Gladiators star and former Olympian Montell Douglas – a self-proclaimed “queen of reinvention” – impressed us with her ballroom moves on the latest season of Strictly Come Dancing and believes that embracing new experiences is key to building both confidence and strength.“I’m the queen of reinvention, I love to try new things,” says the 39-year-old. “For me, I feel strong when I’ve just gone and tried something new for the first time. I think it gives you that vitality of life and helps keep my mind fresh.”
The athlete competed in the 100m at Beijing 2008 as well as part of the bobsleigh team at Beijing 2022 – making her the first British woman to compete in different sports at both the Olympic summer and winter games.
But now Douglas – now known as Fire on BBC One’s Gladiators – says she finds her greatest strength in the simple, everyday moments.
“Strength to me is definitely a feeling opposed to me doing something. I feel at my strongest when I am doing what I love and am able to function really competently in my daily life,” shares Douglas, who was partnered with professional dancer Johannes Radebe on Strictly. “I am at my strongest when I feel like my day-to-day lifestyle is seamless, like when I am sleeping better and I’m eating better.
“So, being strong allows me to be able to be my best self in my daily life. Just doing everyday activities without feeling pain, for me, is the key for everything.”
Douglas has now joined forces with Holland & Barrett for a new campaign encouraging lifelong strength and is using her platform to push back against gender stereotypes tied to strength and training.
“Strength can feel like quite a masculine word, so many women might be scared to go to the gym and build muscle, but you need muscle to do every single thing in your life,” notes Douglas. “You need it to be able to pick up a bottle or to get into your car. Strength doesn’t have to be about gender, it can just help you feel stronger and better in yourself.”
As she nears her 40s, Douglas has become increasingly aware of the vital role that muscle maintenance plays in overall health.
“As we get older, everybody begins to lose muscle mass and I am very aware of that now I am approaching my forties,” says Douglas. “The stronger that you are, the fitter and healthier you are and you can have a higher quality of life.”
New research from Holland & Barrett found that one in four of the 2,000 Brits surveyed felt inspired to be more active after watching TV shows. Yet, 17% reported experiencing joint aches and pains as early as their 20s.
The study also highlighted the wider impact of pain, with 40% saying it disrupted their work, 30% noting a decline in mood, 26% reporting reduced confidence, and 24% feeling its effect on their social life.
In light of these statistics, Douglas has shared the following tips for developing strength at any age.
Do something you love
“If you do something that you love, you are more likely to keep it up,” says Douglas. “So, don’t always feel like you have to fit or follow the status quo and join a gym because it can be quite daunting if you have never lifted a dumbbell in your life.
“It can be anything that you want to do, something more out the box. For example, I really like rollerskating.”
Listen to your body
“Your body will be doing a lot of talking, it’s up to you to listen,” says Douglas. “Pushing through discomfort is a part of growth, but there’s a difference between a challenge and a warning sign. Fatigue, persistent aches and sharp pain could all be signs to slow down, adjust or rest.
“A lot of people over-push at the beginning thinking they haven’t done too much, and then they can’t walk for a week and then that derails your consistency. It doesn’t have to be hard to be effective.”
Be intentional
“It’s about being intentional,” says Douglas. “I spoke to a woman the other day and she said that she has started being more intentional about taking the stairs rather than the lift at work and that’s a great option to get her steps up.”Fuel your body
“When you are first starting out, nutrition and hydration is more important than the movement itself,” emphasises Douglas. “Before you even set foot in the gym, start drinking water.
“Even the week before, start getting your body prepared for the activity because if you haven’t been intentional with that you will go and spike your movement level massively and your body might not like the demand.
“It will need more electrolytes, more fuel, because you are burning more salt, you’ll need more protein for muscle repair and you’ll need more carbs for energy.”
Remember to stretch
“No one really likes stretching and people really like to skim it and don’t think it is a proper part of a workout,” recognises Douglas. “But it is a key part because it prepares your body for the workout.
“If your body is not prepared for the activity, you are putting yourself in a position where you could get injured.”
Prioritise sleep
“You don’t actually repair muscles or advance your body unless you sleep,” she says. “That is when you get the most gains. If you are not sleeping you are diminishing your results. All the gains don’t happen in the gym, they happen when you are away from it.”
It was during Strictly that she truly came to appreciate how vital sleep is.
“During Strictly between Monday and Tuesday every week I was a completely different dancer, and it was mainly because I had slept on it,” recollects Douglas. “Once I had gone to sleep and woken up all the neurons in my body were firing differently and I just knew stuff that I couldn’t do the day before and it was because my body had recovered in the night time.”
Enjoy your own journey
“Strength isn’t just about hitting targets – it’s about the process of getting there,” says Douglas. “Enjoy the small wins, the lessons and the experiences along the way.
“Your journey is unique to you and comparing it to someone else’s will only take away from your progress.”
Holland & Barrett has trained experts in store and free 15-minute consultations available online with joint, bone and muscle specialists to provide nutrition and lifestyle advice.
