We sat down with Good Morning Britain presenter, Charlotte Hawkins, to find out how she balances getting up at 3am with family life, staying in shape and looking after her three-year-old daughter, Ella Rose.
On exercise
“Before Strictly Come Dancing, I would go to the gym once a week. I did bits and pieces to keep myself ticking along and I went to yoga when I could. It’s always been something that I’ve done regularly, but I’ve reassessed my fitness since doing Strictly because that’s the fittest I’ve ever been in my life. I was doing up to eight hours of dance training a day. I saw the massive difference it had and I loved the feeling it gave me. Even though I was doing loads of physical activity, I had so much energy and I noticed how my figure and my overall wellbeing changed. Fitness is now much more central for me. For the first time in my life I feel like I can do this and enjoy it. Whereas before it used to be a chore.”
On yoga
“We live increasingly busy lives, so it’s nice to take the time out and make the most of a class like that. I usually rush to it, feeling frazzled with 101 things on my mind. But once I start to settle down and relax, it resets my brain and recharges my batteries in a way that no other exercise does. Not only is it good for you physically, but it’s also great for your mental health, too. I have a book of baby yoga so I do poses with Ella Rose at home. She loves it, and it’s great to do it together! I’m so proud that she’s got into yoga at an early age.”
On her sleep schedule
“You can have a smile on your face no matter how much sleep you’ve had. I make the most of every opportunity, and I fall asleep if I sit down anywhere for too long. I even nodded off once at the dentist during root canal surgery, which was quite an achievement!”
Want to hear more from Charlotte? Here’s her five shape-up secrets.
