Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - Gorka & Gemma on Training Together, Living Longer, and Raising Healthy Kids

Episode Date: November 25, 2025

Gemma Atkinson has brought her partner Gorka - who is the new Men's Health cover star! They delve into Gorka's life ambition of gracing the cover and the incredible discipline that goes into his wellness routine, from early nights to blue light blocking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, I'm Gem Atkinson. And I'm Claire Sanderson, the editor-in-chief of Women's Health. We've just recorded just as well, our podcast. And in today's episode, we were joined by Gorka Marquez, my other are. Your better half, worse half, is he? Medium, I. No, yeah, my worst half. And he's actually on the cover of men's health. He is.

So we wanted to do this special episode because his cover of men's health goes on sale the same day this podcast comes out. It was a life ambition of his, he said. He's always wanted to be on the show. the cover of Men's health. He looks incredible, I have to say. But he really does, you know, I don't want to, I'm doing that true Northern thing where you slag them off to the face and then big them up when they're not here, which is what all Northerners do. But he really does practice what he preaches Gawker. He doesn't just talk the talk. He walks the walk. He's obviously an insane athlete when it comes to his dancing. But when it comes to his health and wellness, he takes it

really seriously in terms of how many hours sleep he has. He's traveling a lot at the minute. He's having early nights to compensate. He's taking things on the plane with him to help him de-stress. He's, you know, he has his blue light blockers. He's very much part of that wellness world. And it clearly shows in how he looks. I mean, it really does show, Gemma. Yeah.

But he spoke about things that even I didn't know about. Going to school with nuns, how strict his mum was in a good way to help shape his future. Yeah. So it's a really interesting chart, I think. Yeah, you learn things about your mother-in-law and about her parenting method, sort of tough parenting. which clearly served him well but we both looked at each other

and thought could we do that to our teenager? I'm not so sure but her approach worked because he became a world national champion in Spain, yeah. And then on strictly, where he met you. So we learned a little bit about how you met. You confirmed how we used to check my pelvic floor

after babies. Yes, that again, a little bit too much information over sharing on your part again. So it's well worth to listen. Welcome to another episode of Just as Well. Now, we're very excited today because our guest today, you might all know him. He started dancing at just 11 years old

and he went on to represent Spain in the World Championships. He has a strong passion for health and fitness and he's currently our men's health cover star. The pictures, I've been told, look very, very good. Most of you will know him from his tight leather pants and snake hips on Strictlycom dancing, of which he's made the final three times and he's currently a judge on the Spanish version

of Strictly, my ball and chain Gorka Marquez! Yay! Welcome! Thank you. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me, both of you. Although you had no choice really. Yeah, probably, yes, yeah.

I will be told love at home. Yeah. And we wanted to do this. Genuinely, obviously, you have got a really healthy relationship with food and training and you're a dancer. And loads of people will know you from Strictly, but a lot won't know how the journey came about and how it all started for you.

So we just mentioned then you started dancing at 11. Yes. How and why did you get into dancing? Well, I think growing up, I always love being a little like, you know, the kid that loves to do showcases like me at us at home and you know, perform all the time. But it comes from a... My mom loves dancing.

My dad didn't. And my dad, I started to take dance classes to surprise my mom. So then when they started to go together, I used to come along with him. And he used to go just secretly to surprise my mom until one day he came home and started to do the cha-cha-cha-cha. And I used to go then after that along with them. And I used to sit in there in the room and watched them dancing. And then one day I stood up and took my mom and I did the routine. So then the teacher were like, does he go to dance classes?

I know, I think you should tell him. Because he has a lateral rhythm. So I went. And then that's it. I go into dancing and then there was a lot of girls so I loved it so you literally just

you had the rhythm from the off yeah but I have videos with me when I was four at home at Christmas dancing with my mom my mom used to always put my feet on top of her feet and dance with me like the Paso d'auble

or the salsa because in Spain we dance everywhere like Christmas parties birdie parties is a big like food and dance is very big in Spain whereas in the UK our nightclubs you just used to just...

Yeah, they show the pop, yeah. And if anyone went to dance classes, it was like hip-hop. Yeah. It was never... When we were growing up, ballroom, it was very, very unusual for... Well, my first experience, first experience, like, class was, like, again, hip-hop. And I went there, and I did, like, for two weeks. Then they said to my dad, I don't want to go back.

I just know what I like. I like the ones that you do. So they took me to their classes, and I was the only ball. like I was 11, 12, dancing with like a 40, 50 year old lady. And I was very shy, and I'm very shy person. If you don't know me, I'm shy in the beginning. Maybe I don't look like, but I am. And I was dancing with this lady, it was called Rosa.

