As the long-awaited sequel to Practical Magic hits cinemas this week, stars Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are walking the red carpet as an iconic duo once more. But how have the pair managed to keep their youthful glow almost 30 years later? It’s not quite witchcraft – it’s workouts

Twenty-eight years after the iconic 1998 cult classic hit Blockbusters across the globe, the superstar pair are reuniting on-screen as the Owens sisters for the first time. But it’s not just a full-circle moment for us viewers – the pair have shared how reuniting for the film has been incredibly healing after a few hard-hitting years in their personal lives.

“I needed something light and fun,” Kidman said, who divorced husband Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage earlier this year. “A lot of times, I am the dramatic anchor of the film, so to be able to be the one that isn’t and to let Sandy take that lane was fun for me.”

 “By the nature of what we do, you get to exercise and use and talk about journeys in our own personal life that come out,” added Bullock, who had stepped back from the spotlight to care for longtime partner Bryan Randall before he passed in 2023 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. “Wherever we go, there we are – even though we’re playing a character, your essence is still arriving on screen, and hopefully that’s felt.”

So as their relationship with the franchise has grown, so has their personal lives – and as the last 28 years have seen six children, two divorces, hundreds of nominations and entering a new decade, how have the pair managed to keep up red-carpet appearances?

Nicole Kidman’s workout

According to a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, Kidman doesn’t try to be too strict with her fitness.

“I mix it up to make sure it stays fun,” she shared. “I run, ride my bike, do yoga – whatever I can do and wherever I am in the world.”

Running

Kidman has admitted coming from a family of marathon runners – so she’s been no stranger to breaking a sweat on the track.

She previously told Women’s Health US, “That’s been part of my life since I was a little girl. I would get dragged out of bed by my dad… and he would just make us run laps of the oval.”

Now, the star says she keeps it up with a good playlist and scenic backdrops.

“I just put my music on and off I go,” she says. “I go into the woods and that’s why I love living in Nashville – and in Sydney you’ve got the beach, which is absolutely beautiful to run on.”

Lower body training

Last year, Kidman’s costar Joey King revealed the exact leg and glute exercises the actress practices.

Speaking on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, King said: “[Nicole] taught me the most epic, awful butt workout I’ve ever learned in my life. It was so intense. I was like, ‘I’m a youngster. I can hang. I’m young, and I’m agile’ – I thought I could hang, but I couldn’t hang.”

King revealed the workout included: donkey kicks, rainbows, and fire hydrants. “But you have to keep your leg in the air for like 12 years, it’s so hard,” she added.

Diet

“I’m actually not that strict with my diet. I pretty much eat anything, but all in moderation. It’s walking a path that’s ultimately 80% healthy, 20%,” Kidman once said to Women’s Health.

“Sometimes it falls to 70. But that’s why I think you have things like natural health remedies – you find out what works for you. And I do a lot and I have a lot of energy.”

Wellness

Not only did Kidman’s upbringing involve laps of the track, but her father also encouraged meditation.

“We did a lot of research into healthy ways to achieve equilibrium and out of that came my dad, who’s a psychologist, saying meditation was a really strong part of it,” she told Women’s Health.

“So, he started, then I started. My sister does it, and my mom’s the one that comes and goes with it.

“I try to do 20 minutes pretty much every day. And if I can do 20 in the morning and 20 at night… that’s my goal.”

Dua Lipa’s workout routine is built around 15-minute HIIT – plus the Pilates, boxing and yoga that keep her strong

Sandra Bullock’s workout

Over the years, Bullock has shared how she enjoys doing Pilates, kickboxing, and weight training – and when she’s home, she’ll run or ride a bike.

“If I can work out every day, I will,” she once told InStyle. “But there are times when I won’t do anything for two weeks and I’m, like, ‘You know what? I talk enough to burn calories’.”

Dance training

In addition to her more conventional workout routine, Bullock likes to also have some fun with it. She is apparently a regular at celebrity trainer Simone De La Rue’s famous Body By Simone dance-cardio training – and Simone has even revealed just how committed the star is to staying in shape.

“She puts in an hour a day, six times a week,” Simone once shared with Women’s Health. “She is extremely motivated and driven.”

“There’s always cardio like dance, jump roping or rebounding, then we alternate between 10-minute intervals of high-intensity cardio and strength training moves that focus on different body parts.”

Diet

As much as she enjoys a healthy lifestyle, Bullock is also no stranger to a cheat day – and even schedules them in!

“I start Friday night and I end Saturday night,” she once told InStyle, which allows her to indulge in whatever she wants for 24 hours, including her go-to dark chocolate with added bacon.

She also does plenty of meal prep. “I’ll make lists of what I want to eat this week or next week,” she shared. “Last night I had brown rice and black beans and some steamed vegetables, so today I’m going to have all kinds of good stuff!”

See Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock this September in Practical Magic 2 – out in theaters now.