In the gym with...Gemma Atkinson

IN THE GYM WITH

GemmaAtkinson

The actress and fitness influencer takes us behind-the-scenes of her no-fad diet and exercise regime as she adapts to becoming a mum

Go-to exercise: Cheat days...

“I’m all about functional training. I mean, “For anyone wanting to maintain a it sounds awful to say, but I love burpees. healthy diet, the idea of cheat days is like I know most people telling a recovering hate burpees. But I alcoholic to get love the fact that it’s drunk once a week. a full body exercise “So I just in a short amount incorporate them of time. I also think throughout the skipping is really week, as I’m when underrated. Whenever I feel like it. If I I’m travelling, I always fancy a little bag of take a skipping rope Maltesers with my with me. It’s great coffee, then that’s for your core, your fine. I just don’t arms, your quads, need to have like cardiovascular, it’s a Maltesers with fantastic. And also, I my coffee every think just squatting, single day. I don’t you know, basic necessarily dedicate bodyweight squats. Again, you can add a jump squat to it to make it more challenging. It doesn’t have to be anything too complex!”

“ONCE YOU STOP DIETING, AND YOU START SEEING FOOD AS FUEL FOR YOUR BODY, YOU START MAKING BETTER CHOICES

How to stay active when you’ve got a busy lifestyle

“I love walking! I’ve got two dogs, so I have to take them out regularly. But a power walk around a nice park is so easy to do, and it’s free for everybody. I’m not a runner. I’ve got friends who do love running, but it’s not for me. I much prefer just getting my steps in and taking the stairs instead of the life...things you can adopt throughout the day.”

How to stay motivated Creamy red thai coconut prawn curry

On changing body image perspective when it comes to parenthood

“My focus now is to be around for as long as possible for Mia, and have the best quality of life possible with her. I want to be able to be rolling around on the floor with her children one day like my grandad used to do with me.

“I want to set a great example to her. We’ll never be a house that doesn’t have chocolate or chips, because that’s just not realistic either!”

“I always train for no more than like 45 minutes to an hour max. I think you have to focus on how you’ll feel long term with regular exercise. I don’t see it as a chore to go to the gym, I see it as a privilege that I get to move my body.

“If people focus more on the health, and think of training and eating good foods to stay healthy as opposed to looking a certain way, it flows more naturally, because there’s no pressure - you don’t have to hit a certain weight or size.

“Once you stop dieting, and you start seeing food as fuel for your body, you start making better choices. “For me, I always try and focus on my PBS in the gym. It’s not about wanting to be a size 10 by summer for me, it’s wanting to squat 90kg instead of 80kg. Going for strength rather than appearance works for me.“ a full day of the week to eating crap, so to speak, because that’s not going to put me in a good place for the following day. Moderation is key!”

serves 4

Brace yourselves, as this has quite a kick to it. You can use shop- bought paste for this one – and I recommend stocking up on a few jars, as you’ll be keen to experiment after trying this. All you have to do is add some veg and frozen prawns (or tofu) and ta-da! A beautiful curry dish in 15 minutes. (Remember to buy paste and not a ready-made sauce. Some brands come in tubs or resealable pouches and last for ages as you only need a little).

Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 15 mins Calories per serving: 351

- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil - 1 onion, sliced - 1 garlic clove, finely sliced - 1 orange pepper, cut into strips - 1 heaped tablespoon goodquality Thai red curry paste - 180g frozen large king prawns - 1x 400ml tin light coconut milk - 200g baby corn and mangetout, cut into bite-sized pieces - 2x 250g pouches basmati coconut microwave rice To serve: coriander leaves (optional) lime wedges

1Heat the oil in a non-stick wok or frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion, garlic and pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, then add the curry paste and prawns and stir. It should all be sizzling nicely.

2Pour in the coconut milk, then add the baby corn and mangetout. Stir well and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 8 minutes until the prawns are cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened.

3

Meanwhile, prepare the rice according to the packet instructions.

4Serve the curry with the rice, scatter over some coriander (if using), and pop some lime wedges on the side for some extra flavour.