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Strictly body envy! How the professionals get their incredible bodies

Here's how they get in shape for the salsa...

Leanne Bayley
Director of Lifestyle & Commerce
December 4, 2021
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dianne buswell body heart shape© Photo: Instagram

Ultimately, the Strictly Come Dancing professionals are all athletes and they have the most incredible bodies. From their toned legs to their abs of steel, it's hard not to be amazed by their bikini figures. We take a look at their best photos and their exercise secrets...

Dianne Buswell

Dianne Buswellhas one hell of an amazing figure. The 32-year-old professional dancer is from Australia so being a beach babe is second nature.

MORE: Dianne Buswell pens beautiful message to boyfriend Joe Sugg

She previously admitted that as a performer, it's not unusual to have body insecurities: "100 per cent growing up, you have those issues ... I think as a dancer you are always wanting to look your best, like in an outfit, you want an outfit to look the best it can on you, meaning weight is a huge one for a lot of dancers…you are always wanting to look better, look thinner".

WATCH: Strictly's Janette Manrara shows off dancer's legs in risqué workout outfit

dianne buswell body

The dancer, who is dating her previous celebrity dance partner Joe Sugg, revealed: "As you grow up and you get older, you realise that you just have to be comfortable in your own skin, in your own body and actually that looks more beautiful than being a size four.

MORE: Strictly's Dianne Buswell reveals favourite £2k feature at home with Joe Sugg

"You can be whatever size and still look beautiful if you are radiating from the inside out, then people are going to think 'oh she looks gorgeous'."

On the subject of social media, she said: "I try and keep my pictures as natural as possible and try not to use too many filters."

Keep clicking for more photos..!

karen body© Photo: Instagram

Karen Hauer 

Karen Hauer is the longest-serving female pro - did you know Karen's been part of the Strictly family for a whopping eight years?! The 39-year-old has one enviable figure, there's no denying that.

She's keen to help real women reach their potential with fitness. If you watch Karen’s YouTube channel you'll find some amazing videos with expert advice.

MORE: Karen Hauer enjoys some TLC from boyfriend Jordan Jones Williams after Strictly exit

strictly pros sauna© Photo: Instagram

Talking about how she stays in shape, she previously told the Daily Mail: "I have to work hard on my stamina. When I’m dancing with a celebrity, I have to initiate everything because they are not leading. It's hard work keeping them in position as well as doing my own steps, and when it comes to lifts I have to support myself.

MORE: The best Strictly hair transformations

"My workout regime is primarily dancing eight to ten hours a day. Hot yoga keeps my muscles elongated and my mind focused. I love finding new ways to stay fit so I don’t get bored. I go for fast-paced walks, try different classes at the gym and do military fitness in the park. I think I might try indoor climbing next – you can never be too adventurous."

Posing alongside her fellow Strictly pros, we can tell she is no stranger to the gym!

janette body© Photo: Instagram

Janette Manrara 

Janette Manrara, 37, is petite (4ft 11 inches) but what she lacks in height she makes up for with muscle definition. Born in Miami, Janette has even danced with Jennifer Lopez - perhaps they swapped fitness secrets along the way? 

janette body yellow bikini© Photo: Instagram

In an interview with The Express, she once said: "When I’m on Strictly, I don’t do much [exercise] because we are training. When I'm not, I will go on the treadmill two or three times a week just for 25 minutes, then I might do some body sculpting.

"For dancing, I need to have long lean muscles, so I do lots of stretching too."

She also revealed that she stays away from cow’s milk and likes to snack on bananas with peanut butter when she needs some fast energy. 

MORE: Strictly's Janette Manrara defends Dan Walker's place in quarter final

oti mabuse body

Oti Mabuse 

Oti, 31, first joined the Strictly family in 2015 and her love of Latin has seen her travel the world, collecting title after title. Not only was she the eight times South African Latin American Champion, she has also snatched an array of titles including World European Latin Semi-Finalist and World Cup Championship Semi-Finalist.

oti mabuse body close up

In an interview about her fitness regime, Oti told the Daily Mail: “I have very long legs so I have to build muscle in order to control them and so that they look good when I’m extending. I do a lot of thigh exercises such as squats, lunges and running. 

oti mabuse© Photo: Instagram

"My arms are long, too, so I need to build them up with push-ups and weights. I train at the gym for two and a half hours, three to four times a week. I have discovered battle ropes – they work everything. It’s best to do something fun to stay fit – for me that’s squash, football, jogging or basketball."

katya body

Katya Jones 

Dream figure alert! The 32-year-old Russian beauty began dancing at just six years old, and she trained in both ballroom and Latin, as well as gymnastics, and soon hit the competition circuit.

janette katya yellow bikini© Photo: Instagram

Nowadays she keeps fit with dance training - for Strictly Come Dancing, contestants and dance partners are made to practice for up to eight hours a day, which is no doubt bound to have an impact on Katya's body.

MORE: Oti Mabuse stuns fans in gorgeous dress with unexpected twist

luba mushtuk body© Photo: Instagram

Luba Mushtuk 

Luba officially joined the Strictly family in 2018, having served as an assistant choreographer on the show since 2016 and strutted her stuff on several of the Strictly live tours. 

luba mushtuk body 2© Photo: Instagram

The 31-year-old Russian dance champ is a four-time winner of the Italian Dance Championship and an Italian Open Latin Show Dance champion.

Competitions aside, Luba has worked extensively with the Broadway and West End versions of Burn The Floor and has performed on both Giovanni Pernice and Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer's live tours. 

luba mushtuk body hat© Photo: Instagram

Luba keeps her body toned with regular exercise and a well-balanced diet.

She gave fans a peek inside her workout routine in a video on Instagram which shows her doing burpees alongside fellow dancer Karen.

n the caption, she said: "Throw back to the #yourbodychallenge by @karenhauer on @pandocruises with @karenhauer @robbiekmetoni @patrickhelm @davidpwebb check link in @karenhauer bio for full 20 min work out."

RELATED: Where the Strictly professionals go on holiday

nancy xu body

Nancy Xu 

This girl is uber fit. A specialist in Latin, Nancy was a finalist in the U21 World Championships in 2010 and was a runner up at the 2013 International Singapore Championship. But that's not all.

The fierce female has since been a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance in China and starred in West End and Broadway show Burn The Floor.

If you're wondering how she gets those rock-hard abs, she previously posted a video of her gruelling gym workout which shows her powering through several ab crunches.

MORE: Strictly's Giovanni Pernice responds to fans' claims suggesting Rose Ayling-Ellis has 'changed' him

nadiya bychkova body© Photo: Instagram

Nadiya Bychkova 

Ukranian pro Nadiya Bychkova joined the Strictly family in 2017. As two-time World Champion and European Champion in Ballroom and Latin '10' Dance, Nadiya really knows her way around a dancefloor, as well as having taken part in the Bosnian version of Strictly Come Dancing.

nadiya bychkova body close up© Photo: Instagram

She's also a multiple-time Slovenian Ballroom and Latin Champion, and is a familiar face to many of the Strictly pros, having trained at the same Slovenian dance school as Aljaž Skorjanec.

Nadiya keeps fit with regular dance sessions and her daughter keeps her on her toes. If there's one vice she has it's her morning coffee. Well, with all that dancing, caffeine is essential. 

Transform your routine with expert advice from our beauty and wellness team

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