Former actress and now radio, TV and podcast presenter, Gemma Atkinson, 41, talks to Joanna Ebsworth about weightlifting for longevity, embracing ageing and being a bit of a food snob.
Words: Joanna Ebsworth. Images: Doma Dovgialo.
When I was in my 20s, I lifted weights to look good in a bikini. Now, I lift weights to help me build as much muscle, skeletal strength and resilience for later life as I can, regardless of how that looks.
My fitness goals are all about longevity and quality of life; they’re about bringing my own shopping into the house without assistance when I’m older, getting up and down the stairs, and playing with my kids and grandkids for as long as I can. That’s why I think it’s never too late to start weight training, even if you’ve never picked up a dumbbell in your life.
You just have to find your “why” for doing it, but it helps when your why has more worth to it than just fitting into a bikini. When you’re doing it for your health or your kids or a better quality of life, you think, ‘Wow, that is worth 20-30 minutes of my day’.
I’d say my mindset surrounding fitness changed when I turned 30. Basically, I realised that once I got to 40, I’d be midway through life – if I was lucky enough to make it to 80, that is – and that’s when it dawned on me that I needed to start preparing my body for having a fall.
Also, my training sessions are my place to switch off and think of nothing but my breath, my reps, my tempo and my PBs.
If I have a few days where I’ve not trained, my husband Gorka will sometimes say to me, ‘Why don’t you do a workout to get some head space’, and I will. Everyone has their own kind of safety crutch, be it a takeaway or a walk with the dog or a glass of wine. Mine is the gym.
Instead of setting myself a training goal or a resolution, I set myself a standard. My standard is three weight training sessions a week, and some weeks I’ll get them done and manage to fit in two cardio sessions as well.
Other weeks, I’ll only just get them in, but that’s still good because I’ve hit my standard. For me, three sessions is definitely doable, although it becomes a lot harder when a new series of Strictly Come Dancing starts, because Gorka goes off to work and then I’m on my own with the kids.
That’s when I have to get up at 5.30am to fit in my training but, again, I do it because it’s the standard that I’ve set myself.
I’ve been trolled for being too muscular, but I don’t let it get to me. I find it easy to deal with negative comments because, deep down, I know I’d get criticism if I was too thin and I know I’d get criticism if I was overweight. I’ve had people message me saying they don’t like me brunette, and I’ve had people message me when I’m blonde saying I look better brunette.
The fact is, I’ve been in this industry now since I was 16, and I learned early on that you aren’t going to please everyone, so why would you waste your time and energy trying? Ultimately, I feel fitter and stronger in my body right now than I’ve ever felt, and that’s all that matters.
Good sleep is one of my non-negotiables for good health and recovery from exercise. Obviously, that isn’t always easy with two young kids, which is why you’ll find me trying to catch up on sleep when I’ve got a kid-free night!
Me, Gorka and the kids all have red light bedside lamps, and they’ve made a heap of difference in helping us to sleep better – I also have a grounding sheet that really helps me drift off. The first night I slept on it, I could feel my feet and hands starting to tingle after about 10 minutes and I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s happening?’ But you kind of get used to it, and I absolutely love it now.
I love a bit of grounding. I’m obsessed with crystals for helping find some calm, and I very much like going barefoot in the garden, regardless of what the weather’s like. If there’s a day where it’s sunny – especially in the winter months – I love to get some natural sunlight on my skin to get my circadian rhythm going while I drink my morning coffee with MCT oil and collagen.
I think it’s important to allow yourself moments of grace day to day to take your time, rather than always looking ahead, so I like to lie down and listen to a YouTube meditation for five minutes here and there. I also love an ice bath to help reset my central nervous system. If there’s anything on my mind, I’ll spend two minutes in a cold plunge and any worries disappear. It does wonders for me.
I don’t count calories: I count chemicals. When a food has 17 or 18 ingredients, it’s highly likely that it’s not real, and that’s why I choose to eat things that roam or grow.
I eat mainly plant-based, but when I do have chicken or fish, it has to be organic and free range. I picked up some salmon in the supermarket recently and the packaging said it had been farmed in Devon. I was like, ‘So, this hasn’t even been in the frigging ocean?!’
