Amazingly Hainsby (404,000 followers) kept teaching her Peloton classes around her weekly bouts of chemotherapy when she was diagnosed with breast cancer - she has now been given the all-clear. Alldis, meanwhile, was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018 and underwent a year of surgery.
These days, the couple are far more focused on longevity and trying to build a body that’s going to serve them for life, rather than on a short-term summer body fix. “If you do strength training, stretching and mobility, then even simple things like leaning down and picking up heavy shopping or lifting up your kids become less challenging,” says Alldis, who worked in finance before joining Peloton.
The world of exercise has changed, he promises. It’s no longer about macho instructors and body shaming. We get to choose our own goals.
“Ultimately, when you step into the gym, or workout, it’s “you versus you,” says Alldis. Here, in his words, are his “forever exercise” tips.
Start small - and keep ‘auditing’
“Exercise doesn’t have to be jumping on a treadmill; something as simple as going for a walk in nature is incredibly beneficial for our mental and physical health. I’d recommend taking an assessment of where you are today. Be honest about where you’d like to get to, and put small steps in place to make improvements. Then assess your current practices every three months, and say: ‘How has that improved/declined?’
Mix up the training: it will help through a slump
“Wellness isn’t a cookie-cutter box that you have to sit in. You get to define it. And if that means meditating, doing slow yoga, fantastic. There’s real benefit in just moving your body through what’s called Neat (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) - things like walking to work, gardening, even fidgeting. I’m obsessed with biohacking and longevity. I think the concept of exercise being “over here”, and then everything else being “over there”, is too limiting. It needs to be more encompassing.
“If you run out of motivation, change your workout routine. If cycling’s your usual thing, mix it up with tennis or yoga. Also working with a professional can be hugely helpful - though I realise it can be expensive.
Be smart with your diary
“Rather than letting that Netflix show just go to the next episode, could you get a half-hour workout in? I like to talk about “energy-givers” versus “energy-takers”. Energy-takers are things like spending too much time on social media and binge drinking, while exercise/fitness and good food are energy-givers. I was an athlete growing up, then I went into finance in my 20s and lost myself totally. I didn’t have a gym membership, or have time to work out. But looking back, I was using the wrong vices for my time off. When I changed that, my productivity levels increased and I was a better friend, partner and son.
Get yourself a workout buddy
“If you have a workout partner, or join a workout community like Peloton, where people are online giving you a bit of a nudge on the days when you don’t fancy it, it really helps with motivation.
Don’t give up because of one sneaky doughnut
“What’s happened in the past is done; you can only “control the controllables” going forward. I’ve been through trauma in my life and a lot of the discussion I’ve had with therapists and life coaches is about exactly that. It’s about taking every day as a new day, and part of that is trying to prioritise your wellness, because if you can mentally or physically get into a better place, other things will slowly click into place.
Prioritise sleep
“I read Matthew Walker’s book Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams and it really inspired me to delve deeply into sleep and prioritise it. I saw a dramatic impact on my productivity levels and ability to just function. This is not for everyone, but I track my sleep, because knowledge is power. So I’ll look at what I did last night before I went to bed, and then look at the impact it had on my sleep. Slowly but surely, you make improvements, and the quality of your sleep gets better.
Understand your body clock
“Everyone has a different rhythm - some people work better later in the day, others prefer to get up early. That’s partly due to our DNA, but also how we were brought up and how we’ve lived our life. So the most important thing is finding the right time for you. I’ve learnt to schedule workouts. If you prioritise your health as much as you prioritise other things, and schedule it in your diary like a meeting, it’s far more likely to happen.
You’re never too old
“If you start investing small amounts of money across a period of time, it can compound to become a lot of money. And the same applies in the fitness and wellness space. If you start when you’re younger, the compounding effect is going to build because you’re starting from a much better place. However, it’s never too late to start investing. You put as much into it as you want. That way you take that power back, rather than letting someone else tell you that you need to look a certain way.
Invest in your future strength
“If I’m thinking, “Argh, I can’t be bothered to exercise today”, I tell myself I need to be fit and ready for anything that might come my way. When Leanne was diagnosed with breast cancer, something we really took pride in was that because she was so fit, the doctors were very confident that she’d be able to get herself through chemotherapy, but also back to the energy levels she had before. There’s a mantra I really like which is: “Your body is your proudest status symbol.” Being rich doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to have a healthy and happy body, you’ve got to put the work in. If you have a tough time, you might be able to come through it better if you’re a bit fitter. And my biggest driver is building my body to be ready for those moments.
Have fun
“A lot of people use exercise almost as a punishment, and it should be a reward. It’s a blessing for us to be able to move our bodies. Never take it for granted.”
Raise the Bar by Ben Alldis is published by Octopus Books
