Christie Brinkley on turning 64: 'I'm not going to let that number make me feel old'

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Christie Brinkley poses for SI Swimsuit Issue with daughters

Christie Brinkley is returning to the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue at age 63. And this time she's appearing with her two daughters

Christie Brinkley turned 64 on Feb. 2 – but the model insisted she still feels forever young.

“I’m not going to let that number make me feel old,” the Sports Illustrated cover girl told Closer Weekly Thursday. “… The best part of being my age is not really caring what other people think."

Brinkley added, "An attitude of gratitude is the first thing people see when you walk in the door. [Besides], there’s so much to be grateful about, and it’s so much fun to be happy!”

However, Brinkley wasn’t always so confident about getting older in the public eye. Brinkley told the magazine she initially had mixed feelings about aging when she first heard The Beatles’ 1967 hit “When I’m Sixty-Four.”

“That number, that birthday, has always seemed old to me because of that song,” she admitted.

Still, Brinkley said her recent birthday celebration encouraged the American model to continue pursuing her dreams.

“I’d been wanting to move back to New York, so I just got myself an apartment,” she said. “Don’t hesitate. Just get out there and go! That’s what I’m doing.”

The mother of three, who’s never been shy about her age, previously told Fox News in 2015 she has a no-nonsense approach to fitness and skincare to maintain her appearance.

“I urge people to make your workout fun,” said Brinkley. “Currently, I’m doing a lot of bike riding. I like to do the Soul Cycle [spinning classes], and it’s just so fun. You don’t always have to get an expensive gym membership. The important thing is to keep moving, and to make it fun, and have variety – it’s the spice of life."

Brinkley also explained it’s just as important to pay attention to daily eating habits.

“I became a vegetarian when I was 13-years-old,” she said. “I figure, hey, if they’re shooting a cow full of growth hormones in order to speed up its development, to get it from birth to the slaughterhouse faster, what’s it doing to you, you know?”

Brinkley’s daughter Alexa Ray Joel, whose father is Brinkley’s ex-husband Billy Joel, also told Fox News that same year her mother has been a major influence throughout her upbringing.

“I’ve learned pretty much everything from mom,” said the 32-year-old. “She’s taught me a lot about just taking care of yourself – skin care, great makeup tricks. She’s very good at putting together that effortless-style look.”