Montell Douglas, a former Olympic athlete known for her impressive stints in Athletics and Bobsleigh, has a remarkable approach to fitness and wellness that goes beyond traditional sports training. Currently captivating audiences on Strictly Come Dancing, Douglas uses her social media to share glimpses of her wellness journey, showing how she balances intense dance rehearsals with a healthy lifestyle. In a recent Instagram post, she humorously described the joy of shared meals with her dance partner, Johannes Radebe, captioning, “Couples who nibble, keep life a giggle 🍽️Dancing fuels the soul and food refuels the body.” Here’s how she approaches fitness, diet, and self-care with discipline and joy.
Douglas also tells Bio Synergy that meals are a priority in her life. “Bearing in mind, I’m not working out as much as I did before, which means my appetite is nowhere near as high as it was doing bobsleigh when I was burning 2500-3000 calories a day, moving sleds, lifting weights, in high altitude conditions. It means that now I’m not really burning much of anything and sometimes then just having one meal a day which isn’t totally healthy for my wellbeing. I also keep fit by making meals a priority in my life. Making sure my breakfast routine is there, my lunch routine is there and a snack before coaching or working out before having dinner when I get home allows me to keep up the nutritional element to my training.”
Douglas opened up about how her workouts have changed since retiring to Bio Synergy. She says that she wants to keep pushing herself. “I started focusing on the things that I wanted to do and challenge myself in. Taking up a new skill was one of them. I started a new skill in the summer and tried a new event to challenge my body in different ways because it really responds to versatility and variability, especially having trained for 20 years. Knowing what your body needs, likes, and then wants is key to setting appropriate goals for it. My body adapts to anything very quickly, with means I must always keep her guessing just so she can give me maximum output.”
Douglas tells Bio Synergy that she makes sure to be consistent with her fitness. One way she does so is by scheduling and planning them. “I know there are certain days and times that I can train. I set those days and times as my training slots and I try my best to absolutely stick to them. Of course, life just gets in the way however knowing I have the plan there, gives me structure and it provides intention to go and do what has been set, in some way.”
Douglas makes sure to take care of her skin. She revealed in this Instagram video that she likes to get facials done. Douglas captioned the post, “This facial is THE workout you need for your skin and facial muscles! 🏋🏾♀️Ever since I did Bobsleigh I became increasingly more aware of how the elements can impact my skin. But now even during the UK cold months, it’s just as bad! So this CACI Synergy facial was a welcomed treat!”
Douglas is currently competing on Strictly Come Dancing, which means she’s getting a good workout in. Better Health states that dancing has a lot of benefits. “Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes and sizes. It has a wide range of physical and mental benefits including: improved condition of your heart and lungs, increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness, increased aerobic fitness, improved muscle tone and strength, weight management.”