Taylor Swift is not too slim, she is a role model

  • The PM's trainer's unmissable column for anyone wanting to shape up 

By Matt Roberts For The Mail On Sunday

Published: 16:03 EST, 23 May 2015 | Updated: 18:52 EST, 23 May 2015

Is pop singer Taylor Swift too thin? Some said so when she appeared at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas last weekend.

I get it – Swift, is much slimmer than many 25-year-olds. But I disagree with the verdict.

Yes, she is lean, but she looks healthy. Performers are like athletes who eat vast amounts while remaining very low in body fat because they burn it all off. I’ve seen this first-hand with my clients.

Scroll down for video 

Stunner: Taylor Swift turned heads for all the right reasons at the Billboards - but not according to some

Stunner: Taylor Swift turned heads for all the right reasons at the Billboards - but not according to some

The real problem is that we are so used to seeing people who are overweight that we judge anyone who isn’t as skinny.

I’m not alone in thinking this.

On Monday, NHS chief executive Simon Stevens accused parents of ‘normalising obesity’ and not recognising that their children – or they themselves – are too fat. He didn’t mince his words, blaming ‘couch-potato lifestyles’.

As the proud and protective father of a 12-year-old girl, I am all too aware of how important role models are.

From what I can gather, Swift is in control of her career and in great physical shape. Isn’t this just what young women should be aspiring to?

Ask Matt Roberts 

Getting active: Matt Roberts gives advise on how to get back into shape after a hysterectomy (stock image)

Getting active: Matt Roberts gives advise on how to get back into shape after a hysterectomy (stock image)

I am an active 64-year-old who enjoys swimming, walking, yoga and cycling. However, I stopped this after having a hysterectomy three months ago. Which exercises would be best to help me start getting back to normal, and which should be avoided?

At three months, as long as there have been no complications, I would expect you to have fully recovered from your operation, in terms of healing. So it is the right time to gradually get you back to your former levels of fitness. And you certainly can do that.

Your doctor will be able to advise on this.

In the case of a hysterectomy, re-engaging the muscles of the pelvic floor, core and back are the start point.

We need to create a strong base in these areas so that anything else you want to do will be with the certainty that you are fully able to cope with whatever is thrown at you.

One of the simplest exercises you can do every day is the ‘cat-stretch’.

On hands and knees, arch or round your back, pressing it towards the ceiling, making sure that you are thinking about tensing the abdominal muscles to do so, and thinking about tucking your pelvis under yourself to really get the abdominals and pelvic floor to engage and work.

Once you have reached a position where you feel the stretch – it should feel pleasant, never uncomfortable – return to neutral.

Repeat the position ten to 20 times, and do this for two to four sets with a minute or so break between.

For the next exercise, lie on your back with both legs above you at a right angle.

Lower one leg down about halfway – to around 45 degrees – and then return to a vertical position. As you perform the movement, you need to engage the pelvic floor proactively (for any women out there who don’t already know, imagine you are trying to stop yourself from peeing!), so focus on it and make sure that you are doing it throughout.

Do the same for the other leg and then repeat for a total of 20 to 30 reps, in two to four sets.

You can do these every day – they aren’t super-intensive but they will help you to start to get some strength back again.

There is no reason why you can’t now go back to swimming or walking regularly. You can walk every day and you can swim three to four times per week. Start moderately and build your intensity week by week. This phase is about regaining your base strength and rebuilding your confidence at the same time.

Avoid lifting anything heavy and don’t take the cardio intensity too high.

Once you have reached six months and you have been doing this gradual programme, you should expect to be able to resume all of the activities you did before.

It’s vital that you do some resistance training (this can be body-weight or some low-weight exercise) in order to keep up your muscular strength, but also to ensure you are protecting your bone density, so plan to build this into your programme after six months.

I’m six months pregnant and now find my usual running routine too much of a strain. I have weak ankles at the best of times, and have had two sprains recently. Are there types of exercise you would recommend, and anything I can do at home for my ankles too?

One of the effects of being pregnant is that a hormone is released that makes the joints more flexible, as the body adapts and prepares for childbirth.

The ankles, therefore, are probably more susceptible to strains than normal during this time.

From an exercise perspective, one of the best options is swimming. Being in water helps circulation while keeping stress off the joints, particularly the ankles, knees and hips.

If you aren’t a keen swimmer, using a cross-trainer in the gym is great, as is hitting the stationary bike, but keep a moderate intensity level, whatever you are doing.

The aim is to work the heart and lungs without increasing blood pressure too much, or doing anything to overheat the body, which can start to cause problems.

If you are going to swim, it’s actually a really effective way to increase strength and stability around the ankles as your feet are working against the water when you kick.

Make sure that you stretch your calves every day to release tension and put your feet up when you can so that any excess fluid can drain away more easily and keep your circulation and muscles working efficiently. 

The other day, Gwyneth Paltrow told us all that we should be drinking charcoal (yes, really!) – and now she’s back with more diet and lifestyle advice. This time she’s being quite sensible. Her kids are allowed treats. They eat a diet of carbs, proteins, fats, sugar and all the stuff that normal people eat. And she eats the same stuff with them. So, is ‘crazy’ Gwynnie just like everyone else, then? It seems so. While the A-list actress may not always say exactly the right thing, at least she is trying to make a positive difference. I’d still sidestep the charcoal though…

We’ve had the thigh gap and the bikini bridge. Now men have their own social media body trend: the Dad Bod. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s a male body that has been allowed to carry some extra baggage around the middle. The (female) blogger who coined the phrase is very particular: owners of Dad Bods are not overweight and they still go to the gym – they just don’t have a six-pack. I guess it all means that ladies like the idea that the time you could be spending fashioning your abs in the gym is spent with them instead.  

  • Do you have a fitness or diet question for Matt Roberts?

Email matt.roberts@mailonsunday.co.uk or write to Health, The Mail on Sunday, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT. Matt can only answer in a general context and cannot respond to individual cases, or give personal replies.

 

Comments (117)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now