And he was friends of my mom and dad. And she was a bit taller than me. She was a short lady, but I was very shy. So I used to have to dance the vaults with her, so you won't go in the posture. And I was scared to put the hand in the shoulder blade. so I used to hold the t-shirt like this because I was very shy to touch her

and when I get nervous my hands sweat a lot so every time that I used to finish the dance she used to have a sweat mark on my hand because I used to grab the t-shirt yeah and you mentioned then you there was lots of girls you were the only boy yeah that's a really narrow-minded approach that I still think a lot of people to this day have

that boys shouldn't be doing ballroom and Latin dancing you know it's a girl's sport it's a girl Did you get grief for being a boy wanting to dance? Yes, especially because, I mean, I didn't have that horrible grief of, like, you know, like, bullied or anything like that. But I used to play football at the time. And it was, you know, like I was on the group of, like, boys who would play football and then go, like, after the games, to the parks or whatever.

So, yeah, my group of boys used to go, like, why are you dancing? Oh, you like dancing now? You like to be with the girls and wear scares and blah, blah, blah. But they did understood. then growing up when we get into like later teenagehood they saw all the girls wanted to be around me because I was the only one who could dance with them and they used to be just like this looking at me

so they understood oh he's the clever one you know but yeah I think and like you said it amazed me like how still now sometimes like young kids still getting the grief or being wanted to be a dancer which I will say don't listen to that if you want to dance dance because it's beautiful and just do whatever you want to do and follow your dreams yeah how long did it take for you to realize and your

teachers to realize that you had national standard potential and could go on to win these international awards I realized when I started like competing nationwide you know and you see there the first thing for me was I got attached to them the feeling of like winning not just because winning it was the good thing it was because it was kind of like the rewarding to my effort I I used to play team sports and like in rugby or football. Sometimes you don't play and the team is still winning and is amazing. But like myself, I felt like, oh, yeah, we won, but I didn't do anything.

Which in dancing, I felt the more I train, the more hour I put into it, the more reward I had. And that's what I really enjoy. I enjoy the, it was because of me, not because no one else. So I think it was around 13, 14, when I started to win a lot of competitions. like back to back and I thought oh maybe I can do it and then I said to my mom I want to be a dancer but I go the most grief that I go was from the school teachers that was the most difficult thing because I used to go to a Spanish like a nun school so they were very strict and I remember like a like a religious school like Catholic yeah so the nuns were the teachers

is a nuns that's correct so yeah nuns he used to teach you not know that I knew we went to a Catholic school, but I didn't know it was with nuns. I didn't know a nun could be a teacher as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it can be very strict. Yeah, like they make us pray and everything every day. Okay. Anyway, so, and again, because she was that kind of school,

they were more old school, like, you have to finish your academics. You need to study a career. You need to be a doctor or a lawyer. And I want to be a dancer. Okay. You know, and I was, yeah, and I used to miss school to go to, like, competitions because I had to go away in trips and I think it was like my third four year of high school the headmaster called my parents and I know that he loves dancing and is

very good but I think he needs to focus on the academics even if he's passing them he won't be able to go to like a big career if his nose doesn't go higher and my mom and I'm like well I think he's doing well he wants to dance and be a dancer and they were like yeah but I don't thing be a dancer is going to pay his life and be able to live off and my mom was like okay thank you very much took out of school and we're like don't listen if you want to be a dancer do it and i said i want to dance and then i proved them wrong yeah because i remember you telling me and when we went to see your parents obviously we go over to see them a lot go because mom said to him because it's so expensive you know the less you need your lesson you need your shoes and you're traveling to

these different countries and your mom and dad did support that which you're incredible looking for. I think if you have parents who, you know, support your dreams and ambitions, but financially it was a lot for them. So that's why I think she gave you the ultimatum. You do this 100% or you don't do it. And I think that's stuck with you because you're very much anything you do, annoyingly. It's 100% you're good at it or you just don't do it. Yeah. Like you said, I was very lucky. My mom and dad are like a world-class family and I didn't know these things I find out later when I was like older. When I was 16 I moved to live a different city. My mom, my daddy didn't want me to live because he was like, no, it's only 16

where's he's going to go. So I went to like a six hours drive, different city on my own just to dance and three months later my partner stopped dancing. So I found myself in a city of my own with not dancing, which he was the reason, but I have to finish my academics. And I remember calling my parents crying, saying, I want to go back. were you? I was 16. And my mom, the only thing that my mom said to me, she was like, you go, we help you financially and everything. But the only thing I ask you is you finish your academics. The full year of academics there, you have to stay there. You can know after go, no, I want to go back. And I was like, no, no, I'll do it. Three months later, I was like crying. I want to go back

because she stopped dancing. I don't have no one to dance here. And my mom, I ask you to do your academics. So they don't finish until July. So you just. stay there. But I'm not dancing. You promise me, and it's your compromise. So you stay there. And actually, staying there made me like mentally stronger, more responsible. And I end up dancing with someone else. And that's when I did my first final in Spain. I said the championships, which then after went into the next and the next and the next. But yeah, I think that was very important to me. But after that, is when I realized, because I thought, yeah, I'm lucky my mom and dad, they have a job and they work and they help me financially. But then I find out,

my mom have to put our house into like a bank credit to support my career. Because there's the only way they could afford all the lessons and everything I was doing. And they never told me. I just find out when I go old, when I go older, they're saying, what happened? Oh, no, no, this happened. And I was like, which credit you're paying? Oh, nothing, that's the matter. Goodness, me.

