Kate: ‘I became addicted to the gym’
The EX-TOWIE star on workouts with Rio and beating anxiety
Chatting to Kate Ferdinand, heat is happy to discover she has got a weakness – it’s Chinese takeaway, crispy chilli beef to be precise. After marrying footballer Rio and slotting into family life with his three kids – Lorenz, 13, Tate, 11, and eight-year-old Tia – it’s easy to think the 27 year old has the perfect life. But she has had her own ups and downs, too.
Last month, she and Rio starred in the documentary Becoming A Stepfamily, sharing
‘I was too hard on myself, and really beat myself up’
how difficult it can be living in a blended family. Kate always tries to be candid with fans, and that applies to her health and fitness, too. Teaming up with Dare 2b on her own gym wear edit, Kate chats to us about how exercise has vastly improved her mental health…
How has exercise helped with your mental health? I am a creature of habit, and structure really helps my anxiety. If something breaks that structure, then I struggle. But exercise really just calms my mind. It’s an hour of being in the gym and not thinking about anything other than getting through the workout. You’ve said you suffered badly from anxiety as a teenager – how did fitness help? I started going swimming with my mum before school and just really loved it. I did feel better when I left the gym, but I was addicted when I was younger, I had to go every single day. I thought, “If I don’t go, I’m not going to feel good.” It became an obsessive thing, whereas now – only in the last six months – I’ve realised I can not go to the gym and still feel OK. What advice would you give to your teenage self? Be easy on yourself. I was so hard on myself and really beat myself up. Learn to love yourself. I compared myself to everyone constantly, and it’s the worst thing you can do. Do you like working out with Rio? It’s good to have a gym buddy. I enjoy working out with Rio – we push each other. We have a laugh and him being there, maybe doing an extra press-up, makes me think, “Ooh, I’d better do another one!” I mean, I’m never going to have the arms that he has, but I think it’s good motivation. Do you look forward to doing nothing on a cheat day? I don’t think it’s ever doing nothing – I wish it was! I love just sitting on the sofa in my PJS with the family. That’s what I look forward to. ■
Kate’s Dare 2b edit is available now at Dare2b.com