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Davina McCall in Workout Gear "Ramps Up Strength Training"

"After three sessions I’m already feeling the benefits."

British TV presenter Davina McCall is 56 and in the best shape of her life—thanks to some super fun fitness challenges she shares online. McCall posted a video of herself wearing two-piece burgundy workout gear, doing a mat workout with dumbbells. "Okay, that was the third session of a stronger you challenge on @ownyourgoalsdavina  I have to say I'm really enjoying this challenge. It's really highlighted a training need. I totally have to ramp up my strength training but it is amazing how after three sessions I'm already feeling the benefits. At my age it's scary how fast muscle disappears 😱 @richcallender ALWAYS SUCH A PLEASURE," she captioned the post. Here's what McCall's very effective diet, exercise, and wellness routine looks like.

1

Pilates and Strength Training

McCall put on weight after giving up smoking, and  decided to join a gym. She then used a personal trainer to up her fitness game. "For me, fitness is about doing a bit of everything," she told Women's Fitness. "I do some yoga, Pilates, strength training, bodyweight training, cardio, one or two runs a week, and maybe a spin class. It's about having variety all the time, never doing the same workout, and keeping things fun. Ideally, I train three or four times a week, usually following one of my little fitness challenges that run on Own Your Goals. When I follow a challenge, it keeps me motivated to keep going back."

2

Intermittent Fasting

McCall swears by intermittent fasting, rarely eating after 8 p.m. "Until recently, I never ate protein for breakfast," she told Women's Fitness. "Going back five or six years ago, I was a crumpet, honey and butter person, but I've learnt more and more about nutrition over the years, and I don't want to start my day with sugar and carbs anymore. These days, I intermittent fast, which means I often don't eat until lunchtime. But having a protein shake is perfect for breaking my fast around 10.30am if I need something before 1pm."

3

Workout Uniform

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McCall wears workout gear during the week so she is always ready for a workout. "On a weekday, I start the day in some sort of Lycra, if I'm not working," she told Get the Gloss. "I just put on a workout outfit because it means that I'm always ready. If I start my day in civvies I am not going to work out, it's never going to happen. If I'm in my workout gear and it gets three o'clock in the afternoon, I think, come on, back on! My Lycra is like my work clothes so I spend money on Lycra like other people would spend money on a suit for work. My workout stuff is Lululemon or Sweaty Betty."

4

Mental Health Workouts

McCall loves the physical benefits of regular exercise, but the mental benefits have been amazing too. "I benefit so much from exercise as it helps my mental health," she told Women's Fitness. "And sometimes, that will be my one motivator to train. I'd probably say I don't train for my body – I train for my brain. The fact that exercise will give me shoulders or great calf muscles is a wonderful byproduct of what it does for my mental health, for sure. I use my own bodyweight a lot in training. With the changes happening in my body, I need to do strength training for my bones, but also especially for my muscle tone, because muscle tone is the thing that's actually really hard to keep hold of. It doesn't matter how saggy or crepey your skin gets: if you've got nice muscle tone underneath it, you'll still look great."

5

Walking the Dog

McCall walks her dog every day. "Me and the dog, Bo, are best friends," she told Get the Gloss. "I used to do uphill runs with Bo, although I really have to stop running with her now. She's quite ancient. What I'll do now is walk her at eight a.m., get back to the house at nine then go on a half an hour run after I get back from the walk because she just can't hack it, bless her."

Ferozan Mast
Ferozan Mast is a science, health and wellness writer with a passion for making science and research-backed information accessible to a general audience. Read more
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