Zöe Salmonis a Northern Irish television presenter who is famously known as the host of the children’s television programme Blue Peter from 2004 to 2008. She also appeared on Dancing on Ice in early 2009 and was crowned Miss Northern Ireland in 1999 while studying for a law degree from Queen’s University.
As we welcome the new Year 2019, lets check out this wonderful conversation with Zoe Salmon and Women Fitness President, Namita Nayyar.
Namita Nayyar:
You have had an incredible career kicking off with you becoming Miss Northern Ireland in 1999, before turning to presentation, where you co-hosted iconic children’s show Blue Peter to 2004 until 2008, and then went on to appear as a contestant on Dancing On Ice in 2009. If you had to define your journey in one sentence what would it be?
Zoe Salmon:
Smile big, dream big and work hard.
Namita Nayyar:
Quote “I absolutely love dancing, it’s by far my most favourite type of activity.” Unquote. Your slender legs and washboard abs have been the talk of the town. Give us 5 tips to get a physique like yours?
Zoe Salmon:
Firstly, thank you so much! Yes dancing has always been my favourite hobby because it’s so much fun, it never feels like exercise! Filming ITV’s ‘Dancing On Ice’ was a dream come true for me to learn an olympic sport and to be trained by the best – gold olympians Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean. I trained every single day for months and was probably in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I’m hoping that one day soon I’ll get my ice-skates back on but in the meantime these are my best tips.
- Exercise: Generally I go to the gym Monday to Friday and then rest at weekends. My staple workouts include weight lifting classes, HIIT, Pilates and reformer Pilates. I have a personal training session once a week.
- Keep mixing things up: I like to vary my workouts and try to add in a new activity every few months; recently I’ve tried ballet, boxing and tennis. I’m also partial to some hula hooping!
- Nutrition: Although exercise is a vital component to a healthy physique, nutrition is equally as important. During the week I’m usually strict about my nutrition and then I let my body have ‘treats’ at the weekends.
- Sleep: It’s difficult to always get those recommended 8 hours per night but I try my best to get as close as possible. We must never underestimate the power of sleep and it’s impact on us mentally and physically. My body composition statistics will fluctuate drastically if I’ve had a week with poor sleep.
- Fresh air: I like to go on a weekly walk, although it’s light and simple exercise I find it both relaxing and great for the mind, body and soul. A coastal walk relaxes me so much and I always sleep so well afterwards.
Full Interview Continued On Next Page
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http:// www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
Namita Nayyar:
3 abdominal exercises you would highly recommend to get strong abs?
Zoe Salmon:
- Crunches and pulses with a medium to heavy weight handheld at forehead level. Heels elevated. Followed by reverse crunches.
- Mountain climbers on the TRX.
- Good old fashioned planks on elbows & toes – front and side planks – holding each for at least 1 minute and squeeze your entire body. For front planks alternate feet positions from narrow to wide and also one foot on top of the other. Alternatively merge both the front and side planks by gliding your front position to each side. You can do all this on the floor or a vibration plate for added intensity. Keep working on new PBs – try to increase from 60 seconds each to 90 seconds etc.
- Three components that are must in a workout regime?
Namita Nayyar:
Three components that are must in a workout regime?
Zoe Salmon:
For me it’s all about getting fitter, leaner and stronger. I like to focus on:1. Weight lifting for strength 2. HIIT for cardio 3. Pilates mat and reformer to help with posture and flexibility while helping to prevent against injury.
Namita Nayyar:
To maintain good physique, it is also equally important to manage one’s diet. How do you incorporate nutrient rich foods in your meals?
Zoe Salmon:
I’m passionate about my diet and I love learning about nutrition, so much so that I recently completed a nutrition course. I find it really fun and simple to incorporate nutrient dense ingredients into my meals. Your health is your wealth and you only get one body so it’s vital to take care of it by fueling it with food that will help fight against illness and disease. We all need to care about nutrition and make better choices in what we eat and how we live if we want to enjoy a healthier life.
