Davina Mccall’s got the cure for the January blues: pull your socks up and get moving!
Queen of abs Davina Mccall gets behind our #heatfit1000 challenge
If you’re feeling a bit left out watching everyone dash to the gym at lunchtime and coming back looking smug, don’t write yourself off yet. As all-round fitness babe and Masked Singer judge Davina Mccall can testify, it’s never too late to start. After all, the 52 year old recently rocked a pair of Daisy Dukes on her hols. So, if you’re thinking that exercise just isn’t for you, prepare for the pep talk of your life!
Many of us turn to fitness as a way of losing weight – what’s your motivation? Feeling good inside and out. Nothing uplifts me like exercise does, and I always know it will make me feel better. At the end of last year, I did this 30-day challenge on Own Your Goals [Davina’s online fitness platform], so I’ve had no choice but to push myself. We call it a challenge, but it’s more of a motivational thing as you have to log in every day and show up, basically. I got up at 6am for work today, so I haven’t exercised yet, but I’ll do some when I get home tonight. Under any other normal circumstances, I’d just press the “f**k it” button, because I can’t be arsed, but because I’ve signed up to this thing, I’ve got to do it. What about those days when you’re just not feeling it? I look at some fitness people’s Instagram pages, and if I see they’ve done a workout, I think, “I’ve got to do it.” I have got this hard and fast rule of three times a week, and if I’ve only done two workouts and it’s Friday, I think, “I’ve just got to do something,” even if it’s a 20-minute run around the block. Just do anything that will raise your heart rate. What if we can’t afford a gym membership and have no clue what we’re doing? Do anything! Start with a gentle run and build it up, or do a run-walk if that feels like too much. Fresh air is an amazing thing, but you have to get out and do it come rain or shine. Going for a run in the rain is gorgeous. Feeling the water on your face feels great. Yes, you might get cold, but you can go back home and have a nice warm cup of tea. You could see a therapist for £120 an hour if you’re feeling anxious, but going for a walk if you’re feeling stressed is free and it works. Or get some basic workout equipment and do some exercises. I’ve just brought out a range of fitness products with Amazon – once you’ve got a few essentials, you’re sorted. What would you say to women who think it’s too late for them to discover fitness? You are never too old. When I go to classes, there are women of all ages there. I remember seeing a feature about this 78-year-old woman in an American magazine called Outside, and she had a big impact on me. She was wearing a Billabong skort [a skirt and shorts combo], trainers and a crop top. She looked awesome – she was toned, fit and muscly, and she’d come out top of the women in a triathlon for her age group. I was like, “You can’t moan about anything when you see that.” We are all capable of doing it. If you build up slowly, there is no reason you can’t start exercising at 60 or 70. You have never missed the boat. You just need to get the right training and make sure that you do it in a gradual way. What’s your favourite type of exercise to do? I tend to do my hardcore cardio outside of the house, and spin gives me a huge buzz. I do a lot of my toning at home, because you can do that with minimal or no equipment, and I also work out with my girls [Holly, 18, and Tilly, 16] in the house, which is lovely. It’s a really nice thing for us to all do together. Is there anything you hate or avoid doing, fitness-wise? The only thing I would happily never do again is open-water swimming. My God, that’s hard. I swam across Lake Windermere as part of a Sport Relief challenge in 2014, and it almost finished me off. Never again. You’ve been training to be a PT – have you qualified now? I’m shelving that for now. I’m going to do it when I’ve got more time, because it’s actually quite complicated and I want to make sure I have a decent amount of time to dedicate to it. So, I’m settling for being a fitness instructor, and I’ll go for the PT side of things when things are a bit quieter. It’s on my goal list.
‘Wearing matching underwear is an act of self-love’
Our #heatfit1000 campaign is all about encouraging people to up their average daily movement. What tips do you have for doing this? I’d say to get off the train or bus a stop early and walk or run the last bit. Get some trainers on, put on some banging tunes and get motivated. Podcasts are great for walking and are good to listen to when you’re used to exercising, but if you want to get motivated, put on some happy music. What are the ultimate workout tunes that put a rocket up your bum? One of my favourites is Into You by Odd Mob, and a good one to get me running up a hill is Earthquake by DJ Fresh and Diplo. Aside from fitness, what other things do you do every day to help yourself feel more confident? I’m big into smart underwear. I always go matchy-matchy. If you’re going on a first date, even though you know you’re not going to put out, wearing great underwear is like knowing you mean business. It’s even better if you’re wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, but you’ve got killer underwear underneath. It’s not about other people knowing you’re wearing it, either – it’s for you. It’s an act of self-love. Honestly, if I ever realised I wasn’t wearing matching underwear, I’d have to go back home and change. I could never wear a different coloured bra and pants. ■
Sign up for a free ten-day trial at Ownyourgoalsdavina.com. Davina’s fitness range is available now on Amazon. The Masked Singer is on Saturdays, ITV, 7pm