{"id":199476,"date":"2025-12-19T03:38:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T03:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/199476\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T03:38:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T03:38:11","slug":"how-ed-sheeran-lost-14kg-and-got-in-the-best-shape-of-his-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/199476\/","title":{"rendered":"How Ed Sheeran Lost 14kg and Got in the Best Shape of His Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m stood in the immigration queue at D\u00fcsseldorf airport, here to attend the Ed Sheeran<\/a> Mathematics tour, one of the last stops in what has been an epic four-year journey for the 34-year-old. Selling 8.8 million tickets across 188 dates, it has become the fourth-highest grossing tour of all time, behind only Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Elton John. As I\u2019m about to shuffle to the front of the queue, I realise I\u2019m not the only one here for the multi-platinum selling artist.<\/p>\n

A few aisles down, a man in his mid-fifties and his partner are also here to attend the concert. \u2018We couldn\u2019t get tickets to his Wembley show so we decided to make a trip of it,\u2019 he explains to the immigration official, who looks slightly confused, before stamping the passport in front of him and waving the pair through. Closer to me, there’s a group of women in their twenties adorned in Ed Sheeran merch.<\/p>\n

The small army of Sheeran fans in D\u00fcsseldorf airport \u2013 of which I am now one \u2013 is a mixed bunch. Men, women, some in their teens, some middle-aged, all share at least one thing in common: their love of the English musician and his uncanny ability for translating sweeping concepts into catchy tunes to which almost everyone can relate. It\u2019s part of his superpower and a big reason he\u2019s become one of the biggest artists in the world. Whereas many stars live in a cocoon, Sheeran is a man of the people.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve always been close to my fan base,\u2019 he tells me when we sit down to chat later. \u2018I\u2019ve always been grateful that people are even interested in my music. If I was playing pubs and three people turned up and wanted to hear my songs, I\u2019m going to want to speak to them afterwards and make a connection because I\u2019m really grateful that they\u2019ve even come. I think that a lot of my songs have framed so many of my fans\u2019 life moments\u2026 So we always have this bond or connection no matter what because of those specific songs and memories.\u2019
<\/p>\n

Two weeks after the D\u00fcsseldorf concert, his fans will be treated to a new host of memory-shaping songs as Sheeran is due to release his eighth studio album Play. The release marks the start of a new era; the end of his Mathematics compilation that consisted of four albums from 2011 to 2023, Play is the start of a new creative world that will carry Sheeran, and many of his fans, well into middle age. But his creative output is not the only thing due for a change of direction. Sheeran has also undergone a drastic lifestyle shift that has seen him move away from the booze<\/a>, cigs and kebabs that shaped his twenties, into a life defined by balance and moderation.
<\/p>\n

\u2018I would say I lived a pretty unhealthy life from 20 to 30. And even though I was doing professionally well, I wouldn\u2019t say that reflected well into my personal life.<\/p>\n

\u2018And I do think that wellness is a direct mirror to mental health<\/a> and the way you feel. I always felt like shit within myself; I\u2019d wake up and look in the mirror and just feel gross.\u2019
<\/p>\n

A decade of low self-esteem about his body image steadily pushed Sheeran towards a healthier way of living. But there were also a few catalysts to up the ante. \u2018I became a dad<\/a>,\u2019 he says. \u2018I remember Lyra was two weeks old and I had my best mate round and we had a bottle of wine. I went to bed, then Lyra woke up 20 minutes after I\u2019d fallen asleep. I woke up and I was like, \u201cFuck, I probably shouldn\u2019t drink if I\u2019m going to feel this dreadful,\u201d I want to be able to do the night stuff. It all came in at the same time of wanting to be a responsible dad, wanting to feel and look good.<\/p>\n

\"ed<\/p>\n

\u2018I didn\u2019t want to pick my kid up and have my back fucked and stuff like that. And then also that feeds into professional life. You\u2019re less resilient in your thirties. I was losing my voice more. I would pull muscles in my leg, I pulled a muscle in my back when I was playing live\u2026 I wanted to feel superhuman on stage.\u2019<\/p>\n

He also took inspiration from a certain former MH cover star. \u2018I look at someone like Stormzy<\/a> and the training that he goes through to go on tour and that was definitely a catalyst. I went to play with him in 2021 and he was doing a hundred press-ups<\/a> before he went on stage and I was staring at him like, \u201cWhat the fuck is this about?\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

Sheeran has lost 14kg over the past five years having arrived at a consistent routine that is shaped around weights, reformer Pilates<\/a> and running<\/a>. He\u2019s leaner and fitter than he ever imagined \u2013 a change that not only enables him to be a better father<\/a> but a better performer, something we witness in the flesh when Sheeran takes to the stage at D\u00fcsseldorf\u2019s Merkur Spiel-Arena where he plays non-stop for more than two hours. Performing on a centre stage, he\u2019s surrounded by a circular treadmill<\/a> that allows him to face any corner of the crowd \u2013 for the first few songs he doesn\u2019t stop moving, his voice not missing a beat as he bounds around the stage like an athlete.<\/p>\n