Yeah. What devoted parents you've got? Yeah. And it's tough loving as well. I was thinking when you were telling me that then, I was thinking, would you be able to do that with, like, now like she was in a different city on her own crying saying I want to come home and you say no you're staying there you finish what you started

I don't know if I know I remember I was soft or I'd be like oh just come home it's fine we'll put the kettle on we'll discuss it all I remember and so I was dancing with this girl and I was staying with her family member they have a spare room but obviously when we stop dancing I have to move out so I have to find this place and luckily a lady was friends of the director of the school had this little old apartment and I stand there and I live in

Valencia which is the Mediterranean and it's very famous in the old buildings when it has very damp and humid you get in the houses you get these insects yeah so I remember being 16 and obviously my mom used to send me money sometimes but whatever reason if I spend the money I didn't want to ask them for more money so I remember I was for a week just eating milk and biscuits because it's the only thing I could afford and the house was like I used to walk in the kitchen and it would be like crutches in the floor and everything

because it was like an old building and I used to be like this on my bed like oh god and I just is breaking my heart listening to this yeah but it was worth it oh yeah well look at me now yeah yeah represented Spain you and in between you dancing and coming up because you came to the UK in 2016 you picked up a passion for fitness as well

Yes, always, even already when I was in Spain. So where did that start? Because you've always, when we first met, I remember you were always into strength training, you were always down the gym, you've got a PT qualification, where did that come about? Well, again, my mum is very into, like, healthy habits, like food, good foods and everything.

So I think growing up, I always see her doing that. But when I was competing and I was dancing in Spain, in Spain, when you are part of the best five couples, you go into the national team like for the Olympics so they took us into these like training camps and they put us with like personal trainers to like keep us like they used to make us like run like tests flexibility test strength test to be ready like a gymnast so I think it started there to find like a different like a hobby or like a way to disconnect from dancing but then it become also like a passion and again it was kind of like

the place that I used to go to disconnect from like dancing or I don't know anything and just be about myself and that's how it started and then also because I stand to I always been very passionate about body what your body you can do very away with your body and I love I wanted to be a doctor as a kid when I was growing up I wanted to be a doctor so that thing comes from anything that has to be with your body inside or outside like fisi or broke bones I love it That's why when you have scars, I always want to look at them or whatever. I found it very interesting. He was, when I was pregnant with Mia and I had to have that emergency C-section,

he was chatting afterwards to the surgeon. So what did you do then? How many layers? Wow. And meanwhile, I was just like, oh, my God, help me. And he was asking all these medical questions that none of us needed to know at that time. When Tiago was born, I asked to be in the other side when she was getting stage because I wanted to see it.

Oh, I know. Yeah, yeah. Well, I've heard too much about you, peer, your shenanigans. There was an episode where you told us how your pelvic floor needed to be improved after you gave birth. I loved it. Yeah. That's what I mean. But now listening to him, he's probably, he probably did it from a medical research type thing, nothing else.

Whereas I'm thinking you're just being like a dirty purport. No, no, I do have for knowledge. I need to explain actually what you are talking about. I remember we were one day on Strictly and we were like, like in a room like this and probably it was me and another five female pros and we were having this conversation I think I was with Diane or Karen and we were talking about a pregnancy and I was just talking telling them all the things and they were all looking at me like goka why do you know so much I'm very interested in all these like pregnancy and stuff so I was

giving them things to do what they have to do what happens with the bodies I love it I find it fascinating like what women's going around she used to come round didn't she to the house and She was explaining to him how, I mean, I didn't do a natural delivery, but if I had a done, my, I would have been like this. They said, 10 centimeters. 10 centimeters. And he was like, so like this, this. But after what you were talking about, Claire, your pelvic floor takes a hit, doesn't it,

after you've had a baby? Even if you've had a cesarean, which we didn't realize. Even if you had a cesareen, which we didn't realize it's from the pressure. The problem is cesareans is worse, because when you have a cesarian, so what happens is your uterus and all your pelvic floor expands to let the baby out. But with the cesarean, the process finish there, naturally, after you give birth, is the contractions, your uterus and your baby floor going back to the original to close up and put the baby out.

