Despite a demanding work schedule, Mariella Frostrup makes staying fit a priority, committing to a well-rounded routine that includes strength, mobility and cardio. Rather than working out alone, she finds training with others keeps her motivated and accountable.
‘I’m hopeless when I have to do things on my own, so I prefer making an appointment with a girlfriend,’ she admitted to The Telegraph. ‘I wish I could be a loner running through the hills, [which] sounds great, but I’ll just make excuses.’
Stretching and mobility
Mariella enjoys both online and in-person group workouts. ‘On a Monday, I do Zoom yoga with friends at 7.30am, and that is a maintenance session I try very hard not to miss,’ she revealed to Woman & Home.
She then rounds off the working week with another collective class. ‘On a Friday, I do half an hour of Pilates with friends – I love [that] because it gets you ready for the weekend and stretches you out. You feel calmer,’ she continued.
This kind of low-impact flexibility work is non-negotiable in the presenter’s routine. ‘I find yoga is really imperative, just to keep me supple,’ she said. ‘If I don’t do yoga or Pilates for three days in a row, I really start to ache. Even… just 15 minutes a day [helps].’
Mariella Frostrup//Instagram
Strength training
At the weekend, Mariella typically fits in a strength and resistance session with Alice Smellie, co-author of her book, Cracking the Menopause. ‘To combat osteoporosis and maintain bone density, you need weights,’ she told Sheerluxe, reflecting on menopause’s physical impact.
‘I realised I needed to go back to weight training, like I used to do in my thirties. The moment of truth was struggling to open one of those pull-top cans – I just didn’t have the muscle strength. Now, I go twice a week with Alice. We train for an hour with a brilliant guy in Shepton Mallet,’ she explained.
She also adds in a short kettlebell session during the week. ‘20 minutes twice a week weight training with kettlebells… has been a saviour,’ she said to The Telegraph. ‘It kills me for two days after, but it’s all you need,’ she added to Woman & Home.
Daily dog walking
Mariella opts for walking in the Somerset countryside as her main form of cardio – and she makes sure she’s accompanied by her dog. According to SheerLuxe, getting outside has long been a staple in her routine. ‘I’ve always had dogs, so an hour’s walk has been part of daily life,’ she said.
Seeing it as a necessity helps her stay consistent. ‘I would always feel guilty if I set out on a walk on my own, and with the dog, it feels like something I have to do,’ she told Woman & Home. The walks also offer a welcome chance to clear her head. ‘It has been a form of meditation for me, and the place where I work out my ideas,’ she told The Telegraph.
Lifelong movement
Mariella has stayed active throughout her life, though her approach has evolved over time. ‘By the time I hit my thirties, I was going to the gym three times a week,’ she revealed to The Telegraph.
‘Then I had my kids in my early forties and exercise tailed off, apart from pushing prams and hauling them around on bikes,’ she continued to SheerLuxe. ‘From my mid-forties I started more Pilates and yoga,’ she said, which helped ease menopausal symptoms. ‘[It really helps if] you are fit and healthy when you are coming into a period of tumultuous hormonal change,’ she added.
At this stage, group exercise also became more social. ‘I started a running group with some school mums,’ she said, ‘to find a more productive way to chat.’
After years living with endometriosis and undergoing seven rounds of IVF, Radio 4 presenter Emma Barnett turned to training with PT Frankie Holah to rebuild strength and a more positive relationship with her body. Download the Women’s Health UK app to access Frankie’s full training plan.
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