And, as it turns out, there are some in the crowd who know a thing or two about elite athletic performance. A few seats to my left I spy former Liverpool manager and known Sheeran superfan J\u00fcrgen Klopp. The 58-year-old is dancing like a teenager, his partner having to give him space as he jumps around and flails his arms with abandon. Like the other 65,000 people here tonight, he\u2019s clearly having a blast.<\/p>\n

\"ed<\/p>\n

Sheeran says that he shares a \u2018real affinity\u2019 with sports people. \u2018I think it\u2019s because we both do something that\u2019s completely different and foreign. When I look at what Klopp does, I\u2019m like, I could not do that at all and he looks at what I do and goes, I could not do that at all. But there\u2019s this mutual respect \u2013 it takes a lot of work to get there in your career.\u2019<\/p>\n

After two and a half hours of performing, Sheeran closes his set with \u2018Bad Habits\u2019, a song that was initially met with mixed reviews but is now a staple of his show and one of the biggest hits of his career. As fireworks and impressive pyrotechnics surround him, Sheeran stands alone in the centre of the stage, a toned arm holding his guitar triumphantly above his head. The crowd do their job in return, showering him with screams and applause before he exits the stage. He\u2019ll play another show tomorrow night before Sunday\u2019s gig finally wraps this record-breaking tour. His 200-strong tour crew have a party planned tonight to celebrate the milestone. But for Sheeran, the hard work has only just begun.<\/p>\n

The Evolution of Ed<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re not soft c**ts are we?\u2019<\/p>\n

Inside a reformer Pilates studio not far from last night\u2019s stadium, the words of Ed Sheeran echo in my ear as we both attempt a deep lunge under the watchful eye of Sheeran\u2019s coach, Matt Kendrick. He\u2019s given us a choice: work to a set of either 8 to 10 or 10 to 15, and Sheeran\u2019s rhetorical question leaves me no choice. It\u2019s my first time on a reformer machine and, while the burn is deep, I\u2019m not about to disappoint one of the world\u2019s biggest pop stars.<\/p>\n

Last night\u2019s show was gruelling and with another one tonight before the tour\u2019s grand finale on Sunday, Sheeran is still all business. He followed last night\u2019s performance with a burrito to ensure plenty of post-match carbs and protein before an hour on the massage table.<\/p>\n

\u2018Which is my least favourite thing to do,\u2019 clarifies Sheeran. \u2018You just want to go to bed or go for a drink with your mates or whatever, but if you don\u2019t do it, you\u2019re just fucked the next day. I can be a guy who can be led quite easily and if I finish a gig and my mates are there, I could go out. So actually having to be in my hotel room\u2026 I get the massage and, as soon as the massage is done, I need to go to bed. So it\u2019s great for maintaining my voice, maintaining energy and keeping healthy.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"ed<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a long way from how he was wrapping shows in his twenties. Sheeran recently rewatched a documentary from 10 years ago, which featured a run of shows at Wembley, and it was like viewing a different person.<\/p>\n

\u2018I played three nights in a row and each morning I\u2019m getting interviewed and they\u2019re like, How was last night? And I was like, \u201cOh, I was out until 6am doing tequila shots and smoking cigarettes with this person and doing this and that.\u201d Then I\u2019d play a show and it was that seven days a week. But when you watch it and you look at me now, I look 40 in that and I look 24 now.\u2019<\/p>\n

As we move through our reformer session and we\u2019re contorted into positions my body would rather not discuss, Sheeran takes over the role of interviewer, as I do my best to maintain a degree of professional composure. He moves swiftly through each movement with ease, quizzing me on other MH cover stars and their routines, curious to learn how their approaches compare with his own. As we engage our quads for another brutal set of lunges, Kendrick points out the \u2018leg envy\u2019 we both feel next to Sheeran\u2019s rather Adonis-like pins \u2013 presumably the result of more than a decade bounding around stages.<\/p>\n

He may be a relative novice to the world of health and fitness but Sheeran moves like a pro, prioritising form with a level of body awareness that often takes far longer to develop. It\u2019s testament to the singer\u2019s dedication as much as it is Kendrick\u2019s meticulous oversight.<\/p>\n

But the shift didn\u2019t happen overnight. With the session wrapped, Sheeran and I take to the sofas in the studio\u2019s relaxation zone to talk about the different phases of his fitness journey.<\/p>\n