When you cut it, that doesn't happen. That's why it's worse. Well, he really does know. It does know than most women have had this. So my pelvic floor was shattered after having the baby. It's lovely, yeah? It's lovely now, isn't it? Because, because, so they give me a rehab program to do pelvic floor.

And again, obviously, it's different for every woman. but my specific rehab program I had to clench for 10 seconds and then relax and I'm doing it now I'm literally doing it now but after I had Mia I couldn't feel whether I was doing it or not

and so the lady said well you have a partner if he's happy and willing just tell him to gently insert anything to have your partner gently insert two fingers and clench for 10 seconds so it wasn't anything romantic

was it you were literally right Go, 10, 9, 8, and I was going, and it is, and it is not. That was 7. Try again. 10, 9. Because you think it's not any sexy position or anything like that. No, it wasn't sexual. And you're like, you know when it's that awkward,

you know when it's that awkward situation of being like, yep. Yeah. And she's like like this, yeah, yep, nine, five. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, good night. I think that's love. It was.

I think that's love. Because you guys have strictly to thank for meeting each other you met when what year was it two thousand and 2017 yeah we met the August 2017 didn't we but we were together the July 2016 was it without knowing in the Bahamas yes no before that way before that I went on holidays the Bahamas and I was dancing in Senna Frogs I've got a video of me dancing in this bar and send you frogs and we pan out and there's a cruise ship in the dock yeah and he was the one that I was working with Diane with yeah

working on it at the exact same time. Yeah. So I think we were always meant to meet, weren't we? But we met in on Strictly, but we didn't dance together. No. So during the week, we didn't see each other, because you rehearsed in London with Alexandra Burke. I rehearsed in Manchester with Aliash.

Saturday, you know, from being, you know, strictly. It's too busy, yeah. It's crazy. You do a dress run, you do a block. Saturday mornings. You're there on Saturday from like 7 a.m. in the morning until at least 11 o'clock at night. So there's no time to do anything.

So we used to go for brunch on a Sunday, didn't we? And then when the tour kicked off in 2018, that's when we got together. And we realised we were going on tour and everyone was looking at what city we were in. Everyone was thinking, oh, what bar can we go to? After what club can we go to? We were looking for gyms, weren't we?

Yeah. I remember coming to watch you on Strictly and I remember being sat next to Becker, your manager, and they're already being newspaper reports that you guys were seeing each other. But you're telling me that, so you weren't then, you didn't actually properly get together until the tour a bit later.

So the rumours started before you actually got together. I think because we were like, again, we were both single and we used to hang out all the time. And like, I remember once we were having, remember we were having dinner at the hotel? And we was like nine of us in these round tables and they made a look that we were having a date. They packed all the pictures.

And I remember it was. hilarious because we have this round table I was sat here it was an empty chair and she was there and Simon Rimmer Javani and I was thinking to myself how I'm gonna take her on a date firstly and sat on a round table with a chair in the middle I will be all over her you know not like this are like yeah far away they packed everyone from the hotel yeah and there was loads of us at the table but they they cropped the picture for the online version and said that me and Gorka were having an intimate date the Saturday the Sunday the Friday before the show

but we had pictures on our phone and I was sat closer to Simon Rimmer than I was here but they cropped him out or you know how you would stay in a hotel and you live yeah so we were staying a lot of us in the hotel especially all the maybe the people they live far away or the select

at least 20 people and we have the calls to go to the studio and let's say she lives early on a Saturday for her and makeup a seven and I leave at eight they take pictures of us at different times but they used to make it look like we were leaving one after the other.

We were like, no, we didn't. So it was hilarious. There was loads of rumours about it. But because we didn't see each other, it was even over, when strictly finished, over Christmas, you had Christmas in London. I went back home in Manchester. And then on the tour, I remember the first,

we left from London and we were travelling quite far. And we sat next to each other on the tour bus. And that's when we managed to have proper, like, conversations and spend time together. And when the tour finished, Was it like March, April? No, February. Was it? February.

I remember we had a chat and said, this has been really lovely, but we have cars taking us everywhere. We have a schedule. Everything's booked for us. None of us have to put in any effort because we're together every day on tour. When this finishes,

the reality is I live in Manchester and have a job in Manchester. You live in London and you have a job in London. We're going to have to put in some serious graft if we want this to work. And so we went, we had five, I had five days before the radio started again. We went to, we went on holiday, didn't we?

Just the two of us. Did we go out of B for our Tenerife? I can't even remember, Tenerife. And we just had four or five days away from everybody on our own. And that was that trip. We said, you said on the coach. So are we, are we a boyfriend, girlfriend now? What is this?

