{"id":907242,"date":"2026-09-27T09:52:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T09:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/907242\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T09:52:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T09:52:15","slug":"shirley-ballas-66-uses-this-3-step-exercise-and-recovery-routine-to-stay-fit-for-strictly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/907242\/","title":{"rendered":"Shirley Ballas, 66, uses this 3-step exercise and recovery routine to stay fit for Strictly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"body-dropcap css-1p9gfsb emevuu60\">For Shirley Ballas, staying Strictly-ready means following a simple but effective morning routine. At 66, the head judge revealed the three exercise and recovery protocols she follows to keep her body feeling fit and strong during one of the \u2018busiest\u2019 periods of the year.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"8\" class=\"css-1tfgmyw emevuu60\">In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Dc8mmnlNZZd\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Dc8mmnlNZZd\/?hl=en\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Instagram\" data-node-id=\"8.1\" class=\"body-link css-1e57p3n emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Instagram<\/a> video shared on her birthday, she walked her 451,000 followers through the regime, which starts with a substantial workout. \u2018What a way to start my birthday. I\u2019ve done my hour and a half exercises and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/uk\/fitness\/strength-training\/a706202\/strength-training-for-beginners\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/uk\/fitness\/strength-training\/a706202\/strength-training-for-beginners\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"weights\" data-node-id=\"8.3\" class=\"body-link css-1e57p3n emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">weights<\/a>,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"12\" class=\"css-1tfgmyw emevuu60\">Her next stop? The sauna, where she spent 20 minutes before heading into an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/uk\/health\/a63522456\/should-women-use-ice-baths\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/uk\/health\/a63522456\/should-women-use-ice-baths\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"ice bath\" data-node-id=\"12.1\" class=\"body-link css-1e57p3n emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ice bath<\/a>. \u2018I\u2019ve been in the sauna, fantastic 20 minutes; now I\u2019m going in the ice bath, and that just rejuvenates my muscles at this busiest time of the year.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"shirley ballas\" title=\"shirley ballas\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"3000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2a47872a-9301-41f6-9c71-3b8f3eb53437.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Vince Valitutti\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-1tfgmyw emevuu60\">Granted, the idea of following a 90-minute workout with heat and cold exposure might sound extreme, but Ballas says the combination leaves her feeling ready to take on the day without the fatigue or soreness you might expect from training for so long. \u2018I always feel like I\u2019ve never really done a workout after I\u2019ve been in my ice bath to be perfectly honest,\u2019 she explained.<\/p>\n<p>Shirley Ballas\u2019 morning routine: <br data-node-id=\"21.1\"\/>90-minute weighted workout 20-minute saunaIce bath<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"27\" class=\"css-1tfgmyw emevuu60\">Feeling fit is particularly important as Ballas juggles the physical demands of Strictly Come Dancing, where long filming days, rehearsals and hours spent on her feet are part and parcel of her days, but regular weight training as Ballas does is also an important way to counteract both age-related bone and muscle loss. Various studies show it can help you stay independent and mobile, while reducing the risk of falls.  <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-1tfgmyw emevuu60\">This isn\u2019t to say you need to copy Ballas\u2019s 90-minute session \u2013 or immediately invest in an ice bath. Her routine is highly individual, but her approach highlights how effective prioritising your training and recovery can be as you age. Especially when life, or Strictly season, gets busy. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"38\" class=\"css-1tfgmyw emevuu60\">Want to train like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/uk\/health\/a73784309\/liz-earle-womens-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/uk\/health\/a73784309\/liz-earle-womens-health\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Liz Earle\" data-node-id=\"38.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1e57p3n emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Liz Earle<\/a>? Liz\u2019s PT, Michael Garry, has created a 4-week training plan exclusively for members of the WH COLLECTIVE. It\u2019s designed to remove one of the biggest barriers to fitness: time. You\u2019ll train for just 35 minutes three times a week \u2013 Liz\u2019s exact strategy to build muscle, boost metabolism and support long-term health. Tap the link below to unlock 14 free days of training and start Liz\u2019s plan today. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"42\" class=\"css-1tfgmyw emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/link.womenshealthmag.co.uk\/join\/signup-womens-health-lizearle-titlesite\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/link.womenshealthmag.co.uk\/join\/signup-womens-health-lizearle-titlesite\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"GET THE PLAN\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-node-id=\"42.0\" class=\"body-btn-link css-c29gpt emevuu60\">GET THE PLAN<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"liz earle\" title=\"liz earle\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2048\" height=\"2727\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/7a3723c4-ee6e-4a63-b787-46dce2fb0781.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790502735_903_3c8d88e6-1a98-41e9-804d-2de8b0b9d75a_1741783208.file.png\" alt=\"Headshot of Bridie Wilkins\" title=\"Headshot of Bridie Wilkins\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>As Women\u2019s Health UK\u2019s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.<\/p>\n<p>After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine\u2019s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!<\/p>\n<p>Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner\u2019s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across <a href=\"http:\/\/womenshealthmag.com.uk\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"http:\/\/womenshealthmag.com.uk\/\">Women&#8217;s Health online and in <\/a>print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as \u2018Fit At Any Age\u2019, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.<\/p>\n<p>She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks \u2013 all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For Shirley Ballas, staying Strictly-ready means following a simple but effective morning routine. At 66, the head judge&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":907243,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[64,63,232204,230010,230011,229867,2372,475394,430,538,137,308081,429,475393,366213],"class_list":["post-907242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-collection-celebrity-workouts","tag-collection-fit-at-60","tag-collection-fit-at-any-age","tag-collection-fitness-app","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-ebf4e69a-5650-4006-960b-f333772b454f","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-how-shirley-ballas-stays-fit-for-strictly","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=907242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/907243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=907242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=907242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=907242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}