The evolution began pre-Covid, when Sheeran put a cross trainer<\/a> in his basement and developed the habit of answering emails while clocking up some calories. The artist famously doesn\u2019t own a phone, so email is his only form of communication, and being one of the most in-demand artists on the planet means he has a fair bit of correspondence to get through.<\/p>\n

\u2018I went down in my basement and I answered my emails for two hours and just plodded,\u2019 he explains. \u2018In my mind I was like, that\u2019s fine, I\u2019m not on a treadmill, I\u2019m not killing myself. I\u2019m getting to do something I\u2019ll be doing anyway, but I\u2019m keeping active. So I guess that was my introduction.\u2019<\/p>\n

The next phase took place during the pandemic and involved overcoming a mental barrier Sheeran had to doing weights. \u2018In my mind, I always thought, I don\u2019t want to look like Arnie<\/a>,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

He soon connected with PT Ali Thomas who went to the same school as Sheeran and convinced him otherwise. \u2018Ali\u2026 when you see him, he\u2019s so small but he can deadlift<\/a> way more than I can. I looked at that and thought maybe I\u2019m wrong about weights.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sheeran and his wife Cherry, a former pro hockey player who knows her way round a weight room herself, started doing Zoom sessions with Ali. The PT struck the right balance of easing Sheeran into the lifestyle without going too hard, too early and risking alienating him.<\/p>\n

\u2018I didn\u2019t feel fucked while I was doing it. You\u2019d do eight reps and you\u2019d have a break and then you\u2019d do eight reps and then you\u2019d have a break. So it was a bit more of a relaxed thing getting into it.\u2019<\/p>\n

It was here he drilled the basics. Perfecting form and movement patterns as his foundation gave Sheeran a base to build on.<\/p>\n

\"ed<\/p>\n

Then Kendrick entered the picture. It was the beginning of 2025 and Sheeran was searching for a PT who could travel with him, helping to optimise his training and diet to take him to the next level, regardless of the, at times, unpredictable nature of his schedule.<\/p>\n

The pair continued the weights, but the introduction of reformer Pilates has helped Sheeran stay active while also allowing him to prioritise the energy needed for his stage performances.<\/p>\n

\u2018Reformer is definitely tied into touring,\u2019 he explains. \u2018After the show last night, the last thing I want to do today is bench press<\/a> and deadlift. So this is a really gentle way to still have the same level of exercise and feel like I\u2019ve burnt calories<\/a>, but I\u2019ve also stretched.\u2019<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his journey, Sheeran\u2019s clearly proud of the work he\u2019s put in, but is quick to point out he\u2019s not entirely left his former self behind \u2013 it\u2019s now about embracing moderation.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m not saying I\u2019m done with enjoying myself. I still drink. I love red wine, I love a nice meal, but it\u2019s not every day\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019d never run more than a kilometre and did my first 10k<\/a> during Covid \u2013 stuff like that, building up to that, it just makes you feel better. And I think that in my thirties, that\u2019s where I\u2019m at. I\u2019m not saying I\u2019m done with enjoying myself, I still drink. I love red wine, I love a nice meal, but it\u2019s not every day.\u2019<\/p>\n

His training now is a variety of everything he\u2019s picked up over the past several years.<\/p>\n

\u2018Same as food, same as drinking, you have to have variety,\u2019 he explains. \u2018There are some days that I run, some days that I swim<\/a>, there\u2019s some days that I will do weights. Then there are some days I will do reformer.\u2019<\/p>\n

The interview wraps as Sheeran finishes the dregs of the collagen-rich mango smoothie he\u2019s been sipping during our chat. He\u2019ll travel from here direct to the stadium where he has erected a makeshift studio to record vocals. Then it\u2019s show time.<\/p>\n

Balance it Out<\/p>\n

Ed Sheeran wants a beer<\/a>. But not just any beer. It\u2019s been six weeks since we met in Germany and we\u2019re about to shoot his Men\u2019s Health cover in a New York loft with a sweeping view that overlooks the Manhattan Bridge. In preparation for the shoot, Sheeran and Kendrick have been dialling up his training and diet and, with the end in sight, the musician has his eyes on the prize: a cold refreshing pint of Stella Artois. It can\u2019t be out of a bottle, he says, and it certainly can\u2019t be warm. As we go about the shoot prep, our producer begins the search for the perfect pint.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s intentional or not, there\u2019s a degree of suspense to Sheeran\u2019s physique reveal on set. He arrives wearing a baggy hoodie and sweatpants, hiding the ripped silhouette beneath; the product of years of hard work and consistency. I\u2019ll be honest, at first, the sight comes as somewhat of a surprise. After all, we\u2019ve become accustomed to seeing him as, well, just Ed. Relatable, flawed perhaps, real. Will the new six-pack affect this perception and tarnish his appeal? The thought has also occurred to Sheeran. Turns out there were a few in his team who cautioned him against appearing on the cover.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve worried about it,\u2019 he admits. \u2018I\u2019m the guy people relate to and I did think, \u201cFuck, is it weird me being super in shape on a Men\u2019s Health cover?\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