So you hadn't established that before you went on holidays together? No. No, it was still very, yeah. So we kind of did take our time. We met in the August. It was weird, because it was the, you know, like when, the awkward moment of like you think you are but you don't want to be the one

to the other one like am I thinking this and it's just me being silly so we never made the quote so what is this it was just like it felt good because even like we on tour after the first week we spent

you know like the first week you have your own rooms and you're like oh what we're doing what you're doing what you're doing to know nothing I'm staying in the room you're not come and watch a movie okay oh you want to have room

service with me you end up like this but you still have in your room my week too my room was the storage room because we were together the whole yeah so it was a good six months before we became you know a boyfriend and girlfriend and then obviously who knew

seven years later you'd be doing my pelvic floor exercise with two lovely kids so you both Gemma you're known for being the original fit woman you know you've been on the cover of women's health three times

you both commit a lot of time to training is that was that a shared interest from the very beginning and what maybe drew you drew yourselves to each other I think I think so because I remember the one of the first photo shoes that we for doing the strictly promo we were filming and we had like an hour break and we both sat talking all about training fitness and things like that like sports and then I think it was the the most amount of time that we spent during the strictly was in the gym in the mornings because we both used to go do some cardio before the show and then

from there go to have breakfast together. Yeah. So it was the only ones they were in the gym was me or you. Yeah. And I think that's, we did bond over that, definitely. And it was nice because I'd, you know, like you, Claire, back in the day, back in my 20s, I was out partying, you know, I didn't, health and fitness wasn't really on my radar. So it was nice to kind of find someone, because then it was on my radar who was on the same

journey because I think the last thing any of us wanted, I mean, I couldn't be with someone who didn't like training and eating clean and if it was someone who was still in their rave era which we've all had which I'm glad I had but it wouldn't work for me now and I think that's why it works for us after Mia Gawker the first thing he said was I'm going to we lived in a different house then

he said I'm going to convert our garage into a gym he said because you won't be able to get in the gym as often as you'd like obviously Mia comes first and he said and living with you when you're not training will be a nightmare because he knows how mental it is for me and that was a really lovely thing to do

looking back because I used to just take me a put her on the floor in the garage and just train because it does keep you sane doesn't it? Oh definitely. Do you guys train together? No, no. That would keep you insane. That would keep you insane. You do write Matt, there was a phase

when you did all my programmes. Yes. I used to write in that yeah that was after me I said when the whole COVID period yeah throughout the whole of COVID and everyone was messaging me saying you look amazing what you're doing and then some yeah and sometimes they're like you know like when she goes for this face there's like oh I need to get back it more like it's rigged because I feel like I'm not looking like as good or I'm look I don't look good and even if she looks good you know

and she was like oh you know or she loves to look back a picket like oh remember how good I look in here I go like yeah how did you who did you train you there who did your program yeah what the program for you there I always go like that yeah but it's it's nice after two kids to have someone who supports it as well yeah and it makes it easier like you know after Tiago again another C section not through choice you did a lot of cooking for me you know you just help you get back to it we help each other like like you said understand how important is for the other like training or even for example when we go on holidays we don't go on holidays you know we want to train we go on holidays you know we want to train we go on holidays

but we know that in the morning we need like 30 minutes of like moving because it's going to keep us more relaxed and better for the rest or enjoy more the food or spend time with the kids and we were on holidays and I was started getting a bit of my like on my own nerves and she looked at me she was like I think you should go do the gym for half an hour leave us along with me with the kids and then come back so I went to the gym and I came like a different person I was smiling and everything so we know how important is for us, you know, in part of our routines or, like, nutrition and everything. So for both of you, because I'm the same, I'm going on holidays next week,

I will absolutely have to go to the gym every other day, probably. Not every day, I'll go every other day. 45 minutes maximum. What would that look like for either of you? If you've got half an hour just to get something done, what would that look like for you, Gorka? Then we'll go on to you, Gemma. I think it depends of where, for example. If I'm like now that I'm traveling a lot,

for example, on Saturday I was in Spain, there was no gym in the hotel, so I just put my trainers, went outside, run for like half an hour run, city, city, something like that. Or if I have a gym, I will do something with a pair of dumbbells, a full body, something like 30 minutes, Emom, or something that moves the whole body.

