Christie Brinkley, 65, reveals her secret to feeling confident in a bikini: ‘It just makes me feel good’

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Christie Brinkley, 63, proves she's still got it

Fox411: Christie Brinkley stuns in a new photo shoot and says there are still many goals she would like to accomplish

At 65, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit stunner Christie Brinkley is spilling her secrets.

The sought-after model, who is often praised for her ageless appearance, wants to encourage women to find healthy ways to not only enhance their youthful features but also celebrate life. She recently launched a social media campaign called “Milestones of Me,” which aims to celebrate moments, big or small, that continue to shape our everyday lives. The cover girl insisted she wants other women not to shy away from the spotlight, but rather embrace their age proudly.

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY PROUDLY FLAUNTS BIKINI BODY

Fox News spoke to Brinkley about hitting the big 6-5, the one piece of advice she would give her younger self and where her confidence comes from to rock a bikini.

Fox News: You recently had a birthday. How does it feel to turn the big 6-5?
Christie Brinkley: I think that the number really doesn’t represent the modern woman today. In the olden days, the numbers came with so many rules and so much weight on a woman. There were so many restrictions associated with certain numbers. Like after 30 you can’t wear your skirt above your knee. After 40 you shouldn’t wear your hair below your shoulders. Nowadays, women are totally reshaping the numbers and giving those numbers a new image. To me, to be turning 65, it really could be any number. The only thing is that once you pass 50, every birthday is an opportunity to take stock and say, “What else do I want to do?” And then go for it!

Fox News: We recently saw you rocking a bikini during a beach getaway. Where does your confidence come from?
Brinkley: I think I feel most confident when I know I’m being good to myself *laughs*. When I know I’ve been eating right and exercising. It just makes me feel good. I think that’s real value in taking care of yourself. We all know we get more done on a good hair day *laughs*. We just do! And I think it’s the same with taking care of your skin, your diet, your exercising.

When you feel better, you look better but you also feel more energized and confident. That’s really the results that keep me going. I want that good energy. I want to be able to do things when they come up. If friends call and say, “We want to go skiing this weekend, wanna come?” I want to be able to say yes. And I don’t want to be the one sitting next to the fire. I want to be the one in the mountains. That’s the benefit of always taking good care of yourself.

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY NAMES HER BIGGEST REGRET

Fox News: How are you staying active?
Brinkley: I’ve always loved sports and doing things outdoors. Whether it’s running around the tennis court, standup paddle boarding, skiing, kayaking, cycling, mountain trails — I just love being active and doing things. It’s just so important to keep moving every day, especially at my age now *laughs*. My enemy is sitting. It’s a big mistake for people to think they need to sit it out. That’s the worst thing you can do. You gotta get yourself to a physical therapist, figure out what’s causing those aches and pains, strengthen your muscles and keep going.

Fox News: What’s your diet like?
Brinkley: I’m a lifelong vegetarian and I’m always seeking out my fruits and vegetables. I always make sure my fruits, vegetables and grains are all organic. We live in a world that’s so full of chemicals. … We need to clean up our bodies and our environment. One of the best ways is to insist on everything being organic because mankind just cannot take these chemicals anymore. … Diseases are running rampant and this is something we all need to insist on. The prices will go down as more and more people demand organic.

Fox News: What’s one beauty lesson you would give to your younger self?
Brinkley: Seriously, I would have taken better care of my skin from the sun. Because boy, I grew up on the beach in Malibu. I was always as tan as could be. And then I got a job where they would hand me a bikini and say, “Go get a tan!” I would be all too happy to do it. I would be on the beaches all over the world, on the strongest sun.

I would have been much more careful about the sun. My mom was always worried about the very end of our nose. Like, she would put that dab of zinc oxide on our nose and go, “You’re safe, go on and play!” Like only the nose that sticks out is the thing that’s gonna get burned! Back then, the rest of it was healthy for us. Like, go get a healthy tan. If we didn’t feel well, my mom would say, “Go sit in the sun. It will bake it out of you.” But we didn’t know!

Fox News: How does it feel to know your daughter Sailor has launched her own modeling career?
Brinkley: You know, I feel some people might say, “It must be so much easier with Christie Brinkley holding the door for her.” Yes, but she has to still be able to keep that door open. She has to deal with the criticism and people claiming nepotism. You’re alone in this career. You walk into a room full of strangers every single day that you go into modeling. There is no routine. Every day is different. Every day you need to stand there under a light while people whisper about you while you’re being photographed. And yet you still need the confidence to project the look that they’re wanting, get along with everybody and converse with everybody.

Sailor Brinkley Cook (left) and mom Christie Brinkley. (Getty)

People don’t really know the amount of work it takes to be a model. And nobody is holding her hand as she does this profession. … I’m proud of her for being able to ignore the bullying or haters. In fact, she has empathy and compassion for them because they must be very unhappy to go out of their way to make a point to visit her personal page and write mean things.

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Fox News: You’re kicking off a campaign called “Milestones of Me.” Why did you become involved?
Brinkley: It really fits with my philosophy. Everybody is so busy nowadays. Everyone I know has way too much on their plate. So “Milestones of Me” is making sure you celebrate every great thing that happens in your life. But also, if you don’t have a major milestone, make one! I thought it was a really wonderful campaign because it lets women know that this is available for them, but it’s also a great reminder to just seize the moment. Seize the day.

Fox News: What ’s one piece of advice would you give to women wanting to look younger?
Brinkley: That’s one of the things I really found to be most exciting about [Brinkley's skin treatment plan] Ultherapy. It’s not going to change you. You’re not going to look like somebody or a fake version of yourself. It’s an ultrasound that through a wand, which is totally not invasive — doesn’t break the skin, you don’t need any downtime. Instead, it tells your skin to start behaving the way it used to when you were younger. All our lives, our body is creating its own collagen and elastic. As we age, it starts to slow down in that department. So this kicks it back into gear. … Therefore you look younger, but you look like you.

Fox News: What are some important moments that have been on your mind lately?
Brinkley: I just firmly believe that some people wait to celebrate for only like a big, special occasion. I believe in finding a reason to celebrate every day. I truly believe everybody should stop and see the sunset. I truly believe that everybody should keep their iPhone or camera in their hand and look for beauty around them. When you’re seeking beauty… I just think you absorb that and it becomes part of who you are. I think that this campaign can encourage women to not wait for big things, but to appreciate all the little things. I truly believe appreciation and gratitude are the keys to a happy life.