Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse has revealed she has begun a health routine ahead of the BBC show's return, focusing on eating healthily and swimming without putting too much pressure on herself.
The 45-year-old said: "I'll eat healthily, I'll swim – and it's not about dieting, it's about giving back to my body. I expect so much from my body. I expect it to perform, to be a mum, to work, to travel, to dance. When I step on to the beach, I'll be like, 'Body, now it's your turn.'"
Learning to Love Her Body
Mabuse added: "I have to remind myself to have love for my body. If I see somebody with a six-pack, I'll channel my mind: 'You're healthy, you're doing the best you can for your body.'"
She also opened up about the impact of perimenopause after she started experiencing symptoms last year, saying it has affected her body and mind over the past 12 months and she struggled to cope with the changes.
Perimenopause Struggles
Speaking to Women's Health UK, she said: "I'd go: 'Which Motsi am I meeting today? Is it the one who's going to make me cry? Is it the one who's happy? Is it the one who doesn't want to see anyone?' "You wake up every day discovering a new side of yourself. That's menopause…I noticed a complete shift in my energy levels and I started having pain in my knees. I had moments when I thought, 'I'm not feeling [okay] in my body, I'm not comfortable with myself'…I love dancing with my husband, I love moving – and I couldn't do that any more. It was making me unhappy."
Health Assessment and Warning
Mabuse had a health assessment that showed a range of issues, including high cortisol and inflammation. She said: "We did a full-body check-up and my doctor said, 'Mrs Mabuse, you can't continue like this.' My parents and grandparents have type 2 diabetes and I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, and my doctor said, 'The numbers show that you're at risk.' He said, 'If you want to stay healthy in the long term, we need to make some changes.'"
She urged other women to get checked out to push for better healthcare and not feel guilty about doing so. Mabuse added: "I have a deep sense of empathy and pain for women because they're never going to get it right. Women are shamed all their lives and I'm not here to shame anyone. I have very close friends who need the help of GLP-1 and I'm not going to make them feel guilty…For me, this journey was never about becoming smaller. It was about becoming stronger. That's my message to women: live your life. Do what you need to do to get healthy. You don't owe anyone an explanation."
The full interview is available in the September issue of Women's Health UK.