For breakfast I like to start the day with a tonic I’ve created which includes distilled water, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, ginger, dates, figs & prunes.
For lunch I’ll have my own superfood smoothie which contains a plethora of my favourite seeds, nuts, oats and powders. I use almond milk and add in distilled ice & a frozen banana.
For a snack I’ll have an avocado with freshly squeezed lime juice and Himalayan salt.
I have my dinner post-workout and so I always ensure I have a good source of protein; I tend to vary between salmon or chicken or a medley of chickpeas, black beans & kidney beans. Sometimes I’ll add in buckwheat noodles too. I love vegetables especially spinach, sweet potato and broccoli. I never have sauces, instead I’ll season with Himalayan salt & black pepper and sprinkle my meals with spices such as chilli flakes or turmeric. I love adding spices as their health properties are the healthy cherry on top of a healthy cake!
Dessert is a must as I’ve such a sweet tooth so I will have nature’s candy, my favourites are antioxidant rich berries and also pink grapefruit and kiwi – I eat the kiwi skin for extra fibre.
Namita Nayyar:
Are there any foods that need to be kept to a minimum in a healthy diet?
Zoe Salmon:
Like any normal person I love certain foods which aren’t considered healthy! I try to keep these foods as fun weekend ‘treats’. Balance is key, as long as I know I’m fueling my body with the nutrients it needs then I don’t mind giving myself ‘treats’ at the weekend! You have to enjoy life and I would never want to restrict myself from eating the foods I really enjoy.
After filming my BBC documentary ‘The Big Fat Truth About Low Fat Foods’ where I spoke to industry experts and I experienced first hand the serious damage to health that processed foods with low fat and low sugar can have, I now tend to avoid processed foods and eat only natural fresh whole ingredients. I’m always looking at food labels and I steer clear of any items with artificial additives or preservatives etc.
We need fat in our diet especially for brain function but it’s important to be aware of the daily recommended allowances for saturated and unsaturated fats and make good food choices based on this. I know I tend to go over my allowances at the weekends; ice-cream is my weakness!
Namita Nayyar:
Alongwith being a spectacular TV presenter, Model and Actress, you’re also a wife and homemaker. Share with us your 5 tips that are essential to create a balance between your professional and personal life?
Zoe Salmon:
- Finding time in my working week to work out is really important to me mentally and physically. I book myself a minimum two hour slot 5 times a week to allow me sufficient time to get the the gym and to work out. It’s my “me time” for my mind, body and soul. Fortunately I occasionally train with my husband so we get to spend time together.
- My husband & I book two long destination holidays a year together so we can spend quality time together. There will always be work emails and calls etc to deal with but it’s so much nicer doing work while together on a beach!
- Having a personal project to work on is a good way to separate work from play. Sharing a project together with my husband means we can spend time together while achieving a dream or ambition; we are so lucky to be able to build our dream home together.
- It’s imperative to have a hobby and recently I started ballet lessons. It’s a balanced work out physically and mentally – it keeps me on my toes literally! I love to learn and this hobby keeps me active whilst using my brain trying to remember all the positions, steps and moves.
- I’m always organising dates with my friends months in advance. It means we’ve something fun to look forward to so that when I look at my diary it has special dates in there too. From cinema dates to coastal walks and dinner dates, and a few parties too!
Namita Nayyar:
2019 is here! What are your professional and personal plans for this year?
Zoe Salmon:
My husband and I are building our dream home which has been such an exciting project for us to do together. After a lengthy design process to ensure we got everything just perfect for us, we have finally commenced the ground works. It’s incredible to watch the progress.
Professionally I already have some super hosting jobs booked in my 2019 diary and I can’t wait to see what else is in store. My career has taken me all over the globe; as a freelancer it’s always a thrill to see where I’ll be working next and with who!
Namita Nayyar:
Your 5 favourite activewear brands?
Zoe Salmon:
- Sweaty Betty
- Stella McCartney
- Body Language
- Goldsheep
- Avenue C
Namita Nayyar:
Define Women Fitness for our viewers.
