‘Diets are like boyfriends,’ Nigella Lawson famously said. ‘It never works to go back to them.’ When it comes to body positivity, there’s no-one we’d rather take notes from than the newly announced Bake Off host.
What luck, then, that she’s a regular guest on the pages of GH and has shared her evolving attitude towards exercise with us over the years. So, what does Nigella do to stay fit (enough)?
Weights
‘I’ve kept up my weights exercises,’ Nigella told us in 2022. ‘I have a huge weights collection now.’
It’s a smart move. A recent US study published in the journal Biology found that weight training could take eight years off your biological clock; and numerous scientific papers attest to its ability to enhance metabolism, improve bone density and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
For women over 50, the benefits are even clearer. Lifting weights, or strength training using resistance bands or your own bodyweight, are all associated with improved health outcomes and reduced symptoms of the menopause.
Want to get started? Read our guide to weight training at home.
Walking
‘I do Iyengar yoga and other forms of training as well,’ she told GH. ‘I don’t do cardiovascular exercise much, but I do try to do a lot of walking,’ she explained: ‘I try to do it in the mornings about five times a week.’
Last October, a study published in the Annals Of Internal Medicine showed that people who walk continuously for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, daily, had around a significantly lower risk of a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke than those who get their daily steps in shorter bursts. Why? Because walking for longer stretches allows your heart and lungs to work continuously, resulting in your body using oxygen more efficiently and thus improving your circulation. So building a proper morning walk into your schedule is a valuable exercise.
Stretching
What next? ‘The older I get, the more I realise I’ve got to do lots of stretching. So, even if I’m not doing yoga, I make myself do lots of stretching,’ said Nigella. Sam Bhide, advanced physiotherapist, Pilates teacher and founder of Physiozen, approves: ‘as we age, muscles, joints and tissues naturally get stiffer,’ she says. ‘Stretching improves muscle length and flexibility. Muscles are like elastic bands – if tight, they need to be stretched to be elongated and you always need to use gentle, controlled movements when stretching them.’
Inspired? See our guide to 4 essential daily stretches
Yoga
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But what about the yoga? Nigella told GH that she practices three times a week: ‘I do it with a trainer who comes in the morning. I have to do something I enjoy, otherwise I wouldn’t do it.’
‘Iyengar yoga focuses heavily on alignment and balance,’ explains Sam. ‘It’s unique for its use of props—such as belts and blocks.’ This, she explains, makes it a good option if you’re new to yoga or have injuries, stiffness or arthritis.
Done regularly, Iyengar yoga will improve posture, balance and strength. In 2017, a small study even suggested that taking classes twice a week may help ease depression. In fact, the practice’s founder, BKS Iyengar, claimed that ‘daily practice of yoga will keep old age at bay’, and he did live to 95. That said, Iyengar alone is not enough to sustain overall fitness. Only faster-paced yoga styles actually constitute an aerobic workout.
So: ‘If your primary goal is building strength and stability, more strenuous forms like Ashtanga may be more effective,’ says Sam. ‘Ashtanga involves demanding, repetitive sequences and poses held for prolonged periods, which specifically target core balance and body strength.’
Meanwhile: ‘For cardiovascular fitness, Vinyasa is an excellent choice. This style is faster-paced, which increases the heart rate more significantly than other forms.’ It’s more of a workout, but there’s less explanation and refinement of each pose, so if you are just getting started with yoga, you might want to try a few slower classes first.
Then of course, there’s Bikram yoga, done at temperatures of between 37-40°C in order to relax the muscles and increase flexibility. Because after all, as Nigella once said: ‘Some like it hot, and I certainly do.’ (she was talking about a chili pasta recipe, mind you…)
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