These days, Yasmin Le Bon is taking a more considered approach to fitness.
After years of putting her body through its paces – ‘Doing a thousand ballet leaps a day in stiletto heels on concrete is not possibly the best idea,’ she revealed on Hello’s Second Act podcast – she’s now focused on finding a balance that works for her, from shorter, more efficient workouts to making time for recovery.
Today, strength training and low-impact sessions on her VersaClimber play a much bigger role. She’s also become more mindful of listening to her body, managing longstanding aches and pains and no longer pushing herself in the way she once did.
Yasmin Le Bon says strength training is essential for women
‘The strength stuff is really key. Women always forget upper-body strength and if you don’t do that, you’re doing yourself and your body a big disservice,’ she told SheerLuxe.
These days, she still lifts weights, but she does it far more efficiently.
‘I [do] more strength work, [but] I spend less time in the gym. I spend half the amount of time training. In fact, not even that. I work…quickly [and] I move between movements quite smoothly,’ she said.
She used to practise martial arts
Antony Jones//Getty Images
Yasmin previously practised martial arts but admits the sport left her with a number of injuries.
‘I used to do a martial art which I absolutely loved,’ she told SheerLuxe.
‘I had a fantastic time, [but] I injured myself many times. It’s probably a good thing that I did…stop doing that because I could possibly have gotten into quite a bit of trouble,’ she said.
How Yasmin Le Bon’s workout routine has changed with age
Those injuries, combined with the natural changes that come with ageing, have led Yasmin to rethink how she exercises.
‘Exercise is a wonderful thing, [but] it’s a difficult balance finding how your body changes, which it does. What I did in my 30s and 40s, I absolutely cannot do…anymore,’ she told SheerLuxe.
‘The way I train has definitely changed. I know what works for me – a bit of Pilates, a bit of strength and a little bit of everything,’ she added on Hello’s Second Act.
One thing hasn’t changed, though: she still prefers shorter sessions.
‘I never do anything for too long.’
She also values expert guidance.
‘I train a couple of times a week with my fabulous trainer who has helped me through back issues,’ she told Hello. ‘I go to the gym and am out with the dog, but I can’t push myself in the same way I used to.’
Rather than seeing these changes as limitations, Yasmin has embraced them.
‘I’ve got all sorts of aches, pains, scar tissue in places, but I feel in a good place and like I’m about to really take care of myself in a different way,’ she said on the Second Act podcast.
Why she loves the VersaClimber
One piece of equipment, in particular, has become a staple in her home gym.
‘I’ve just bought a Versa Climber, which I’m so excited about. It’s the best piece of kit. It’s the only piece of kit you need in a gym. You are using your…hands and feet [and]…basically you’re climbing,’ she told SheerLuxe last year.
Yasmin described it as ‘life-changing’, both because it delivers a demanding full-body workout and because it’s gentle on her joints.
Yasmin Le Bon//Instagram
‘It’s a standalone piece…and your whole body is working as one. And your bottom will have changed shape,’ she joked.
She also likes that the intensity is easy to adjust.
‘You balance [and you can take] a lighter step or a bigger step,’ she explained.
Most importantly, it allows her to exercise without aggravating her back and knees.
‘I think it was…designed by physiotherapists to help rehabilitate war veterans, so it’s very low impact on your back and knees – I have a very bad back,’ she said.
She prioritises recovery as much as exercise
Yasmin believes staying active is important, but so is knowing when to ease off.
‘I think it is important to enjoy exercise, but it shouldn’t be a chore,’ she told Hello, adding on the Second Act podcast: ‘Not pushing yourself too hard [is key]. You’ve got to be kind to yourself.’
She’s also making changes away from the gym.
‘I’m definitely going to ease back on the drink[ing] for a little bit. I think the liver needs to regenerate now,’ she admitted.
Managing her body proactively has become a priority.
‘I couldn’t function without seeing my physiotherapist every couple of weeks. It’s all about maintenance rather than fighting fires,’ she said.
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