Josie Gibson shared a video on Instagram of her working hard in the gym earlier this year, inspiring her legion of loyal followers to embrace working out on their own terms. "I was diagnosed with lipodema last year, which I always knew anyway. So the fight is real, as my body retains fat unlike a normal body should," the This Morning presenter, 41, explained, captioning the reel.
"I have been working out more, and here is a circuit I completed at the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket gym. I would love to build a gym like this. Gyms can be intimidating sometimes, but we are all there for the same reason, and I love getting stuck into my own little circuits."
Inside Josie's workout routine
Josie, who recently lost five stone in six months, also revealed her workout routine. She runs for 500 metres on the treadmill before a round of weights, completing three sets of 20 reps. Her weights routine includes dumbbell squats (bending in a goblet position while holding a dumbbell), Swiss ball hamstring curls (lying on your back and raising up using a ball), and lat pulldowns to strengthen the side back muscles.
© Getty Images for BAFTAIt's a short but intense style of working out that gets the seal of approval from personal trainer and the founder of Power of Mum fitness, Nicole Chapman.
"What I like about Josie Gibson’s routine is that it uses short bursts of cardio alongside strength training, which is a very effective way to train when time is limited," the PT tells us.
"That initial 500m run, especially if done at pace, falls into what we would classify as high-intensity interval training. It quickly elevates heart rate, challenges cardiovascular fitness, and increases energy demand early in the session."
The benefits of incorporating strength work
Nicole explains that going straight into strength work after that is where it really works: "You are moving from a cardiovascular challenge into muscular work while the body is already under load, which keeps intensity high without needing long sessions."
© Instagram/ @josiegibson85Adding to the effectiveness of this is the star's choice to keep rest periods minimal. "It keeps the heart rate elevated throughout and means you are getting more work done in a shorter space of time," says Nicole.
A common misconception
The personal trainer is also keen to dispel a myth about high-intensity workouts like Josie's. "High intensity does not need to mean high impact. It simply means working close to your maximum effort for the exercise you are doing, whether that is running, weights, or controlled strength work," she says.
© Getty Images for the NTA's"Overall, it is a simple but very effective approach. It is time-efficient, keeps intensity high, and fits around real life, which is what most people need to stay consistent."
