The New Year – it’s the perfect time for us to make a resolution or two: lose a bit of weight, work less and relax more, or “just be more healthy”. But a week or so later, our resolutions are stored away for another year, replaced by mounds of paperwork and a chocolate cake that has miraculously ended up on the kitchen bench. The Weekly gathered our favourites from the Silver Ferns and the cast of Shortland Street to share their secrets for a healthy lifestyle – and for a bit of inspiration.
But instead of just talking about ripped torsos and impressive abs, our celebs are all about a well-rounded healthy lifestyle, with a collective belief that when you feel good, you look good –and that, ultimately, comes down to accepting what you’ve got and rocking it.
“I was in a play with Jerry Hall 10 years ago, and she changed the way I felt about my body in one day,” says Jacquie Nairn, who plays Wendy Cooper on Shortland Street. “I said, ‘I would just love to know, for one day, what it’s like to be you.’ She said, ‘Seriously?’ She marched me over to a couple of the guys, and asked one of them, ‘Which one of us, me or Jacquie, do you prefer?’ And I’m standing there mortified, but he said, ‘You know, Jerry, I know you’re a supermodel and everything, but Jaqcuie and the curves every time!’
And she said, ‘Do you see? Do you see?’ and I did. “It’s about loving what you’ve got. I’m never going to have legs like Cameron Diaz, but I bet she doesn’t have eyelashes like mine!” So here are some tips for a happier, healthier body.
Teuila Blakely
For Shortland Street’s Teuila Blakely (37), the secret to healthy living comes down to 20% exercise and 80% nutrition. “I know you don’t hear that a lot, but it’s true,” says the gorgeous actress, who plays the volatile Vasa Levi. “There’s no point in working out if you have bad nutrition. You’re not going to get the results you want if you’re putting crap into your body – it’s the basics. You actually are what you eat!”
Despite her frantic schedule on set, Teuila still finds time to stick to her philosophy of non-processed, fresh and “real” food, with her favourite meal on the go being a bag of salad and a can of salmon. But at the same time, she allows herself a treat when she feels like it. “I’m Samoan. I love food. I could eat like a dude if you let me,” she laughs.
Kayla Cullen
“You have to make your life enjoyable and if you died tomorrow and the last time you had a piece of cake was 10 years ago, then that’s not living. I won’t feel guilty about having a piece of cake, but I’ll be good for the majority of the time.”
Silver Fern mid-courter Kayla Cullen (20) agrees – and with her job depending on the athlete being on her game 100% of the time, she can’t go past a decent smoothie to help her recover. “It’s definitely my secret,” she laughs. “During the season, we’re training seven days a week so I need something quick and easy that will fill me up.”
A blueberry, strawberry, banana and yoghurt smoothie is normally Kayla’s go-to, but this year she’s thinking she’ll have to pop some energy shots in to help her along, as the former defender makes the move to playing centre. “You can sneak some protein powder or some veges in there too if you wanted,” she adds. “I just prefer liquid food!”
Bailey Mes
With training every day, it can be hard to get motivated to get out of bed and get to the netball court. But Silver Fern Bailey Mes (23) has a secret weapon – her iPod. Music, she says, is the key to keeping her going with her training schedule – something she shares with many other Silver Ferns.
“I was in charge of music before a few of the games this year, and it was all Five and N*Sync and stuff like that,” she grins. “When I’m running or I’m in the gym, it needs to be upbeat and loud, like some Rihanna or Beyoncé, or even some Whitney Houston. But before games it’s normally a bit more mellow, otherwise I’ll use up all my energy before I get on court.”
While there are days she doesn’t feel like keeping up with her punishing routine, Bailey says she can usually motivate herself with a well-selected tune. “Fitness is so important to me and my job, so I rely a lot on my playlists to keep me going,” she says. “You can put music on and forget about everything, and also it means I can’t hear my own breathing, which is great!”
The Weekly’s top workout songs
Kenny Loggins: Footloose
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
LMFAO: Party Rock Anthem
Beastie Boys: Fight For Your Right
Rolling Stones: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Pink: So What
Psy: Gangnam Style
Brooke Williams
Finding the motivation to go to the gym is tough, as Shortland Street’s Brooke Williams and Chris Tempest can testify, but they do have one secret – rope a mate into coming and it gets a heck of a lot easier. “I never thought I’d love going to the gym, but I started going with a friend, and it completely changed the way I felt about it,” Brooke (28) says. “I’ve never been sporty at all, but when I had someone to work out with, it was exciting. I had goals to work to for the rst time, and it was incredible.”
Like most people, Brooke can’t afford the full-time services of a personal trainer, but bought a few sessions to learn what to do in the gym. “I just used to go for 20 minutes on the treadmill, and that’s it, because I didn’t know what to do,” she says. “But now I know what I need to do, it’s really stimulating. I feel so good after going, you get a massive rush of endorphins. For the first time in my life, I’m competitive. It’s opened up a whole new world for me, and I feel like I can achieve more.”
Chris Tempest
But for Chris (27), a normal gym workout doesn’t cut it – he needs more variety than a weights-cardio combination. “I hate running,” he smiles. “I admire those people who can just go out and do it, but I need little tricks to make working out fun.”
A friend of Chris’ set up a home gym in his garage, which includes boxing, mixed martial arts and weight equipment. This means he’s able to work out with his mates and do enough varied activities so that he doesn’t get bored. “The best part of it is having friends there who spur you on,” he says.
“You want to be as good as them. I’m quite a competitive person, so that’s all the motivation I need right there! “Doing a mixture of things works for me really well; it’s so much easier than trying to go for a huge run. It’s like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey’s nose, or whatever the saying is!”
Since joining the Shorty Street cast, Chris admits he’s put on a little weight and knows he can no longer eat anything he wants without consequences. Keeping fit now has to be a conscious effort.
“At first I didn’t enjoy being active at all, but once you find ways to make it fun, it’s all good. I love the little gadgets you can get for your smartphone that tell you how far you’ve run, or what your heartrate is.”
Jacquie Nairn
For those who prefer a different type of exercise, Jacquie Nairn (40) swears by Bikram yoga, which is done in a room heated to 39C.
“I’ve been doing it for eight years,” she says.
“Yoga is very personal and it’s different for everyone, but this one works for me. I like the combination of the heat, the strength work and the flexibility.
“I’ve never done anything that makes me feel like I do after Bikram. You go into the room and it doesn’t matter if you’ve had a bad day or had a few too many treats – whatever has happened, you get through the class and feel cleansed. It’s like an internal shower.”