And that's it. What about you, Gemma? I was going to say the same way, mine had been Emon, the gym that we use in Tenerife when we go, because we always stay at the same place. It's a lovely gym, but it also has a nice little, studio at the side. So I used to take a bench in there and some dumbbells and I can still remember it now. I used to do 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off. I'd do goblet squats and then I went into

bunny hops over the bench and then I go into shoulder press, burpees and then plank and I'd do that for like 20 minutes. So four or five rounds, just 20 minutes and then 10 minutes just stretch and that was it. That was all I needed to do. And I think that's the like you said, that's a misconception with on holiday and we didn't train every day did we again it was every other day and when we go with the kids I used to get up and go in the morning because I hate training in the evening or afternoon if I don't do it straight away I'm not going to do it was Gawker go in the evening so we did like a little tag team but you don't want to go on holiday and spend hours in the gym do you know you don't want to go on holiday and restrict yourself from the

nice little dessert but you also don't want to go on holiday and come back thinking I've done two weeks of nothing but sloth and slouch because then it's harder when you get back into it. Yeah. So if you just keep it as part of your routine anyway. But I think also that like, you know from the outside sometimes you get people that you're like, oh, why do you go to the gym if you are on holidays? And that's, for example, a lot of people ask me again, how do you keep all the time like being so disciplined?

And I always said, well, for me, it's not a discipline because I go to the gym because I want to go to the gym. Like, it's part of my daily thing of, like, having a shower, brush your teeth, have your breakfast. It's something that is so established in my life or in our life. There's what we want to do to keep us healthy mentally and physically. So when we go on holidays, it's the same thing. For us, we don't go every day or go for like an hour and a half. We go 30 minutes every other day to keep us moving and healthy.

It's the same way. If I say to you, if you go on holidays, you don't have a shower or you don't brush your teeth. Yeah, you need to reframe the thinking that it's not a chore as a privilege. Yes, correct. Because it's an absolutely privilege to be able to move our bodies and do so for longevity and long-term health. It's good for the kids as well, I think. You know, I've, in the short time, I've been a mum, only six years. I've learnt kids don't do what you say, they do what you do.

Correct. And, you know, now, I mean, the other day you were training, weren't you? And Tiago wanted to come in. Copy everything. And I would say, no, I said after Papa's finished, he started crying, didn't it, to come in the gym? And you went, no, I bring him in, it's fine. And he loves it.

And it's the same with Mia. She, at night, we do yoga before bed. We just go on YouTube and do, you type in 10 minute bedtime yoga. And she loves it, doesn't she? And they do like a mindful thing at school. And she said to me the other day, Mum, do you know, if you get angry or upset or stressed, she went, do you know you can just change the way you breathe?

And it'll help you. So she is very... In tune with their society. Yeah, she does dance, swim in jiu-jitsu, and I love that, you know, nothing's restricted in terms of, you know, if it's a weekend pancakes for breakfast, we'll have a pizza, they can have the Chris and Harrybos, but also during the week, they do have, you know, their omelets for breakfast and they'll have the sourdough and everything's cooked, you know, and that's one thing, again, as a parent, I find annoying that not every family has that accessibility to healthy foods. Because it plays a part in their sleep, in their behaviour, in their energy levels. And I do always think we're so lucky, you know, to be able to... It's the same, like, you were saying, if your kids are in sports, it's an expense. You know, it's a privilege that I think every family should have access to good nutritious food for kids.

Because like Claire said, we do it for like longevity. I think now the society goes so fast. Everything is now fast, fast, fast. We forget a lot of things that we're doing now has the repercussions along the line. And again, we don't train just to look good now or to feel good now. We train for like that health and longevity

down the line where we get like 60, 70, you know, to prevent like bone injuries. To prepare for when we have a fall. To lose muscle mass. Brain, you know, like cognition, things like that. Down the line, it will help when you go back and you put people like, There's a study that you see people on their 70s, 80s, and you look the people who did exercise, strength training or any kind of like physical activity,

hair conditions, brain conditions are more healthier and stronger than people who have never done anything. Well, there's even research now saying that exercise and strength training can ward off dementia and Alzheimer's. So it's not just the obvious things like heart disease and hypertension, etc. They're saying that it has remarkably positive outcomes for all sorts of life. limiting diseases. So you are an accomplished athlete outside of dancing because you're a pretty good high roxer, aren't you? Yes. So tell us your high rocks time. It's pretty impressive, isn't it? Well, it's not as good as I wanted. I was upset when I finished. It was an hour and five minutes and 59 seconds, an hour and six. Yeah.

