Gemma Atkinson is often praised for her honesty when it comes to social media. But just last month she shared how she was 'fooled' by the likes of Instagram when she popped to the hairdressers and presented her hairdresser with pictures that weren't possible to recreate because of filters and more.
And it is no surprise to the Hits Radio host’s loyal following how much health and fitness is a huge part of her life from sharing her latest gym workouts to what easy meals she’s whipped up during the day - as well as combating what social media likes to make us believe.
"It’s important to realise what people see on social media is just a snippet of someone's life and there’s so much more people are juggling and doing," Gemma told the Manchester Evening News. “And I’m so lucky to be on the radio in Manchester because it is literally on my doorstep.
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"But I think people assume that’s all I do. I go on air four until seven and that’s it. But they don’t realise I’ve been up since 5 o’clock doing a whole heap of other things before then.”
And Gemma has been busy. The Bury-born star has recently launched her first clothing range with Manchester fashion brand In The Style, after releasing two leisurewear collections, and has been promoting her new book, The Ultimate Body Plan for New Mums: 12 Weeks to Finding You Again.
The book is a holistic fitness guide for new mums, including a gentle 12-week Baby Steps Body Plan, 75 nutritious and simple recipes, and tips on self-care. For Gemma, it’s also about being their for mums and talking about the things that aren’t really spoken about. "Nobody told me about the first poo after having a child,” Gemma laughed. "It was like birthing another child. Nobody told me that and it was only when I was experiencing it I was sitting there thinking "what is happening!?'"
"We’ve talked about the things that maybe you talk about privately to your mates or your mum in pregnancy but I just think it should be out there because it’s not just that you grow a baby and that’s it. The changes your body goes through physically and hormonally and the water retention. It’s such an incredible, remarkable experience but all people focus on is, ‘you’ve got fat’, or ‘you’ve got to lose weight’. They don’t appreciate what their body has done for almost a year so I wanted to focus on that stuff."
The former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks actress also believes her own attitude towards her health has changed since becoming a mum to daughter Mia, who turns three next month. “Being a mum to a daughter, I don’t want Mia to ever think she has to be a certain size or fit in with anything,” she told us.
"Whenever we’re in the gym she potters about with us, she loves it, and she always says, ‘Mummy, look at my muscles’. But at the same time we have a pizza every Friday night and she loves that as well. If she wants an ice cream on a Sunday walk, she can have one. We’re not strict with her, we just try and explain to her why she has to eat her vegetables with her chicken nuggets and why she can’t have ice cream every day and hopefully she’s going to grow up knowing that."
This weekend Gemma will be taking what she shares with her millions of followers with her as she takes part in the Manchester Wellbeing Festival. The event will feature some of the biggest names in wellness, with classes to move our bodies and talks to stimulate our minds.
Gemma will be on hand to share her fitness advice on how to feel stronger, healthier, more confident, and comfortable in your own body on Saturday, June 11, at Manchester Central with the likes of reality star Vicky Pattison, Love Island’s Dr Alex George, and DJ Fat Tony.
"I was asked to be there being Mancunion for a start and for me, I’m there promoting my book but I’m going to be on stage doing a chat all things health and wellness and for me, I’m excited to be in room with everyone who has clearly got the same priorities when it comes to health. It’s going to be great for me. I’m hoping to learn some things as well and spend a day with like-minded people."
When we asked Gemma what wellness means to her, the 37-year-old said: “For me, I go off my energy levels and how I feel day to day getting work done, making sure my family is in the right place, making sure the dogs are walked, my schedules done… it’s not necessarily a number on a scale or a specific size jean. It’s what makes me feel good, what gets me up in the morning without feeling sluggish or groggy.”
She added: "For me, it’s just fueling my body with good nutrition and fueling it regularly. That’s the way it works. There’s no magic potion or anything. It’s all about treating your body well and it repays you by making you feel great."
Gemma will be talking at the Manchester Wellbeing Festival on Sunday, June 11. Tickets can be found here. Gemma's book, The Ultimate Body Plan for New Mums: 12 Weeks to Finding You Again, is out now.
