When news journalist Lucrezia Millarini isn’t on your screen delivering the latest in world affairs, she’s probably training. But, as she tells Women’s Health, it hasn’t always been this way.
‘It’s only really been in the last 10 years that I’ve started to think about training my body and pushing it to new limits,’ she says. ‘A major catalyst was taking part in Dancing on Ice which was a physical challenge – but the real change came when I was a contestant on ITV’s The Games in 2022 with nine different events to train for, including weightlifting.’
It was at that point that Lucrezia started working with her personal trainer Laura Palacio to focus on building strength.
‘Once you start to see gains in strength as well as muscle definition, it’s really quite addictive,’ Lucrezia adds, noting how passionate she is about highlighting the importance of strength training – particularly in midlife – ‘given the rather worrying resurgence of “ultra-thin”.’
Lucrezia’s workout routine
Schedule-permitting, Lucrezia heads to the gym three to four times a week, focusing on a different body part in each 30-40-minute session. During these sessions she uses free weights, typically opting for kettlebells.
She also runs when she can – but never more than three 5ks a week.
As for her favourite strength moves, Lucrezia says she swears by compound movements – exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once.
‘I use free weights for deep lunges, goblet and sumo squats – for inner thighs – to get a really good leg workout,’ she says. ‘Deadlifts are also great – the highest I lifted was 75kg while training for The Games.’
‘The reason I choose compound exercises over isolated movements is that they develop coordination, stability and control,’ says Palacio. ‘These qualities are important not only for building strength and muscle, but also for helping us move well, confidently and efficiently at any age.’
Lucrezia’s daily go-to moves
Alongside formal gym workouts, Lucrezia consciously tries to integrate regular movement into her daily routine – no gym required.
‘I always do 20 push-ups and a two-minute plank every morning, without fail – it’s a nice easy one before breakfast,’ she says.
‘I always do 20 push-ups and a two-minute plank every morning’
Small, regular bouts of movement (referred to by researchers as ‘exercise snacking’) like this, performed throughout the day, have been shown to offer real benefits.
One study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which analysed data from more than 400 participants, found that these short bursts of activity significantly improved muscular endurance in older adults.
Lucrezia’s strength training and nutrition advice
‘A few years ago, I would never have had the confidence to just walk into a gym, take up space and work out, but take it one thing at a time,’ Lucrezia advises.
You don’t even necessarily need a gym to start with – there are plenty of great bodyweight workouts on YouTube and resistance bands can cost less than a fiver.
‘For complete beginners, I would suggest a few PT sessions just to get familiar with the machines and get advice on specific goals, but I promise you: the stronger you get, the more confident you’ll become,’ adds Lucrezia, who also notes the importance of sleep and nutrition.
‘You simply cannot “run on empty” if you’re doing regular exercise – especially if you want to make gains.’
Lucrezia doesn’t eat meat so gets her all-important protein by having eggs, fish or cottage cheese as part of every meal.
‘Greek yoghurt with walnuts or cashews is also a favourite snack – and people might think a salad is “lazy”, but for me, it’s the perfect way to fill my plate with raw veg, protein, seeds and a carb – usually quinoa or sweet potato – plus avocado.’
Viewing food as fuel is vital, echoes Palacio. ‘We need to eat enough to support strength training and, in Lucrezia’s case, running as well. This means consuming enough food overall, getting sufficient protein to support muscle recovery and including carbohydrates to provide the energy needed to fuel training.’
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.