I’m not particularly a morning person… so I try to get daylight (and ideally sunlight, but it’s the UK so we do what we can, right?) first thing to wake me up. I love watching the sunrise, but in the lighter months, I miss the whole thing. That’s one plus side to winter – I tend to wake up just before 7am and still manage to see the skies change. 

I’m a big breakfast girl... On days when I have more time at home, I like to make scrambled eggs on toast with smashed avocado accompanied by a coffee. If I’m a little short on time, I’m more likely to make a protein shake or a protein rice pudding (which sounds a bit rogue but I’m addicted).

My weekly exercise varies… because I love all kinds of movement. I have an online coach who programmes three CrossFit/functional training sessions a week for me, incorporating lifting, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. I also love aerial and circus, and I train in flying trapeze, silks, aerial hoops and straps. In winter, I cold water swim and sauna every weekend at my local lido, and of course I have a yin yoga, breathwork and meditation practice.

The biggest wellness lesson I’ve learned is… that a balanced nervous system is key. In my 20s, I was burning the candle at both ends and struggling with anxiety as a result. You can definitely work hard and party hard, but only if you take time to relax and spend the same amount of time down-regulating your nervous system.

It’s taken years to work out how to manage stress… and in the past, I’ve been chronically bad at over-committing myself both professionally and socially. As a result, I’ve had to learn to set better boundaries and say ‘no’ more often than feels comfortable. Taking time to slow down is the best thing I can do to manage stress. My job requires me to work at a high velocity, which can feel very stressful if I’m operating on a low battery. It’s the not-so-sexy things that keep me going – getting good sleep, eating well, staying hydrated, keeping to a routine, making time for exercise and practices like breathwork and meditation.

A fitness career isn’t without its challenges… It’s rarely a 9–5 job and can entail unsociable working hours with lots of late nights and early mornings. Most roles are also self-employed, which can mean a constant hustle for work, and it’s a physically demanding job. That said, if you’re passionate about health and fitness, it’s one of the most rewarding jobs you can do. When you first start teaching group exercise classes or offering PT, it’s tempting to accept any session going, which can lead to working a late night into an early morning. Instead, try to build a schedule that’s sustainable in the long run while still being flexible around the days and times you’re happy to work.

My pre-bed routine is simple… I’m a massive bookworm so once I’ve applied my skincare, I take a magnesium supplement and curl up in bed with a book. I try to avoid screens where I can for an hour or so before bed, and if I can’t, I wear glasses with a blue light filter. 

There’s nothing quite like a breakfast muffin. They’re relatively simple to make, easy to transport and taste delicious. What they’re often not, though, is healthy. The ones you buy in shops or cafes are usually packed with sugar or cheddar (again, delicious), so can leave you feeling hungry before lunchtime rolls around. This batch from plant-based duo The Happy Pear, however, is positively packed with goodness that’s guaranteed to keep you going for hours.

But this recipe from The Happy Pear is different; and gut-wise, there’s plenty here to shout about. First up, it uses flax egg made from fibrous flaxseeds. Then you’ve got oats, which contain beta-glucan (a type of soluble fibre) that’s been shown to reduce blood glucose and insulin response, increase the growth of good bacteria in the gut and reduce bad cholesterol levels. There are also plenty of vitamin E-rich almonds in these muffins, as well as raspberries (antioxidant powerhouses). Make them for breakfast and pack another couple for a mid-morning office snack.