Rebecca Adlington may have retired from competitive swimming, but the 27-year-old has revealed that since she welcomed baby daughter Summer last year, health has been on her mind more than ever. "I want her to be healthy and happy and I want her to grow up seeing a healthy and happy lifestyle in her mum," she told HELLO! Online exclusively. "I want her to be encouraged by that."
Rebecca Adlington has revealed how motherhood impacted her fitness routine
The Olympic gold medallist, who is currently supporting Superdrug's #TeamMe campaign along with Stefanie Reid, admitted she has learned a lot of new things about health "which I didn't have a clue about before being a mum", as she continues to research the best options for her little girl.
"I didn't know that you have to give babies these vitamins because they're not having as much in their milk and all these sorts of things that go into it," she confessed. "She can't tell me when she feels a bit run down, it's a guessing game and me taking her temperature and going off of her – it works both ways."
Rebecca admitted that she has also become increasingly aware of her own diet and fitness regime. "Now I'm a mum, it's different – your health priorities change a little bit," she said. "It's important I stay illness-free as much as possible and obviously it's looking after a little one and things like that."
The Olympic gold medallist is supporting Superdrug's #TeamMe campaign
Having retired from her career as a swimmer – which saw her break world records – Rebecca revealed that she has been feeling less pressure to focus on her "performance" and instead enjoy a more relaxed approach.
"Now, I'm exactly the same as everyone else, but it's just a bit of motivation and leading a healthy lifestyle and trying to get my butt in the gym a couple of times a week to stay healthy," she explained. "I only work out three times a week but it just makes me feel a lot better. I know I'm staying healthy, and being active."
When she's not at the gym, Rebecca revealed she tries to fit workouts in at home – and often turns to Davina Mccall's DVDs for motivation. "I love Davina McCall, her stuff is just brilliant. Stuff that's easy, that is for mums, that is handy," she said. "I've not got to leave the house, or I've only got half an hour – it's so easily done and you can do it anywhere even if you're in a hotel room."
Rebecca revealed she works out to Davina Mccall's fitness DVDs
For those looking to get in shape or lose weight, the British beauty revealed that dedication and staying motivated was key. "I think it's one of those things where you have to take your time with it," she explained. "Everyone wants a shortcut, everyone wants to take loads of tablets or do something that's easy and it's not going to be easy."
She added: "I don't believe in diets. I don't believe in starving yourself, I just don't agree. I think it's about moderation, balance and I think it's about a bit of education.
For Rebecca, variety in any fitness plan is key. "Keep it interesting as well because if you keep doing the same workout every single week, you're going to be bored stiff," she advises. "It's not feasible to keep it up. You're going to get bored and it's going to go by the wayside. I think it's really important that you're keeping things varied – try different classes, try taking a friend or doing different gym workouts here and there.
The fitness guru also advises setting yourself realistic goals when it comes to getting healthy. "It doesn't have to be Olympic glory or anything like that," she quipped. "Whether you're setting yourself a goal or it's literally probably losing weight, giving up smoking, blood pressure – all that sort of stuff that's easily done and is easily manageable."
Rebecca and Stefanie Reid are leading the campaign
For more information head to superdrug.com/teamme