When Binky Felstead was starring in Made In Chelsea, sweating it out in the gym was the last thing on her mind.
Starting on the show in 2011 when she was just 20, Binky admits she had zero interest in working out.
But while viewers saw a smiley, happy girl having fun with friends, behind the scenes she was suffering with anxiety. So when, in her mid-20s, she realised the hugely positive impact that exercise had on her mental health, she became hooked.
“I never thought I’d be able to say I had the fitness bug,” says the 29-year-old. “It took a while.”
However, a few months later, Binky found out to her complete surprise that she was pregnant with daughter India, now two.
But rather than letting fitness fall by the wayside as she left Made In Chelsea and adapted to being a mum, Binky found that exercise kept her energised after splitting with India’s father, Made In Chelsea co-star Josh Patterson.
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The trick to making exercise a vital – and enjoyable – part of her routine is, she says, realistic goals and moderation.
“I try to go to the gym at least three times a week, unless I’ve got a shoot going on and then I’ll smash it out every day,” she says.
“But that’s not sustainable as I have other things to do as well. I love food. I said to Max [Darnton, Binky’s boyfriend] the other day, ‘Right, we can have shakes for breakfast and lunch, then we can have dinner together’. He said, ‘What’s the point of that?’ But we still want to go out and eat together – everything in moderation.”
For Binky, going to the gym first thing also gives her an energy boost, sees off her anxiety and stops her craving unhealthy food.
“If I go to the gym in the morning it sorts my head out for the day, it means I don’t want to eat rubbish, it sorts out my anxiety if I’ve got it. I feel like a whole new person.
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“I remember my mum, hilariously, power walking around our fields and it made me laugh so much but she swears by it. If it’s 20 minutes it’s better than nothing and you’ll feel energised afterwards.”
While tight budgets post-Christmas can mean expensive gym memberships are out of the question, Binky says online tutorials can be just as motivating. And there’s no point, she insists, signing up for a calorie-burning spin class or slogging through a run if you hate every second.
“Just make sure you love what you’re doing – mix it up a bit, buy yourself a new bit of gym kit or trainers. There are also loads of brilliant apps you can use.”
When she’s having an off day, Binky’s secret weapon is a killer playlist.
“Getting yourself into the gym is the hardest part,” she says. “You just have to pump up the music, get those tunes going and just go for it. Music plays a huge role in my life, in my mental state. It massively lifts me up.”
Although she made the decision to step away from Made In Chelsea when she became a mum, Binky’s still in the spotlight with 1.4million Instagram followers who enjoy her candid posts on motherhood, her honest fitness journey and cute pictures of India.
She’s also been focusing on business interests. After relying on babysitting app Bubble having had India, Binky’s become an investor in the company and says that finding childfree time to work out has been a big factor in her postnatal recovery, even if it was doing a workout video at home while a sitter took care of India in the other room.
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“I wouldn’t be able to get to the gym without having a Bubble sitter to look after India. Every mum deserves space and time to exercise and as we all know, planning is key. Set aside that 30 minutes after your partner gets home to go for a run or book a regular slot at the gym’s creche – everything else will fall into place.”
Binky’s own experience of early motherhood inspired her to start the Mummy Tribe, a retreat for new mums, and she recently announced that she’s writing a book on post-natal exercise and nutrition with best friend and personal trainer Lulu Adams.
She’s keen to help new mothers learn to exercise safely and advises every woman who’s feeling ready to start or return to exercise after having a baby to start slowly and get signed off by a specialist physio first.
“If you’ve had a baby, it’s so important to strengthen your pelvic floor before starting exercise. It’s the first thing we talk about at Mummy Tribe.
"Seeing a women’s health physio is worth every penny. Many women feel intimidated by the thought of an internal examination but honestly, it’s fine.”
Binky is an investor in the Bubble babysitting app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. See joinbubble.com
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