{"id":634204,"date":"2026-10-18T09:14:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T09:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/634204\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T09:14:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T09:14:18","slug":"shirley-ballas-swears-by-a-simple-morning-habit-to-stay-fit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/634204\/","title":{"rendered":"Shirley Ballas swears by a simple morning habit to stay fit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shirley Ballas is no stranger to a challenge, having zip-lined, walked 700 feet above the ground, completed a skydive as part of the Skyathlon challenge, and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Yet it’s the simple habit that she prioritises to stay fit and healthy in her 60s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I go to the gym, I get my 10,000 steps in before seven o’clock in the morning every day,” she told The Daily Mail<\/a> to prepare for her appearance on Netflix show Celebrity Bear Hunt.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There\u2019s lots of research around whether you actually need to walk 10,000 steps a day,<\/a> but the reason Shirley loves to walk early in the morning is that it gives you \u201ca natural stimulation\u201d.<\/p>\n

Her 10,000-step habit is part of a roster of other workouts the judge does in the morning. \u201cAt home, I get up super early before I go to work. I do yoga, I do the Peloton bike<\/a>, I do the running machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, it’s not easy\u2026 I’m not like a competitive dancer anymore, but I teach dancing on my feet every day for 12 hours. So, yes, I’ve done my bit, I think. I’ve done the best that I can for it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

The Strictly star, a huge fan of the cold, also swears by ice plunging, saying it gives her a dopamine hit.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about how everything makes you feel throughout your day. I\u2019m good if I eat well, I\u2019m good if I sleep well, I\u2019m good if I drink lots of water, I\u2019m good if I have this excitement with [ice] plunging and walking on my walker and also incorporating my yoga.<\/p>\n

Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m a very challenging person for myself, particularly on the run-up to Strictly. I want to go on that show and give my best for all the people who tune in, and that takes sacrifice \u2013 because I love cookies and cake \u2013 and it takes mental wellbeing,\u2019 she told Brass Monkey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat dopamine thrill it gives you, I\u2019m looking for that all the time. So the plunge pool, the sauna, the exercising, the 10,000 steps \u2013 that\u2019s giving you a natural stimulation through your whole mental wellbeing and body.”<\/p>\n

How to do more steps every daySpread out your steps: Rather than attempt to do all 10,000 steps in one go, spread them throughout the day. Walk some steps during the morning, a few thousand during your lunch break and then complete your steps in the eveningWalk first thing in the morning: An easy way to stick to a habit is to do it when you won\u2019t get any interruptions, so first thing in the morning when it\u2019s quiet, less busy, and most people are asleep is a great way to achieve your goalJoin a fitness club: Another way to get your 10,000 steps in without feeling like you\u2019re doing 10,000 steps is joining an exercise class, like Zumba or a running club. Take a look at your fitness tracker,<\/a> and you’ll find you’ve hit your goal before you know it.Add movement to your current routine: Take the stairs instead of getting on the lift, walk up the escalators, or get off the bus or train a stop before you need to and walk the rest of the way.Habit stacking: Combining a habit you currently have with your 10,000 steps is an easy way to reach your goal. For example, while watching your favourite TV show, you can walk on a walking pad<\/a>, or during a walk, you can listen to your favourite podcast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shirley Ballas is no stranger to a challenge, having zip-lined, walked 700 feet above the ground, completed a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":634205,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-634204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=634204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}