As the awards season begins and the stars of Hollywood walk the red carpet in their stunning gowns and designer suits, one question is always on everyone’s mind: the secret to how they look so good and do it with such ease.
With a new year ahead and our diaries full of resolutions to do things differently and look our best as we head into 2026, we need a bit of inspiration.
Enter the personal trainers and fitness gurus that work with the stars and the rich and famous. Trusted by the likes of Ellie Goulding, Mel B, Christine Lampard, Sheridan Smith, and even the members of the royal family, this elite group of fitness enthusiasts is the go-to authority on how the stars keep their bodies looking red-carpet ready all year round.
So we asked them to let us in on the secrets the stars and royals are using to keep their bodies looking their best as we head into the new year.
How can we emulate the rich and famous? What are the fitness trends that the stars are using to keep their bodies looking their absolute best? Read on to find out.
What types of workouts are actually gaining momentum as we head into 2026?
Whether you’re more of a Pilates person or you feel most comfortable around the weights, the theme that’s emerging as we head into 2026 is one that’s focused on building strength and overall health.
Some types of workouts, such as reformer Pilates, are becoming increasingly mainstream, especially as celebrities and members of royal families seek to retain muscle mass in an era where injectable weight loss medications have become increasingly popular.
The rapid weight loss that’s being experienced by some as a result of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, has led many to experience muscle loss, or sarcopenia, as a negative side effect.
Sarah Lindsay is a trainer to the stars and founder of Roar Fitness, and she’s worked with some impressive clients, including Mel B, Nick Grimshaw, and Pixie Lott. She’s a three-time British speed skating Olympian, and she’s talked about the types of workouts that she’s going to focus on with her A-list clients in 2026.
“‘The rise of weight training cannot be ignored.’ People have known for a long time that weight training is good for strength, stability, metabolism, and fat loss. But with so many people using fat loss injections, the loss of muscle mass is becoming a problem. Doctors are telling patients that they must use weight training to maintain their muscle mass, bone density, and health.”
Pilates is also firmly in the spotlight. “Pilates is absolutely having its moment. There are so many different Pilates studios, apps, and online classes available. So, it is more accessible than ever.”
This is also the view of Aimee Victoria Long, a trainer to A-list celebrities and members of royal families worldwide. “In 2026, Pilates in all its forms is still truly having a moment. That is not just gym chatter, that is actually visible within the fitness landscape.”
“With hot and infrared Pilates studios opening all over London, more people are becoming aware of the benefits of this type of low-impact exercise. For many of my celebrity clients, reformer Pilates is one of their go-to workouts as it helps build strength, improves posture, increases flexibility, and helps maintain joint health over the long term.”
Which workouts are celebrities and royals moving away from?
While low-impact, more purposeful movement is taking center stage, punishing cardio workouts and all-out training that leaves you exhausted for days on end are quietly falling out of favor. For many of these celebrities and royals, it is no longer about reaching the point of exhaustion and beyond, but rather about training smarter, i.e., moving away from all-out HIIT workouts and into the realm of mind-body fitness.
Sarah explains, “While cardio is not off the table, excessive cardio purely to create a calorie deficit is no longer necessary. If you are training for something, such as a marathon, then building mileage is required. But cardio without structure and progressive overload is leading to muscle loss and injury. Fitness should be well-rounded, and more is not better.”
According to Aimee, there is a major shift in the mindset of both elite clients and everyday exercisers. “We are seeing people move away from workouts that push the body to the point of exhaustion but are not actually enjoyable. Celebrities are moving away from high-intensity workouts that they do not enjoy, particularly those that lead to burnout, pain, and injury.
Instead, the focus is on sustainability. “Longevity is the priority now,” Aimee adds. “This means Pilates, mobility, mind-body strength, and well-rounded conditioning that can be maintained long term without breaking the body.”
While ultra-intense workouts such as HIIT and crash-style boot camps have not disappeared completely, they are no longer at the center of the A-list fitness world. For those who prioritize health and well-being, these workouts are no longer at the top of the priority list.
A-lister routines to try for a healthier 2026
The verdict is in: it might be time to invest in a yoga mat to perfect your inversions like Dua Lipa, and a set of hand weights to build strength like Victoria Beckham. But which of the many celebrity-endorsed fitness regimes out there actually works, and where do you start your journey to health in 2026?
Sarah believes that the key to fitness is all in the mind. “I love starting off the year with a strength-training goal,” she said. “It is much more positive and empowering to exercise for performance, not out of dislike for certain parts of your body.
Exercise for performance, and the rest of your body will follow suit.” Sarah cites Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, and Jessica Biel as examples of women who have used strength training to get healthy and stay that way, without the telltale bulging muscles that come with it.
Aimee agrees that the secret to any successful fitness routine is balance. “I think the most successful fitness plans are the ones that have structure, but also have sustainability,” she said.
“The secret is balance,” she added. “You want to build muscle, support your heart, stay flexible and protect your body over time – not burn out in a few weeks.”
To help readers put this into practice, Aimee provided an example of what a week of celebrity fitness could look like, and how it can be used to set them up for success in 2026. Pilates sessions, undertaken two or three times a week, provide the foundation, focusing on core strength and body awareness. Two sessions of strength training per week prioritize compound exercises like squats and deadlifts, with quality being more important than quantity.
Cardio exercises, undertaken two or three times a week, can be enjoyable activities like walking, cycling, or running, and can be used to support the heart, without burning out the nervous system. Finally, short sessions undertaken once a day, focusing on mobility and recovery, can be used to reduce soreness and optimize performance.
This is, in short, a routine that is designed not just to achieve physical goals, but to ensure the individual feels strong, capable, and healthy – and not just on the red carpet.
