. “The way to maintain an interesting and exciting adventure of life is to stay engaged and smart — looks can only take you so far,” said Sheindlin. “If you think you’re going to rely on just looks, the adventure is going being boring,” she warned with a chuckle. “You might have fun between the ages of 22 to 27, but after that, it’s downhill.” “If you have a great brain, showcase it.”