Erin Mcnaught: On Health, Social Media and Her Family

4 MIN READ • 15th November 2018

by Health and Wellbeing

Australian born model, fitness influencer, actress and television personality, Erin McNaught, tells us about her healthy fitness and self-care routine

Erin Mcnaught talks about wellness, her influence on social media and her family.

How do you balance your work, home and social life, especially with kids?

The short answer is it’s hard! Since having my second baby, I feel like there’s always something being neglected because it’s not physically possible to do everything that I want and need to do in just 12 hours. Once I realised this, my happiness and fulfilment increased, and I was able to prioritise different things each day. If one of my boys is sick, for example, obviously going to the gym or having some ‘me’ time has to wait. In summary, it really is a juggling act!

What do you do to unwind?

I’m a huge fan of the cinema and my husband studied film and television at university, so my favourite thing to do when we have time together is to watch films – I’m obsessed with the Marvel franchise! We also spend three months of each year in Australia. I used to do competitive mountain biking when I was younger and still love it, so when we’re there I take to the hills at least once or twice a week, which helps to clear my head.

What is the one wellness tip you swear by?

Every morning when I wake up I drink a litre of cold water. I’m absolutely hopeless at drinking water throughout the day, so this ensures I’m at least off to a good start. When I have my breakfast, I take an energy-boosting supplement, which really helps me kick off the day! The more energetic I feel during the day, the less likely I am to eat unhealthily.

What does your daily routine look like?

I wake up with the boys around 6am and have breakfast, then nursery drop off is at 8am. I then come home and put my one-year-old down for his morning nap. He’s a terrible sleeper so sometimes I’ll go back to bed for an hour. On a non-nursery day, I’ll build Lego trucks with my three-year-old while the baby naps. When he wakes, we walk to a nearby park and take a picnic lunch with us. My husband tries to get home for dinner or, at least, bath time but, as a musician, he’s sometimes still in the studio making music until midnight.

Do you think that, with a large social media following such as your own, you have a certain responsibility?

Anyone able to reach a large audience or in a position of influence – whether that’s via social media or at work – needs to be aware of their potential impact. I always remain true to myself and make no apologies for who I am, but I also try to avoid posting images where content may be misconstrued. There are times when I hesitate to post something that’s particularly intimate or personal but, if I feel it will serve a purpose or benefit someone, then I’ll do it. I recently posted an image of me in my underwear, which I rarely do anymore, but I wanted to make a statement that, in today’s plastic and surgery-obsessed world, it’s alright to have no boobs and be proud of it! I got an overwhelmingly positive reaction, which is great, as it means that my point really resonated with my following.

What are your biggest confidence-boosting tips?

I love to do a light spray tan on my face, chest and arms twice a week. As we approach winter, the combination of super pale skin and lack of sleep does nothing for my confidence – I look like a zombie. I find that a bit of colour makes me feel vitalised and energised. I also try to work up a sweat most days, even if it’s only for five minutes! The endorphin release keeps me happy and confident for the rest of the day.

Have you always enjoyed cooking fresh meals?

At the moment I’d say it’s about 60 percent home-cooked and 40 percent pre-made meals in our house. This isn’t ideal but sometimes it’s impossible to cook from scratch when you have two children under three! However, I do have my favourites, including wok-fried teriyaki salmon stir-fry, healthy chilli con-carne or a bowl of spicy Thai pumpkin soup. My husband, on the other hand, is practically Jamie Oliver!