Healthy Hollywood: Get Movin’ Monday – Madonna’s Go-To Fitness Guru!

Meet Madonna’s number one fitness gal – Nicole Winhoffer. She’s the force behind the Material Girl’s ageless, toned body.

Nicole, who is a trained dancer and Broadway performer, was picked by Madonna to be her private trainer during this year’s worldwide MDNA tour.

“My schedule is nonstop! We are up and traveling every 3 days (some cities we get to stay a little longer). That means being prepared and planning ahead! I am super organized – carrying around equipment, supplements, and being ready for anything,” exclaims Nicole to Healthy Hollywood!

At 54, Madonna is in incredible shape and is able to endure a rigorous tour, which includes two-hour nonstop dance performances at each show. “On show day, we train lightly before sound check. We stretch the muscles, prepare the body, and get the blood circulating to prepare for the big day. Madonna is always in heels for show, so we take advantage of the time we have in sneakers to fully warm up the body,” adds Nicole to Healthy Hollywood.

Also, Nicole makes sure to carve out time for her own workout. “I make sure to do my personal workout every day. My personal workout time is my time for meditation, releasing tension, and asking myself questions of improvement. I do my treadmill workout on an empty stomach, and ALWAYS in front of a mirror, it’s the KEY to results. My treadmill workout is 45 minutes at carefully planned speeds, rhythms and movements to burn maximum fat and sculpt muscle at the same time. It has cinched my waist, burned fat and lifted my butt.”

Nicole isn’t just Madonna’s trainer; she’s also creative director of the singer’s “Addicted to Sweat” program at Hard Candy Fitness.

And, for those who want to sculpt their body like Madonna, they’ve recently released the four-set “Addicted to Sweat” workout DVD. “It is a combination of toning and cardio workouts based on the workouts Madonna and I do together 5 to 6 days a week,” reveals Nicole.

While, most of us won’t be jet-setting around the world, many of us will be on-the-road this holiday season. Nicole shares 3 moves from the “Addicted to Sweat” DVD that can be done anywhere.

1. Chair Hops:
Stand facing the chair. Keep lightness in the feet and gently hop off the floor to warm up the ankles, knees, and body. Place right ball of foot on seat of chair, arms in running stance. Quickly shift weight and legs to left ball of foot on seat, right foot on floor. The switches should be sharp and quick. Keep a lightness in the feet and a light bounce. This is a great exercise to get rid of cellulite!

2. Open Arm Arch:
Stand feet hip-width apart. Palm of hands on seat of chair. Side lunge to the right and bend right knee. Simultaneously open right arm to the ceiling and open chest. Pulse 4x. Repeat 16x then repeat on the left.

3. Triple Angle Butt Shaper:
Face the seat of the chair. Place hands firmly on the seat bringing you to a flat back; feet should be under the hips. Angle #1 – Bring Right knee in parallel and extend to arabesque directly behind you. Repeat 16X. Angle #2 Open Right knee to shoulder and over cross extend to arabesque. Repeat 16X. Angle #3 – Invert Right knee into chest and extend out to 45 degree angle with heel up toward ceiling. Repeat 16X. Change legs and repeat all 3 angles and reps on left leg.

For more of Nicole fitness tips, check out www.nicolewinhoffer.com.

— Terri MacLeod