Fitness Expert Warns of Health Risks in Pursuit of Midlife Abs

Skinny is officially back in fashion, and so is the growing fixation on sharply defined abs. But this sculpted look is no longer limited to fitness influencers in their 20s—it has become a prominent red-carpet trend among celebrities in their 50s and 60s.

Trinny Woodall, 62, Nicole Kidman, 59, and Amanda Holden, 55, are among the stars showcasing so-called ‘11-line’ abs.

The physique takes its name from the two distinct vertical lines that run down either side of the abdomen and has been promoted as a new, highly sought-after body ideal.

Yet an expert has warned that pursuing the look may bring risks, including obsessive exercise, injury, mental health difficulties and weakened bones.

‘There is nothing inherently dangerous about having visible abdominal definition,’ personal trainer Edwina Jenner told Our News Outlet.

‘The concern arises when trying to achieve those lines results in restrictive eating, excessive or obsessive exercise, or the belief that your body is never good enough. Visible abs are not proof of good health.

‘Most celebrities have access to substantial budgets, elite trainers, home gyms, nutritional advice, private chefs and time to devote to their appearance—something that is often a central part of their work.’

She added: ‘This is not everyday reality for women, yet these unattainable standards are presented to us daily.

‘It is also worth remembering that lighting, posing and whether someone is tensing their muscles can make abdominal definition appear much more pronounced in a photograph.’

For most people, Edwina warned, trying to replicate these physiques can create a range of physical and psychological problems.

She said: ‘Failing to eat enough to fuel exercise and daily life can cause tiredness, difficulty concentrating and poor recovery between workouts, potentially increasing the risk of injury.

‘Over time, consistently under-fuelling can damage bone health and make it more difficult to preserve muscle.

‘Trying to achieve a particular appearance can also encourage increasingly strict eating and exercise habits, anxiety about gaining weight and an unhealthy preoccupation with food and body shape.

‘For some women, this can become isolating and may contribute to the development of an eating disorder.

‘In my view, giving a body feature a catchy name makes it easier to turn it into the next fitness target. “11-line abs” sounds like something that can be achieved through one particular workout, when bodies are much more individual than that.’

A rise in GLP-1 use has seen skinny figures soar, however abs operate in a tricky middle space.

As a show of visible muscle, some might assume they’re a picture of physical health and strength, but the reality is many women achieve them by restricting calories.

Edwina said: ‘Lower body fat generally makes abdominal definition more visible. Around 18% is sometimes suggested as a rough guide for women, but that is not a reliable cut-off, as it’s affected by genetics.’

PwC estimates that one in eight Brits will be taking GLP-1s by 2027, with the likes of Kelly Osbourne, Serena Williams and James Corden already admitting to use.

Edwina said: ‘I think the rise of GLP-1 medications has contributed to the renewed emphasis on extreme thinness in celebrity culture.

‘These medications absolutely have their place. My concern is when the ambition shifts from improving health to becoming as thin as possible.

‘Women need to understand that weight loss can include muscle loss as well as fat loss. Being thinner is not the same as being healthier.’

Although there’s no suggestion any of the celebs named in this piece take Ozempic or Mounjaro, they will surely feel the pressure of being pictured alongside stars who do.

Edwina, who predominantly works with women aged 40 to 60, also revealed the particular challenges these stars face given their age.

She said: ‘As oestrogen levels fall during perimenopause and after menopause, women tend to store more fat around their middle, rather than their hips and bottom. This means your waistline can change even without a significant increase in your weight.

‘Alongside this, we lose muscle as we age, which affects our metabolic health and reduces our daily energy levels.

‘Combined with changes in sleep, eating habits, stress and lower activity levels, this can make it easier to gain fat.

‘That can make visible abdominal definition harder to achieve, but it does not mean women cannot build muscle or improve their fitness. The answer is not just to eat less and do more ab exercises.

‘My advice remains the same for midlife women. You can have a strong, capable core without starving yourself or seeing a single line.’

She concluded: ‘It’s fantastic and encouraging to see women in midlife celebrated for their strength and activity.

‘My concern is when that becomes another appearance standard women feel obliged to meet.

‘We should be widening the picture of what a fit, strong woman can look like, rather than giving her another body part to scrutinise.’

The stars pictured in this piece all work hard at their physiques.

Amanda Holden, for example, has admitted to eating just two meals a day, always skipping lunch.

And while she never deprives herself of an Aperol Spritz or a cheese sandwich, she previously told TV Times: ‘The deal I struck with myself was I have to run for my rosé in the summer and run for my red wine in winter.’

Actress Ali Larter, 50, wakes up at 4.30am to work out before her two kids wake and admits she ‘eats very clean, but I eat’.

Gwyneth Paltrow, 54, famously skips breakfast. She sparked fury in 2023 by admitting she eats bone broth for lunch, followed by an hour-long Pilates workout, and then a vegetable-heavy Paleo dinner (that’s no wheat, dairy or processed carbs).

Trinny Woodall, who showed off her amazing bikini body on a trip to India in March, swears by strength training or yoga five days-a-week.

Halle Berry, now 60, first unveiled her six-pack on Instagram in 2019. She said at the time that she had ‘smashed’ her goal of getting ‘ripped abs’.

She admitted it was hard work and not ‘easy’, adding ‘but that pay off? Worth every damn second’.

Amazingly, she has managed to maintain her figure into her 60s. In 2025, she admitted she ‘used to do a lot of cardio’ but had swapped running for weight training, after years of avoiding it in case it made her ‘muscly’.

Davina McCall, 59, wakes at 6.15am every day to work out on an empty stomach, before taking her dog, Bo, on a long walk wearing weighted gloves.

Charlize Theron, 51, lives an alcohol-free lifestyle and has juice and green salads ‘every day’. She credits Pilates for her ‘changed body’.

She once told Harper’s Bazaar Australia: ‘I’m always calculating my activity. If I haven’t been moving a lot, I can’t eat a lot.’

Keri Russell, star of Netflix’s The Diplomat, learnt Krav Maga, a self-defence system developed for the Israel Defence Forces for a previous acting role and still does combat-style workouts with her PT to this day.

The 50-year-old actress loves bike riding too. In 2020, she told Shape Magazine: ‘I feel my absolute best – my sexiest – after a good workout’.

Nicole Kidman swears by a mixture of running, swimming and Lagree (which is an intense form of Reformer Pilates), while Sandra Bullock, 62, favours kickboxing, Pilates and weight training.

Edwina is the founder of The Strength Edit, an online membership offering structured six-week strength programmes, from beginner level upwards, helping women build strength at home or in the gym. Find her on Instagram: @edwinajennercoaching.