Monique Eastwood

Award-winning celebrity personal trainer, lifestyle coach, professional dancer and founder of The Eastwood Movement Method and Eastwood Fit App.

Monique Eastwood, 55, is the woman behind the bodies of superstar A-listers including Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway, Hayley Atwell and Ruth Wilson as well as stuntwoman extraordinaire Lucy Cork and even athletes such as British Skier, Jack Gower.

Monique trained as a professional ballerina, at the prestigious Bush Davies British Ballet school in all methods of dance and stage. Her professional dancing career spanned 10 years.

Early career highlights included performances for South Africa’s premier ballet companies PACT ballet company and NAPAC ballet Durban.  From ballet, Monique transitioned to Sun City, for a Vegas style change where she was part of not one, but two shows simultaneously – sometimes performing up to three times per day! Her years on stage gave Monique the discipline and stamina she needed  to achieve recognition as a world class personal trainer – with a world class body!

Upon returning to the UK in 1990, Monique combined her love of dance with her knowledge of Pilates and fitness and the Eastwood Movement Method was born. It is this unique method that has sculpted the body of many Hollywood movie stars.

In 2011, Monique trained actor Emily Blunt as she prepared for the gruelling action movie Edge of Tomorrow, where she starred alongside Tom Cruise. Monique not only got Emily Blunt in the best shape of her life for demanding stunts and action sequences, but Emily was so impressed that she requested Monique continue to train her. Ten years later and Monique has trained Emily through both pregnancies and for roles requiring dancing and horseback riding. From here, Monique’s A-list client list grew to include the likes of Stanley Tucci, Ruth Wilson, Anne Hathaway Hayley Atwell and many more.

In 2020, when the Coronavirus pandemic hit and many were forced to stay at home, Monique pivoted her offering and started LIVE Zoom-based workouts for local and international clients. The popularity of her classes, which are high intensity but with a special focus on continual movement, alignment and technique, grew exponentially.

In 2022, Monique launched her debut fitness app, Eastwood Fit. Seamlessly integrating into her existing  platform and website, the app makes it easier for Monique’s clients across the globe to access her famous workouts anywhere and everywhere.

With a client base that has spanned decades, all ages and abilities included, Monique’s wellbeing ethos highlights the importance of everyday movement. Monique has a wealth of knowledge and understanding of how bodies move and react to movement and uses her method to keep client’s bodies fluid, lean and strong.

With decades of teaching experience, Monique has developed a unique skill of reading clients and what their bodies need from as little as one session. Stanley Tucci in particular marvels at Monique’s ability to ‘just know what my body needs on any given day’ . She affirms that training involves the psychological exercise as well as the physical and works with her clients to bring both into balance. It is a skill learnt from years of teaching various characters, physiques and principles of movement.

Monique has been featured in a plethora of well-regarded press included Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The Times, The Telegraph, Evening Standard, Metro, Women’s Health and Daily Mail. She has been awarded the best in category in the Tatler Magazine Gym Awards in 2023 and has been the cover-star on Women’s Fitness Magazine.

Retreats

Monique hosts a number of premium wellness retreats with leading holistic health brands during the year. Whether its wholesome staycations or luxury getaways, Monique’s core principles of multidirectional movement, elite nutrition and holistic but realistic health advice is at the core of every retreat package. More information available via her website.

Qualifications 

• Trained professional Ballet dancer with a  RAD advanced qualification.
• RSA fitness qualification from the YMCA
• Stott Pilates (mat work and reformer trained)

Certifications in:

• Stott Prenatal
• Stott lumber pelvic stability
• Stott the shoulder girdle
• Stott functional ageing
• FAI How humans move, function versus anatomy
• Pelvic floor health/post and prenatal Carolyn Anthony
• Menopause and midlife health
• Mbodies Psoas workshop by Cameron Angus
• The biomechanics method (Fitpro)