Zoe Salmon:
A fantastic, fun and intelligent insight into the world of female health & fitness.
Namita Nayyar:
What is your skincare and hair care routine like:
a. after a sweaty workout?
Zoe Salmon:
I always have my hair in a high bun during a workout so that I can avoid overwashing it. Fortunately I don’t get a sweaty head when I workout! When I do wash it, (usually only 1-2 times per week) I alternate each wash between an intensive hair mask and a light organic conditioner. I always use a leave-in conditioner too to help comb out all the knots! My hair is fine so it tangles extremely easily. I prefer to let my hair air-dry naturally and I only blow-dry it occasionally.
I use a gel foaming cleanser in the shower and at the moment I’m loving Dr Bonner’s range as it’s natural and organic. To moisturise I like to use a lighter aloe vera serum during the day and always an added SPF if I’ll be outdoors. Finally I’ll apply an eye serum and if I’m applying make-up I’ll use an oil based eye serum instead as it works better for my make-up application.
b. before going to bed?
Zoe Salmon:
I always try to be as gentle as possible with my skin cleansing so I use micellar water, my go to is Bioderma. I like to use a more intense moisturiser at night, usually an oil, at the moment I’m using Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate or a face oil by local Northern Irish brand Mrs R’ganics. I’ll also apply an eye serum at night, I use The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution. I sleep on a silk pillowcase which is kinder to my hair and skin. When I travel I bring my silk pillowcase with me as it’s part of my skin care and hair care routine.
Namita Nayyar:
You are also often seen being makeup-free. Do you support the important aspect for celebrities to show their true self to the audiences to inspire them towards self-love?
Zoe Salmon:
100% absolutely. I think that people in the public eye have a responsibility to be a positive influence and role model; it’s essential for us to always be aware of this and to make positive choices. No-one is perfect and we’re all individuals with individual concerns, opinions and choices but at the heart of that I think it’s important to consider others and to always inspire.
I’ve seen increasing awareness around the subject of self love encouraging us to love the skin we’re in. Mental and physical health are both equally serious issues and it’s vital we all support each other to spread love and kindness.
I try to never lose sight of the fortunate position I’m in and to use it as a platform to be positive and to help campaign about subjects I’m passionate about.
I get lots of lovely fan mail from people asking me how they can be a TV presenter and I always tell people they can achieve anything. My mum Priscilla used to say “the world is your oyster” and it’s true – it’s everyone’s oyster and I try to spread the belief and love that emanates from self-love, to believe in yourself is a huge aspect of self-love.
When I filmed Channel 4’s The Island with Bear Grylls one of the key elements to survival Bear taught us was “positivity, positivity, positivity”. And it’s true – we’re all trying to survive in life and the more positive we can be in ourselves and towards others, the better. We should always try to build each other up and surround ourselves with those who care about us.
Self care is a good starting point for self-love. To have good nutrition, exercise & sleep patterns, to have fun socially and to find time for relaxation too. Taking care of your mind and body will help you towards being the best that you can be.
Yes I am make-up free the majority of the time and I prefer to look natural when I can and just be me, I love that feeling of simply letting my skin breathe. But I understand that’s not the case for everyone, we all have our own preferences, issues and insecurities but as long as we’re striving to be the best we can be then I think that says a lot.
Namita Nayyar:
Your Favourite holiday destinations for 2019?
Zoe Salmon:
My husband and I always like to return biannually to Barbados to celebrate when we got engaged there and also when we got married on the island. Barbados is very special to us and we look forward to returning in 2019.
Namita Nayyar:
Fitness goals or resolutions for the new year?
Zoe Salmon:
My PT and I track my body composition statistics each week – everything from muscle and bone masses to visceral & body fats and hydration etc. I’ll continue to monitor and maintain my health and fitness but also set new targets and try to achieve new personal bests. Fitness is a continuous journey which is so vital to our wellbeing; I enjoy trying to push my body and boundaries throughout the year to improve my health and to try to live a positive and healthy lifestyle.
Follow her on:
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http:// www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.