Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas, 64, reveals to Closer how she keeps her body and mind in tip-top condition in the run up to Christmas
Feel the freeze
I’ve got a Brass Monkey ice bath in my garden, and if I can do two to four minutes in the water, I’m thrilled. Cold baths help with the mind and, apparently, help the body to burn more calories, which always appeals! A dip in icy water wakes me up. You could be thinking, ‘Oh dear, I’ve got a long day ahead.’ Get in that ice bath and you’ll be raring to go. From a physical perspective, I invested in the ice bath to take care of a degenerative spine issue, which is down to years of dancing. The cold water helps reduce inflammation and I do feel it eases the pain. I’m also dealing with it via anti-inflammatory drinks, cutting down on sugar and upping my water intake. The doctor told me I wasn’t lubricating my spine with enough fluids, so now, when I teach, I’ll drink 70 oz [1.9 litres] a day.
Have a laugh
I have a ‘big red button’ on my shoulder. I could be the most exhausted person in the world – let’s say I’ve been going all day and have an event at 8pm – but when I press that imaginary button, it’s lights, camera, action. Smiling a lot gives me a feeling of mental wellbeing, and I can actually make myself laugh. My mother, who I live with, thinks I’m bonkers, but I sit in my room, look at myself in the mirror and laugh. I get an endorphin release and suddenly the world feels brighter. Then my mother will knock on the door and go, ‘You all right, in there, love?’ and I’ll reply, ‘I’m OK, Mum. Just having a bit of laughter before I start my long day’. There are times behind the sequins I’m not feeling great, but this red button, the twinkle in the eye, and learning to talk more with a great attitude on my face, all helps.
Lift and hold
As a dancer, I’ve always had strong abs, a strong back and a good pelvic floor, but I’m now more conscious about lifting and squeezing [my pelvic floor], because it’s extremely important to have a strong bladder. One in three women will experience bladder leaks at some point in their lives, and new research by Always Discreet reveals that 94% of women don’t do pelvic floor exercises on a regular basis. We should be doing them about three times a day! I first suffered when I was 25 and gave birth to [my son] Mark. I went back to dancing after six weeks and I don’t think all my organs were tight enough in the right areas. It’s important to get into a daily habit of squeezing and lifting, I do it all the time whether I’m standing with a cup of coffee or getting ready for my next private dance lesson, I take five minutes to do it. You could be in bed or watching TV, but lifting and holding is as important as brushing your teeth.
Keep communicating
I talk to my son Mark, who’s a musician and choreographer based in the US, every day on FaceTime and I always make it a priority to pick up his call. When you’ve lost somebody to illness, like I did with my brother [her sibling David took his own life two decades ago after suffering from depression], I put my family first. Mark tells me about his day, if he’s not feeling good or if he wants to show me something that his baby is doing. Those moments are pure joy. When I was going through the menopause, not a person in the world understood me, except my son. He got me to a doctor in California, who prescribed bioidentical hormones and, when I went on them, I became a different woman. There is nothing that I cannot talk to my son about and he’s the same with me.
Juice like a pro
For the past four years, I’ve gone to my friend Jason Vale’s Juicy Oasis Retreat in Portugal the week before starting Strictly. When I’m there I follow a programme of [drinking] four fresh juices a day, then when I come back, every day I have turmeric and ginger juices as well as other food. When juicing, once the sugar goes out of my system and I’m not eating processed foods, I experience real clarity of mind. In the past when I was tired and when I’d eat over-processed food, I’d feel foggy. Once I took out all processed food and did the juicing, I felt a complete spring in my step. I drop a dress size, feel less bloated and feel clean inside. It really does make you feel like a new person.
For Bladder Health Awareness Month, Shirley Ballas has joined forces with Always Discreet for its Squeeze The Day campaign to empower all women to incorporate pelvic floor exercises into their daily routine. If you are experiencing bladder leaks and have any concerns or questions, speak to your GP as a first step.