Princess Madeleine of Sweden has made quite a few public appearances in the last week, despite being one of the more low-key members of the Swedish royal family, as her older sister, Crown Princess Victoria tends to take the spotlight.
The 43-year-old, in the week commencing December 8, 2025, attended two events related to the Nobel Prize: a dinner for the 2025 Nobel Laureates at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, and the Nobel Prize Banquet at the Stockholm City Hall.
When a photograph of her at the dinner was shared to HELLO!'s Instagram page, our readers appeared to be obsessed with her amazing gym-honed physique, so we decided to take a deep dive into how she managed to achieve it.
The ninth-in-line to the Swedish throne, Princess Madeleine has always been quite the sportsperson. She is a devoted equestrian who used to compete in showjumping competitions under the name Anna Svensson.
In fact, she's so committed to the sport that she has created a scholarship to encourage and support young people involved in horse riding, and previously distributed equestrian awards in Sweden.
She has always been one of the more athletic members of the family, but in her recent appearances, she's been looking even fitter and stronger than before, with her arms looking especially toned.
How to achieve Princess Madeleine's toned arms
Fitness in midlife is often over-complicated – just because natural hormonal changes shift the way you need to work out, Princess Madeleine serves as concrete proof that achieving that toned look in your 40s is completely doable.
Many wonder why our arms lose firmness as we get older, more so from the ages of 50 and up, and if you are in menopause.
Fitness expert Sara Álvarez, CEO and founder of Spain's Reto48 fitness programme, spoke to HELLO! about the science behind that change, explaining to us that they're "linked to the 'transformation' of certain genes and the way we begin to respond to physical exercise itself when we're older.
"For example, when a young person exercises, there are changes in the expression of about 150 genes," she continued. "In the case of older people, it's only 42. This difference seems to explain, among other things, the visible variation in the shape of our bodies, including our arms."
She stressed that diet is absolutely crucial when trying to improve muscle mass to firm up the arms, focusing on foods that balance the hormonal system. Products rich in omega-3 fats, and quality proteins, like eggs, pulses and tofu, should be included, eaten alongside slow-release complex carbohydrates like brown rice.
Exercise-wise, you should prioritise resistance exercises three days a week. Sara proposed a specific workout that can be done three days a week, with three sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise. These included: overhead tricep extensions, lateral raises, bicep curls, floor presses, and push-ups.