People might say I’m a food snob, but these things matter to me. I stopped eating red meat when I was about 28, but Gorka loves his red meat, so I think there’s a good mix of food in the house. He’s Spanish, so he loves a good steak and Ibérico ham.
I went fully vegetarian after I had Mia until blood tests showed I was very low in iron. That’s when I started supplementing with protein and beef spleen capsules to make sure I get enough in my diet (I also take omega-3, vitamin D and creatine), and I also have protein shakes to help fuel my workouts.
I always start my day with protein, fats and fibre because I don’t want to spike my insulin after I’ve been in a fasted state overnight, so breakfast is always three scrambled eggs, half an avocado and some kind of greens like asparagus. Conversely, I love a big bowl of porridge with protein before bed because it helps release serotonin and makes me feel nice and sleepy.
Recently, I had my first alcoholic drinks since my 40th birthday two Novembers ago. I didn’t regret it afterwards because Gorka and I had a brilliant time dancing with the Strictly lot who I’d not seen for ages (they were in Manchester for the Strictly tour), but I did have a headache for most of the next day.
It reminded me why I prefer to drive everywhere now and not drink, especially on a Saturday night, when I have to drive Mia to jujitsu on a Sunday morning. I never made a conscious decision to go sober when I turned 40; I just realised I can’t handle the hangovers any more. I used to be able to go out on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in my 20s and be fine on Sunday, but it now takes me a good two or three days to recover.
I felt really excited to turn 40. Everyone takes the mickey out of me when it’s my birthday because I always book time off work, regardless of what day of the week it is, and I get the family round and get myself a cake and celebrate the whole week.
But when I turned 41 and I did it all again, Gorka was like, ‘You’re 41, what are you doing?’ And I replied, ‘Exactly. I’m 41. I’ve been on this planet 41 years. How lucky am I?’ I definitely embrace ageing, because the alternative to ageing is being dead, and I think if you gave anyone a choice – get older each year or just die – I’m pretty sure they would go with ageing.
In my head, I always thought I’d start using Botox when I turned 40. But then, when my 40th came, I realised I didn’t want to. I’ve got friends who swear by Botox and others who say, ‘Why would you want to put a toxin in your face?’ I’m not saying I’ll never do it, but I do think your face tells a story, and the fine lines around my eyes are all evidence of the many times I’ve pissed myself laughing on a night out!
Also, I feel like I can’t be the face of my new wellness and skincare brand, Gem & Tonic, whilst filling myself with injectables – I feel a responsibility now to be pro-ageing, and to continue with my healthy lifestyle by prioritising sleep and movement. As long as I feel healthy and happy and energetic, that should hopefully show on the outside.
Before I became a mum, I thought I had very little spare time. Now I know I was completely wrong because I had all the time in the world! That’s why I created Gem & Tonic for women like me who are busy juggling life, work, family, workouts and everything in between and don’t have the time for a seven-step skincare routine in the morning.
I wanted the products to combine science with nature, which is why they contain mineral-rich gemstones. Some people look at me like I’m wearing a tin foil hat when I say that, but they really work! The Replenish & Rescue Hydrating Face Cream contains rose quartz to give you a really natural glow, plus iron-rich hematite to help boost collagen synthesis, while the body lotion is rich in magnesium and copper to soothe tired, achy muscles.
The 50,000 strong Gem & Tonic community told us what they wanted from the products. They answered questionnaires to tell us what they felt was really missing from the market, and that’s why the face cream doesn’t contain any fragrance or SPF. It’s suitable for all skin types, and customers with rosacea, acne and eczema have all tested it without any reactions.
In fact, the feedback from women who’ve never been able to use a moisturiser before due to flare ups has been so amazing, it’s made me feel quite emotional. There’s a lot more to come, including the new night cream, but ultimately, I want Gem & Tonic to be a wellness hub where women can come and get brilliant advice and tips for feeling great, as well as supplements, recipes and training routines, because we all deserve to look and feel our best.
Gemma is the founder of beauty wellness brand Gem & Tonic. Find out more at gemandtonic.shop.
