In dancing you want long, toned muscles – yoga conditions me
SINCE joining the cast of Strictly Come Dancing and going public with her relationship with her 2018 dance partner Joe Sugg, Dianne Buswell has become one of the most recognisable faces on TV. The 30-year-old flame-haired Aussie, who started dancing at the age of four, is one of the show’s best-loved professional dancers, finishing a runner up in last year’s series with YouTuber Joe.
As Strictly returns on BBC1, we nabbed 10 minutes with Dianne to get the lowdown on how she looks after her health.
You’re rehearsing non-stop for the Strictly live shows, but do you have to do any extra workouts too?
YES, it’s funny you say that. People always think, ‘Oh, you do so much exercise, that must be enough’, but with dancing, I’m so used to it that actually it genuinely doesn’t do that much for me anymore.
I condition [my body] with Pilates and yoga; they’re my two favourite things that I do, and they go hand in hand with dancing. In dancing, you want long, toned muscles, not short, bigger muscles, so I find that those exercises really lengthen and tone at the same time.
When you’re not taking part in Strictly, what’s a typical week’s workout?
IF I’M not doing Strictly, I genuinely like to wake up and start with yoga, because it’s good for the mind, not just the body.
There’s so much going on in our world these days that it’s nice to just wake up first thing and not look at your phone before starting your day.
I love walking and bike riding too. Joe actually just bought me a new bike for my birthday, so I’m really enjoying going for a bike ride when it’s not raining.
As well as Pilates, I like doing little YouTube videos on my phone. Sometimes it can just be a five or 10-minute little workout. As long as you’re keeping your
Strictly’s Dianne Buswell spoke to KATIE WRIGHT about her fitness routine and how she’s persuaded her YouTuber beau Joe Sugg to join her on the mat
body active though, it doesn’t have to be a long session at the gym to be effective.
I definitely don’t workout every day, but I’ll maybe do it four to five times a week.
And do you and Joe ever do couples workouts together?
YEAH, we actually do. I’ve actually got him into yoga, because again, he’s so busy.
The majority of his time is spent on a computer or on the phone, so it’s nice for him to do a bit of yoga as well. He’s found that really helped him throughout the day; even just breathing.
Do you do meditation?
NOT so much. I like the whole breathing thing, but I don’t really sit there and meditate. I do have things that run through my mind, so I don’t think that’s classed
as 100% meditation.
When it comes to nutrition, how do you keep your energy levels up when you’re in Strictly?
IT CAN be hard because we’re on the go all the time, but I’m quite lucky, I’ve never really been a big fast food eater. I always feel so much better, if I’ve eaten something clean and healthy. So I tend to always go for a healthier option. I don’t have that much time to cook for myself, especially on tours, but they look after us super well and provide catering.
Is there anything you avoid eating?
I TRY not to eat refined sugars too much. One thing I do love is chocolate. I’ll try and stick to darker chocolate though.
And is there anything additional you take like protein or supplements?
I DON’T actually take anything extra, I just stick to a healthy diet, and at this stage (touch wood) that’s all I need.
Dianne Buswell is supporting the #ArmsUp campaign for Dove’s Limited Edition #ArmsUp Anti-perspirant.