When it comes to supermodels, they don't make them like Elle Macphersonanymore.
The Australian-born icon, who turns 60 on 29 March, has become synonymous with the fashion industry having worked with designer giants including Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Louis Vuitton and Thierry Mugler – to name just a few – since the launch of her career in the 1980s.
Since rising to the top, Elle has done more than modelling. She's added acting, TV hosting and entrepreneurship to her list of credentials – not to mention being a source of inspiration when it comes to fitness, health and wellness.
To celebrate her milestone birthday and iconic career, we delve into Elle's beauty, fitness and wellness game with the help of experts and the supermodel's own tips when it comes to ageing and remaining in such great shape.
Elle Macpherson's health and fitness game revealed
Elle 'The Body' Macpherson
After rising to stratospheric fame, Elle was given the nickname 'The Body', for obvious reasons.
The statuesque beauty, who stands at five foot 11 inches, graced the catwalks of major fashion houses and thanks to her phenomenal figure, made a name for herself in the industry.
In 2023, the wellness guru spoke to HELLO! and explained how she really felt being given the nickname at the time: "I never took it personally.
"I embraced my Amazonian athleticism. I wasn't the 'norm' and there were times when I felt out of place. But I just used it. It's easier to use it than lose it."
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Elle at 60
Despite being super famous and considered one of the greatest of all time, the model is self-aware and remains humble about what's really important.
She previously told HELLO! "It's impossible for us all to fit into one body type!
"The one thing that never goes out of fashion is health and wellbeing. Also being in your own uniqueness, that's always fashionable."
Elle's diet
Elle's nutritionist and naturopath, Dr Simoné Laubscher PhD, spoke to HELLO! about how she and Elle came together to create WelleCo. A wellness and lifestyle brand that is clearly a venture close to Elle's heart.
Simoné, the formulator of WelleCo's ingestible beauty collection and the founder of Rejuv Wellness, explained how she and Elle came together when the model wasn't feeling her best – thus Welleco was born.
"Elle was eating healthy food, but her macronutrient ratios were out, and the 11 systems in her body were not functioning well.
"She was feeling tired, craving sugar, gaining weight, and generally felt like she had lost her 'va va voom'; she needed digestive, stress, hormonal, inflammation, and blood sugar support."
Plant-based only
Writing on her WelleCo journal, Elle explained how she is a fan of incorporating an anti-inflammatory diet: "It's what works for me."
She added: "'This means I eat organic whole foods and stick to plant-based meals and supplements like The Super Elixir'."
Writing for Get The Gloss, she also said she veers away from coffee. "I don't drink coffee anymore, preferring a gentle yet powerful awakening with a steaming hot matcha latte made with oat milk (Elmhurst Barista is my go-to)."
She also writes on Welleco journal that she opts instead coffee enemas: "These stimulate the liver and gall bladder, providing a second-to-none detox."
Elle takes the plunge
Cold water therapy is all the rage right now, and Elle is also a fan! Taking to an ice bath has amazing benefits for our nervous system and our circulation.
"In the mornings or evenings, I love to jump in my cold plunge bath for about three to five minutes. I'm so grateful to have mine from 'Plunge' although a cold shower or a bath filled with water and ice will do the job.
"I start gently with 30 seconds, then 60 and then work my way up to three to five minutes. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the endorphins that even 30 seconds can give you," she wrote in her WelleCo journal.
Beauty secrets
The supermodel opened up about how her attitude towards beauty and ageing has developed over the years. "I used to think that beauty equals youth.
"But today, I recognize that wellness equals beauty. And that's a big shift," she wrote on Welleco.
"I feel my most beautiful when I'm in nature. When I'm framed by the backdrop of nature, the wind in my hair, the sun caressing my back, the sunlight pouring down.
"Or when my face is met by the beautiful morning light."
James Dabbs, Founder of Dabbs Fitness Mayfair, gives his expertise on the sorts of exercises Elle might undertake on a regular basis, explaining that the supermodel likely combines cardiovascular and resistance training.
"Cardiovascular exercise would likely include activities such as jogging, boxing, and spinning."
Although HIIT is a popular method of training among many including A-listers, James states that trainers wouldn't typically recommend high-intensity burpees and jumps "with less control after the age of 40+ due to the higher risks of injury and joint problems these types of training sessions may create."
A good alternative is fast jogging or running with rest intervals in between, to counteract the risk of injury while still gaining the advantage of a high-intensity training session.
However, James also states that the most effective part of Elle's fitness recipe is weight and resistance training.
"This is particularly important for females, and its importance goes far beyond simply looking good in the mirror.
"Weight training has huge benefits for bone density and hormonal regulation and has a direct correlation with reduced injury risk in life generally.
"It will also keep your posture strong, and of course, build lean muscle which will be a large reason why Elle looks so great," he said.
Recovery, recovery, recovery
But the most important part? Rest.
James insisted: "You must also remember that your training is only as good as your recovery, so a large part of why Elle looks so good will also be to do with her lifestyle.
"Good sleep and nutrition are as important as the training.
"Extra recovery methods such as a sauna and cold plunge, perhaps yoga as well, might be additions to her program on her recovery days from training."
Transform your routine with expert advice from our beauty and wellness team
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