Well, that's still good. Yeah. For the first time, it was my first high dog. I've never done it. and I did a half marathon two weeks prior to that so yeah which I did in an hour and 33 yeah it's like my my 10k is an hour yeah I want to do one hour but what happens is my friend Simon when I were for high rocks not for the half marathon sorry for the half marathon hour

a super one hour and 30 oh right yeah but he had a bad hamstring a couple of weeks before so we had a plan but after 6k his hamstring go very tight So he was like, I can't go faster So I was like, okay, fine So I said, I go with you until 10 And then I go faster But then I felt bad

So I said, I go with you until 15 And then I go faster And then when you go to 18K I said, I'm going to go She's like, yeah, yeah, you go But it was too late now I end up doing my last K I think he was

348 Wow But that was painful Yeah He's dead nice actually Because Simon He wants to go Because close his friends

And he works with Adidas He's a really incredible athlete and Simon is Karen's boyfriend oh yeah yeah yeah yeah so obviously Karen and Simon are mean gore so four of us they're trying to get us all to do on high rocks of which three of them out of four of us are up for it and you can guess which one isn't I want to do with me the one in Manchester no yeah I'm I've I'm not doing it either I've been asked men's health and women's health that all the people that work there most of them are high rocks mad they love it well

I'm ambassador for Hydrox for this year in the UK to, like, you know, helping create awareness and make more people do it. I want to do with her the one in Manchester. I think it will be fun. It's the running. We had a massive row. The last massive row we had was during a run, wasn't it? Oh, when we went training for the marathon.

And I said to him, I said, leave me. Just let me finish on my own. I said, go ahead and leave me. And I just, because he, it's your pace. I was going now. It's not. It's, you know, your pace is very uncomfortably fast. Like your slow pace is my sprint exertion.

Yeah, but I was going to your pace. No, you were making me run too fast. We were running at six minutes pace. That's slow. And he talks to me while I'm running when I'm trying to breathe. Six minute kilometre. But was that a mile? I work in miles.

So a mile, that would be like eight, nine minute mile. That's still quite fast. That was slow. Up hills as well. It was up hills. Where we live is very hilly. And he's talking to me and I just hate it. No, you like, do what.

You ask any person who runs, would you like prefer to run 5K on a treadmill or 5K outside? Me? Yeah. See, I would prefer the treadmill. I would. What's wrong with you too? No.

Because it's flat and I can see how long's left. But it's boring. Like you just see the wall there. If you can choose... You should ask anyone who runs. We're not really runners. It's actually easier to run on a treadmill as well because the momentum is going with you.

It's always the same. Yeah. And the pavement doesn't change. Yeah, I get that. And there's no wind. And you can just listen to music with no distractions. And you can stop and have a drink. For me, the beauty of running is like see things.

That makes you go faster because you don't see the same thing all the time. For me, starting at running on a treadmill, looking at the same place all the time, it's very mentally draining. That's why you just shouldn't run then. But that's why I love to run outside. Imagine like you go to the times now. You can see all the beautiful buildings, different faces. noises, you know?

That's what makes it distracting. That's the only thing with the high rock, the functional stuff with the high rocks, I'd love, I know I'd enjoy it and I'd be able to do it easy. The running. There's a lot of running in a high rocks, isn't it? 8K, yeah. But you do a kilometre at a time, is that right?

Yeah, so it's easier, yeah. Who was we interviewed the, was she called Ellie, the high rocks champion? No, Lucy Davis. Oh yeah, you said when I told you about Lucy Davis, she was like, oh my gosh, what did she say? She just was a power. She's fast.

But she is a professional athlete. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And she is fast. She's a fast runner. Yeah, very fast. But for high dogs, you have to be running. Yeah, the good high, I've read this in men's or women's health. The good, it's all about the running, that you live or die on the running.

Yeah. If you're comfortable running fast. But not only running fast, then going straight into wall balls. That's the thing. Like, for example, when someone asks me, oh, I'm going to do high dogs and like, you're a good runner. And it's a difference between a good runner and a good runner for. for Hydrox because like in Hyros like you said you might do I don't know a hundred kilos

sled push which then your legs are going to be wobbly but you still have to run at like a four minute pace which normally you would be doing that with fresh legs that's the difficulty of it yeah so we're yeah so you're not selling it to me and I'm doing the Hydox Madrid next week yeah good luck he's doing a marathon in new half marathon in New York in January no March March yeah which I asked her to do is you like why you want to do that And I was like, why you don't want to do a half marathon in New York? It's beautiful. Well, a half marathon.

Have you done a half marathon, Gemma? Absolutely not. The furthest I've ran, the furthest I've run is 10K. And I will never, I finish that 10K in Manchester every year saying, I'm never doing this again. And then the next time they say, oh, it's charity. And I always think it's for the dogs. It's for the animals. That's why I do it.

But as soon as that gun goes at the start, I just think, why have I agreed to this? What happened to you in the 10K in Manchester this year? have we through it. What happened to me? Yeah, you had to stop. Yeah, I had to stop. What happened? You got the troughs?

I got caught short. I had to have an emergency poo. Because I had so many coffees beforehand to get me through it. Do you know, I'll tell you the true story. The fastest 10K I've ever run was the first Manchester 10K we did. And I don't recommend this to anyone. Because it was the first one, I was with my friend Natalie and Vicky. We went in spoons beforehand.