After wrestling with the idea, he decided to embrace the lifestyle shift. Not only for himself, but for what this projects to his fanbase; many of whom \u2013 like I witnessed in D\u00fcsseldorf \u2013 are entering new phases of life themselves.<\/p>\n

\u2018I do think it\u2019s relatable for parents to suddenly want to be a bit more healthy and follow a bit more of a routine,\u2019 he says. \u2018And the thing with reformer is, it\u2019s something anyone can start off with and it\u2019s a really gentle introduction to [fitness]. I\u2019m not saying we all need to run marathons<\/a> and blah, blah, blah. I\u2019m also not selling super-healthy eating or this or that. I still enjoy myself and I don\u2019t roll around with a little tub of grilled turkey. It\u2019s all about moderation.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"ed<\/p>\n

He\u2019s even managed to inspire his family to join him on the journey.<\/p>\n

\u2018My parents are into it at 60 now and they\u2019ve been so opposed to it [in the past]. They always saw exercise as like bootcamps in the field where everyone\u2019s doing burpees<\/a> and stuff like that. Now, they don\u2019t do much, but they do enough to keep moving. And whether it be a little kettlebell deadlift or this or that, it\u2019s really good for them. I feel like it\u2019s going to add 10 years on to their life.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sheeran releases his new album Play the week of our cover shoot. Its lead singles \u2018Sapphire\u2019 and \u2018Azizam\u2019 are joyous anthems that take his listeners on a journey to India in a marked departure from his last album.<\/p>\n

\u2018Subtract was all about grief and depression and that was how I felt when I made the record and that\u2019s how I sometimes still feel,\u2019 says Sheeran. \u2018But I wouldn\u2019t say that that\u2019s who I am 100% of the time\u2026 I wanted to do the polar opposite of that, make an album that was playful, creative and explorative, trying new things.<\/p>\n

\u2018I am an acoustic singer-songwriter but how dull would life be if I just stayed in Suffolk and just played acoustic singer-songwriter music? It\u2019s quite exciting to actually bring amazing musical cultures to Suffolk, because I\u2019m sure there are people now that are listening to Arijit Singh or even getting into Iranian folk music, who knows. But I think it\u2019s really healthy to help build bridges rather than knock \u2019em down.\u2019<\/p>\n

My bet is that soon there will be a fair few people, in Suffolk and beyond, who are not only inspired to deepen their understanding of Persian culture, but perhaps dip their toe into the world of health and fitness. As Sheeran says, it\u2019s not about sacrificing who you are, more a question of making decisions that complement, rather than detract from your life goals.<\/p>\n

\u2018[Fitness] just sort of became something that really added to my life,\u2019 he says. \u2018I think, underneath it all, I am a pizza-eating, beer-guzzling smoker, but that\u2019s just not my reality as a parent in my thirties. I think that you have to make good decisions.\u2019<\/p>\n

And that doesn\u2019t mean forgoing a well-deserved beer or two when it\u2019s time to celebrate.<\/p>\n

After a long day on set, we eventually call time on our cover shoot, at which point Sheeran is delivered a cold, refreshing pint, as requested. He gladly accepts, making light work of it in three thirsty sips. After the shoot, he and his team have booked a restaurant in Brooklyn that serves steaks and magnums of red wine. He\u2019ll allow himself a night of indulgence, toasting the album release but, more importantly, the consistency and dedication that have helped turn his life around for the better. He might even wake up tomorrow with a sore head. But that\u2019s okay, because after that, it\u2019s right back to work. <\/p>\n

Photography: Patrik Giardino
Styling: Hilary Owen
Grooming: Amanda Wilson at A-Frame Agency
Props Stylist: JJ Chan at BA Reps
<\/p>\n

This interview features in the January 2026 issue of Men’s Health \u2013 out now. Subscribe to MH by hitting this link<\/a>. \"ed<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019m stood in the immigration queue at D\u00fcsseldorf airport, here to attend the Ed Sheeran Mathematics tour, one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":199477,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[321,4959,105782,4830,93,61,60,1135,105781],"class_list":{"0":"post-199476","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-celebrities","9":"tag-content-type-feature","10":"tag-contentid-c76c14a5-4b1b-40e2-ab2a-c85f86a7837c","11":"tag-displaytype-long-form-article","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-locale-gb","16":"tag-shorttitle-how-ed-sheeran-lost-14kg-and-got-cover-ready"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}