A high-profile trainer whose workouts have helped shape some of the best bodies in entertainment - from Madonna to Mya – recommends using Epsom salt to help muscles recover, to help skin glow and to provide a break from our stressful lives.
“I truly believe in Epsom salt,” says Nicole Winhoffer, who served as the Creative Director at Hard Candy Fitness which was co-created with Madonna. It was designed to make workouts accessible to all fitness levels.
“Every week, I usually take a nice, huge Epsom salt bath,” she says. “Ten minutes in the bath does a lot.”
Winhoffer began using Epsom salt as she was growing up in an active household (her father played college soccer). At age 17, she landed her first gig as a Broadway dancer, appearing in 42nd Street, Bombay Dreams and Wicked.
Today, Winhoffer trains celebrities such as Kate Hudson and Ellen Pompeo, and she’s widely quoted in some of the nation’s top media outlets, including Forbes, Allure, and People. In 2014, fashion designer Stella McCartney named Winhoffer the Global Ambassador of Women's Training for Adidas.
“What has guided me during my success in life is being in touch with my emotional and spiritual self,” Winhoffer says. “Epsom salt baths help my body, they relax me, but they also cleanse my mind and my soul. In this busy world, we don’t get a chance to turn our mind off.”
4 Ways to Incorporate Epsom Salt into Your Wellness Routine
- Soothing sore muscles – If you feel you need to recover, soak immediately. Add about 2 cups of Epsom salt to a tub with warm water or one 1 cup for a foot bath.
- Beauty – Mix Epsom salt with honey, avocado or essential oil and scrub the skin, which regenerates every week. Add 1 TBSP to a quarter cup of the ingredients and measure to touch based on your preferences.
“The scrubs make my skin glow and make it smoother, because it removes dead skin cells.”
- Temporarily reduce bloating – The soaks decrease your cortisol levels, reducing stress and temporarily helping people avoid retaining water. It balances the chemistry in people’s bodies. Soak three days before an event where you want to look your best – once when you wake up, and once before you sleep.
- Foot soaks – After wearing high heels or walking all day, your feet may be sore. “If you don’t have time for a shower, just soaking your feet can help relieve pain, plantar fasciitis and bunions.”
Winhoffer’s NW method™ workout will soon appear in a TV show where a she will lead contestants in transforming their bodies and lives through the NW Method. Winhoffer describes the NW method as creative, innovative and unconventional, using movement to inspire others to realize their dreams and lead them to their most balanced, beautiful, and best self.
3 Tips for Achieving your Best Self
- Create a morning ritual – Take a few minutes during the least stressful time of the day and write down 10 things you want to accomplish that day.
- Be “ruthlessly honest” with yourself – Hyper-criticism will help determine what you should search for and what you really want.
- Speak your mind – Tell people what you think and how you feel. “You can’t be seen or valued if you don’t start expressing yourself.”
Winhoffer says her success stems from being open-mined and trusting herself.
“I just want people to be happy.”
