Shirley Ballas has put a spotlight on the gruelling exercise routine she maintained in preparation of Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt. At 64, she was the oldest contestant on Bear Grylls’ reality show, but didn’t shy away from getting stuck in.
“I go to the gym, I get my 10,000 steps in before seven o’clock in the morning every day,” the Strictly judge said to MailOnline ahead of the challenge. “At home I get up super early before I go to work, I do yoga, I do the peloton bike, I do the running machine.”
Albeit quite intense, the ‘10,000 steps per day’ target is frequently lauded by experts who associate it with various health benefits for weight loss, the heart and even cognitive function. In 2022, the University of Southern Denmark found that 9,800 daily steps may reduce the risk of dementia too, while assessing 78,430 UK participants.
Last week, the University of Bristol also found that consistent aerobic exercise was linked with a decline of typical Alzheimer’s markers among mice. This refers to any activity that bolsters your heart rate and the amount of oxygen used by the body to produce energy, including walking.
Dr Augusto Coppi, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Bristol and one of the study’s senior authors, said: “Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure, impacting millions worldwide.
“While physical exercise is known to reduce cognitive decline, the cellular mechanisms behind its neuroprotective effects have remained elusive—until now. This research highlights the potential for aerobic exercise to serve as a cornerstone in preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s.”
If 10,000 steps sounds like an impossible challenge, it may be worth starting smaller. In fact, just a brisk 10-minute walk per day can help you build stamina while potentially bolstering heart health.
“You do not have to walk for hours,” NHS guidance explains. “A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your 150 minutes of weekly exercise, as recommended in the physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64.
“A brisk walk is about three miles an hour, which is faster than a stroll. You can tell you’re walking briskly if you can still talk but cannot sing the words to a song.”
Shirley’s regime certainly wasn’t easy, but she said it was the best she could do in preparation for the Netflix challenge. While she believed teammates would quickly label her the ‘mummy figure’, she also confessed to having a very competitive streak that’s hard to let go of.
“…How do you tell a 64-year-old woman who has been competitive all their life not to be competitive?” she joked.
Celebrity Bear Hunt, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Bear Grylls, was released on February 5. The series is available to Netflix subscribers.
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