Motsi Mabuse has started a health routine ahead of Strictly Come Dancing returning, saying she is focusing on eating well and swimming rather than dieting. The shift comes after she said perimenopause affected her body and mind over the last 12 months, including a clear drop in energy and pain in her knees.
Women’s Health UK interview
In the September issue of Women’s Health UK, Mabuse said: "I’ll eat healthily, I’ll swim – and it’s not about dieting, it’s about giving back to my body. I expect so much from my body. I expect it to perform, to be a mum, to work, to travel, to dance. When I step on to the beach, I’ll be like, ‘Body, now it’s your turn.’" That is a practical reset, not a quick-fix cut, and it fits the demands of a TV role that asks for stamina as well as appearance.
Body, mind and routine
Mabuse said the change also comes with a mental adjustment. "I have to remind myself to have love for my body. If I see somebody with a six-pack, I’ll channel my mind: ‘You’re healthy, you’re doing the best you can for your body.’" She framed the routine around strength rather than shrinkage, saying, "For me, this journey was never about becoming smaller. It was about becoming stronger."
Full-body check-up warning
Her response followed a full-body check-up that showed high cortisol and inflammation. Mabuse said her doctor told her, "Mrs Mabuse, you can’t continue like this," and added, "The numbers show that you’re at risk." She also said her parents and grandparents have type 2 diabetes, and that she had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant, which made the warning sharper than a routine wellness chat.
The clearest reading is that Mabuse is treating the run-up to Strictly Come Dancing as a health checkpoint, not a makeover. She has already said she will eat healthily and swim, and the open question is what specific changes follow from that full-body assessment once the show is back in motion.
