She was the defining face of the ’90s, and at 60, Cindy Crawford is proof that the best bodies are those built to last. The supermodel and entrepreneur recently pulled back the curtain on her iconic 2.5-hour morning routine – and we couldn’t stop watching. But what we really wanted to know was how she stays so effortlessly fit beneath it all.
Back in the day, Cindy was practically synonymous with fitness. Her legendary Shape Your Body videos had a generation sweating along in their living rooms. So, does the OG supermodel still live by the same workout?
Actually, her approach may surprise you. Forget the gruelling, HIIT-heavy regimes you might expect from someone who’s built a career on looking that incredible. In fact, her fitness philosophy is refreshingly realistic – and far more achievable than you’d think.
In a 2024 appearance on the podcast Him & Her, she revealed that her routine is incredibly varied, training four to five times a week across a mix of disciplines to suit her body. Here’s what she does – and why it works.
Pilates
As if you needed another reason to book that Pilates class, Crawford told the podcast she’s been a reformer Pilates fan for over a decade, with a regular class scheduled from her home gym twice a week.
She also highlighted its benefits for lower back pain: ‘Even if my back’s hurting, I can do Pilates because I can modify it,’ she said. Pilates has its roots in rehabilitation and is widely used by physiotherapists, sports medicine practitioners and movement specialists to help strengthen deep stabilising muscles, improve movement patterns and build resilience against injury.
Strength training
She doesn’t stop there. Crawford also trains with a personal trainer twice a week in what she describes as a more ‘old-school’ style – think free weights, lunges and push-ups, not unlike the workouts that made her a fitness icon in the ’90s.
Instagram/@CindyCrawford
It’s a combination that makes sense. Pilates builds the foundation – core strength, stability and mobility – while strength training layers on muscle mass and supports bone density. Together, they complement each other in a way that’s particularly beneficial for women over 50 – and the research backs it up.
Bone health, in particular, is something experts (and us here at Women’s Health) say we don’t talk about nearly enough. Progressive weight training – gradually increasing the load over time – sends signals to bones to lay down more mineral, helping to slow age-related bone loss. In postmenopausal women, studies show it can even modestly increase bone mineral density.
Cardio and fitness
To round things off, Crawford adds cardio into the mix. This can range from a morning jog to ‘running stairs’ – a challenging but efficient way to raise your heart rate and improve cardiovascular fitness in a short amount of time. It also strengthens the glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves and core through repeated effort against gravity.
In her recent morning routine, she also revealed a love of rebounding on a trampoline, alongside occasional hikes with friends and swimming. The key? Keeping things enjoyable – and, importantly, sustainable.
‘It’s [about] the long game. It’s the consistency,’ she said, adding that if she takes a week off, ‘I know that when I come back I’ll get back into my routine.’
If there’s one takeaway from Crawford’s approach, it’s versatility. Building a routine around exercises you enjoy makes it easier to stay consistent – and consistency is what delivers long-term results.
After years living with endometriosis and undergoing seven rounds of IVF, Radio 4 presenter Emma Barnett turned to training with PT Frankie Holah to rebuild strength and a more positive relationship with her body. Download the Women’s Health UK app to access Frankie’s full training plan.
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Isabelle Knevett is the Fashion Features Editor at Women’s Health, bringing a wealth of experience in media and fashion since 2019. She has led high-impact PR campaigns for global giants like Adidas and Reebok and has reported on everything from fashion analysis and shopping trends, to deep dive features and investigative reporting. A former professional dancer, she understands the value of quality gym and activewear, making her a true expert in the field. Her work has been featured in Marie Claire Australia, ELLE Australia, Australian Women’s Weekly, WHO and more. When she’s not buried in a fashion magazine or sweating it out the gym or dance studio, you’ll find her reading or writing about fashion, feminism and global politics.
