Michelle Dockery may be best known for her role as Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey, but at 44, we’re seeing a different side to the actor with her approach to fitness.
She previously revealed she used dance for exercise, telling The Times: ‘I do dance fitness classes in Shoreditch. It’s 15 minutes of cardio – sit-ups and muscle work – then you learn a routine. It’s very varied and I love it.’
Now, though, she’s embracing resistance training. Her coach, Jules Feldman Batchelor, shared a glimpse of Dockery’s training on Instagram, with a video of the Bloodsport star demonstrating the TRX single-leg hip hinge: a challenging move that combines strength, stability and balance in one.
Instagram @rippedbyjules
Posting the clip shortly after Dockery announced her pregnancy in September 2025 (she welcomed her son in early 2026), Batchelor trainer captioned it: ‘Celebrating the anniversary of my months spent with the gorgeous, classy, kind, hilarious, fun, down to earth, deep, and very lovely Michelle Dockery @theladydockers. We laughed, we cried, we danced, we SWEAT. Congratulations on your pregnancy and I’m ever grateful for my opportunity with you!’
@rippedbyjules//Instagram
Dockery shared a photo of herself and Batchelor with the caption: ‘Gonna miss this woman. You won’t find a better trainer in Massachusetts. Love you @rippedbyjules. Thank you for knocking me into shape!’
@rippedbyjules//InstagramWhy the single-leg hip hinge is so effective
The TRX single-leg hip hinge is particularly efficient because it works so many muscles at once: as you support your body while hinging forwards and backwards on one leg, your glutes, hamstrings, back, shoulders, arms and core all have to contribute. The instability of the TRX straps also means your core has to work extra hard to resist rotation and keep your pelvis and spine aligned. Put simply, it’s so time-efficient because it trains strength, stability and balance simultaneously, rather than needing separate exercises for each.
How to do the TRX single-leg hip hingeStand facing the anchor, holding the TRX handles. Shift your weight onto one leg and extend the other behind you. Hinge at the hips, keeping your back flat and your standing knee softly bent, then drive through your standing foot to return to standing.
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.