And I had a shot of tequila. I flew round. I genuinely, I don't recommend it. I had one shot of tequila and I was like, woof, I was like Speedy Gonzalez. The years after that, I've stuck to coffee and my pace has been slower. But yeah, I did, I mean, I did sub an hour. I did 58 something this year. And I said to him it would have probably been 56 because I had a two-minute poo in that horrible port-a-loo.

Oh. You did it in 56. So I would have been 56 minute, I tell myself, had I not had about four espresso's before the start. Your time for 10K. He's a big shorter than the runner, one of the top runners, half marathon. He did the half marathon an hour and ten. I know. I bet he didn't have to stop for a poo though, did he?

No, no. Or the elite runners, just do it on the side. He also knows he doesn't drink coffee before I run, you know. So we mentioned the men's health cover. You are on the cover of men's health, which goes on sale today. It was a very cool shoot. We shot it in Bethel Green. gym which is the oldest gym in the UK apparently and it's been threatened with closure

and there's there's local protests because they don't want it to close because there's such heritage in that place it was incredible but it was one of those old spit and sawdust gyms wasn't it very very East London but you were an absolute delight on the shoot and you were even doing giving Andrew Tracy the men's health fitness director dance lessons yes he lift me and everything yeah we did a lift You've wanted to do men's health, though. I remember you said to me early on, one of your dreams was to be the cover of men's health.

And you know what was funny? Me and I knew about Andrew before, but we met there that day. And I showed him during COVID, he released this only Dunwell's book for workouts, and I had it. And I showed him. And then he, when I left,

he messes me on Instagram to say, thank you very much, blah, blah for the day, how nice I was on the show and then he saw a message that I sent him on 2020 me wanted to do something with men's health and me wanted to be in the cover

it was so funny and he said like how funny I just saw this but I don't need to reply you because you want it. Oh, manifested it. So I've got there's two cover options here

I've not yet decided which one is going to be the cover image. Ignore all the cover lines because this is just like dummy lines. We call it lines when you just put lines on to make it look like the cover so I'll be

interested to get both of your thoughts are you nervous yes bear in mind this is not by any stretch of final cover so and this is the first one I've ever done this show and talent and this is men's health magazine Gawken I know the post popular men's fitness health magazine in the UK and you're on the cover what if you and I don't agree with which one it's not up to me it's your cover it's up to me actually it's up to you and Claire yeah I was going to say So ignore the cover lines because I actually think there's too many on there as well, right? This is purely for...

Oh, wow, I just got a glimpse. Who shall I show for it? Show me first. So either that one. Oh, wow. Or complete curveball. Hmm. That one.

What do you think? I don't know. I don't know if I want to see it. You know what? I like how the pants match the writing on that one. Yeah. But oh, oh. Yeah, I might don't want to see.

you know okay it's up to you do no no I won't I don't if I want to see it why I'm gonna quickly flash to the camera that one the top one yeah oh I mean they're both very very good look at him swooning over himself as this look at you you're feeling yourself by the time this goes out this will be on sale anyway so the decision will have been made. I have to be honest. I understand why you haven't made a decision. It's a difficult decision.

I think I like that ronness. That is you. Is that me? Yeah, I think you look like you've been building a lamp, to be honest. Oh my goodness. Yeah. That's completely, that is just a raw picture. And that is proof that I must be in perimenopause

because looking like that, you go, woof, but still sometimes the back of your head annoys me. Do you know what I mean? Just sometimes. You can walk around the house looking like that, but still get on my tits. I understand now, Gemma, how people go, Gemma, you're a lucky one. Make, you're punching. Yeah, I know.

In every shape or form. Well, at least, you know, whatever cover is decided on, they look incredible. I never thought I was going to look like that. Thank you. So both pictures will be part of the feature in the magazine, which I hope everyone goes out and buys today. Yes, please. Yes.

Yeah, so... And carry with them, if you bump into me, I'll sign it for you, please. I want to do it again, so you need to buy them. Well, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. Yeah, it's been nice. I want to see you in a few hours anyway, aren't I? No, like that, but yes.

No, we'll be suited and booted for the Pride of Britain Awards. Yeah. We're recording this on Pride of Britain Day. But thank you so much. Really appreciate it. And congrats on your cover. Thank you very much. And thank you for having me in the cover.

It's a privilege to me. And I drink, I'm true. Oh, fan story quickly. You know, you took a picture with my daughter on that shoot because I took Nell on the shoot because it was school holidays. And you are stood there, topless, looking resplendent. And Nell now wants me to blow that picture up for her bedroom wall. So you've got...

I think she's got a little crush on you. Oh, bless you. Oh, that's sweet. You have to get one of them signed for a magazine. I'll do, yeah, yeah. Well, thank you so much for coming in. Thank you for having me. Thank you.