{"id":892783,"date":"2026-09-15T10:38:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T10:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/892783\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T10:38:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T10:38:59","slug":"at-54-claudia-winkleman-has-found-the-one-workout-shell-stick-to-and-theres-a-class-near-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/892783\/","title":{"rendered":"At 54, Claudia Winkleman has found the one workout she\u2019ll stick to (and there\u2019s a class near you)"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we hit our 50s, exercise becomes a non-negotiable\u2026 even if, like Claudia Winkleman, you\u2019re majorly averse to breaking a sweat. On an episode of The Mid Point podcast<\/a>, the Traitors host told host Gabby Logan: \u2018I don\u2019t like physical exertion of any kind.\u2019 She explained she doesn\u2019t like sweating and added that she was \u2018too impatient\u2019 to stick to a long-term fitness routine. \u2018I want to go twice and feel like Elle Macpherson,\u2019 Claudia said. \u2018The moment they say you\u2019ll see a difference in three months, I\u2019m out.\u2019<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s no escaping the fact that the need to move your body gets more urgent with age \u2013 and even Claudia has been spotted heading to a local class. \u2018It\u2019s round the corner from me, so I can go there and everybody is lovely \u2013 it\u2019s super quiet.\u2019 Claudia’s workout of choice? Reformer Pilates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Claudia has highlighted one very important point: to make an exercise habit stick, you need to remove as many barriers as possible,\u2019 says GH fitness expert Kim Hawley<\/a>. \u2018Choosing an activity you enjoy \u2013 and one that doesn\u2019t involve travelling for half an hour to get there \u2013 is key. Fitness doesn\u2019t have to leave you red-faced, damp and questioning your life choices. In that regard, although it is still challenging, Pilates offers a more civilised alternative.\u2019<\/p>\n

For women in midlife, this low-impact approach can be particularly appealing, she adds. \u2018Pilates<\/a> helps build strength and stability without placing excessive stress on the joints, while its slower pace makes it easier to focus on how your body feels. It can be demanding, but it is generally kind to the joints.<\/p>\n

\u2018Should we strength train? Yes. Should we try to raise our heart rate with some higher-intensity exercise? Ideally, yes. But if you\u2019re not going to do those things because you hate them, you\u2019ve set yourself an unrealistic challenge. The most sustainable form of training is the one you enjoy enough to repeat.<\/p>\n

\u2018Pilates may not deliver an instant transformation, but it can leave you feeling stronger, taller and more connected to your body \u2013 without requiring a change of T-shirt at the end of the class.\u2019<\/p>\n

Feeling inspired by Claudia? You can give Kim\u2019s three simple pilates moves a go at home:<\/p>\n

1. Pelvic curl<\/p>\n

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.<\/p>\n

Inhale and, as you exhale, gently curl your pelvis, lifting your spine slowly from the floor, squeezing your glutes, until your knees a form a straight diagonal line to your shoulders. Keep your weight between your shoulder blades, not on your neck. Inhale at the top, then exhale as you roll back down, one vertebra at a time. Repeat 8\u201310 times.<\/p>\n

Hint: Keep your ribcage down.<\/p>\n

2. Tabletop toe taps<\/p>\n

Lie on your back and lift your legs so your knees are bent at 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor.<\/p>\n

Inhale to prepare and exhale as you lower one foot towards the floor. Inhale as you bring it back to parallel\/tabletop, then change sides. Keep your pelvis still and your belly button towards the floor. Repeat 6\u201310 times on each side.<\/p>\n

Hint: Only lower the leg as far as you can while keeping your lower back comfortable and controlled.<\/p>\n

3. Side-lying clams<\/p>\n

Lie on your side with your knees bent and your heels in line with your bottom.<\/p>\n

Keep your hips stacked and your waist gently lifted \u2013 no slouching! Exhale as you open the top knee, keeping your feet together. Inhale as you lower the knee with control. Avoid rolling your pelvis backwards. Repeat 10\u201312 times on each side.<\/p>\n

Hint: The movement should come from the outer hip, not from swinging the leg or twisting the body.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When we hit our 50s, exercise becomes a non-negotiable\u2026 even if, like Claudia Winkleman, you\u2019re majorly averse to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":892784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[64,63,462163,428,462164,430,538,137,308081,429,285890,366213],"class_list":["post-892783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-claudia-winkleman-has-found-the-one-workout-shell-stick-to","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-f2982e64-8c38-40a0-bbae-73277bfbb4e1","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-at-54","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=892783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/892784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=892783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=892783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=892783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}