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Denise Lewis is in better shape now than five years ago thanks to lockdown

Denise Lewis says Zoom workouts have helped her get in the best shape she's been in for years! (Image: Getty Images)
Denise Lewis says Zoom workouts have helped her get in the best shape she's been in for years! (Image: Getty Images)

While she was smashing personal bests and winning medals in her twenties, former athlete Denise Lewis said that she’s currently in the best shape she’s been in for five years, and it’s all thanks to lockdown.

Speaking on White Wine Question Time, Lewis said that lockdown has given her the chance to regain her fitness with the help of some of her celebrity friends.

“I went for it. I trained twice a day where I could,” she explained.

“I exploited that opportunity because I was doing all the Zooms like everyone else. I was reconnecting with some of my presenting mates. Colin Jackson, he'd be doing these Zooms together with other mates, so we had these mass classes.

"And my body just benefited from that, so I'm actually in better shape physically than I have been for an age.”

WATCH: Denise Lewis opens up about learning to "soften"

Despite putting herself through hours of training when she was younger she says her body is still in “good order” and only has a few issues with her knees and ankles occasionally. However, with her big 50th birthday looming next year, she’s determined to carry on working out, especially as she likes the odd treat.

Read more: How to make the most of a Zoom workout, according to the pros

“We talk about hitting 50 — you've got to look at yourself, you've got to nurture,” she told Thornton.

24 Sep 2000:  Denise Lewis of Great Britain in action during the 800m Heptathlon discipline on her way to winning Gold at the Olympic Stadium on Day Nine of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. \ Mandatory Credit: Stu Forster /Allsport
Denise Lewis in action during the 800m Heptathlon discipline on her way to winning Gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (Stu Forster/Allsport)

“I'm not fanatical about, and crazy about, what I don't eat. I naturally eat well. I'm conscientious about what I'm eating.

"I like my glass of wine, but I work for it. You can't expect to maintain that sort of level of physique if you don't do something.”

LISTEN: Denise Lewis talks about how she had to learn to be more vulnerable in her relationship

Obviously, fitness is something close to Lewis’ heart and she told Thornton that even getting pregnant at a later age didn’t stop her working out.

“I was determined to be fit during my pregnancy because I didn't know what I was going to get in terms of labour, so I wanted to be prepared for that,” she explained.

Read more: Denise Lewis reveals emergency birth story with her fourth child

“I didn't go crazy, just very functional exercises. I did a lot of walking on the treadmill when I could? I just prepared myself for motherhood - and then beyond.”

Zoom workouts with Colin Jackson has allowed Denise a chance to get her body into shape during lockdown (Photo by Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images)
Zoom workouts with Colin Jackson has allowed Denise a chance to get her body into shape during lockdown (Photo by Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images)

Lewis is now using her fitness know-how in a collaboration with Next. Launched earlier this year, the Next Active Denise Lewis range includes stylish workout gear, all fully road-tested by the former athlete.

“I said to the Next guys: ‘I want to be immersed in this fully. I want to be hands on’, and they've been brilliant,” she told Thornton.

Read more: This easy to do anywhere workout will make you strong – and happy!

“It is about looking at the textiles, feeling the fabric. It's about trying it on, putting it through its paces, testing the equipment.”

Lewis said that it’s been important for her to make the range all-inclusive and has worked with Next on making sure the range is “workable for all sizes”.

Sports bras in particular are very important to her she says, she wonders why we don’t just wear them all the time, as they’re so much more comfortable than regular bras.

“Let's face it, you get home from work and what's the first thing that comes off?” she asked.

She continued: “It’s your bra, isn’t it? You don’t even take the clothes off. You actually sort of pull it out one of the sleeves and then fling it off. You're free. You’ve just got to let it breathe.”

Hear Denise Lewis talk about mistaking her pregnancy for the perimenopause in the latest episode of White Wine Question Time. Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

WATCH: Denise Lewis on sports bras, having a baby later in life, and what it really takes to win Olympic gold