Friday, 3 November 2006

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Emma Bunton: Dancing has shaped me up

Her secret is stepping out – not dieting

Ex-Spice Girls singer Emma Bunton, 30, looks fantastic but she hasn't been on a diet. It's all thanks to a healthy eating regime coupled with lots of her favourite exercise – dancing.

Like Catherine Zeta Jones, who shed her pregnancy pounds and got back to a size 10 by dancing every day, Emma has managed to shape up by doing what she loves best.

'I've always said that dancing is good exercise,' she says.

You don't have to use a treadmill

'If you find something you really enjoy, then that's the best way to keep fit. You have to make exercise fun. Go to a class or find an activity you enjoy.

'I also walk instead of taking the car when I go shopping. Even little things like that help. You don't have to go on a running machine for hours on end.

'It's about tweaking your lifestyle. For example, I do sit-ups in front of the football. I get so excited that I have to do something, so I do them while I'm watching the match.'

Emma had a running machine in her bedroom, but she never used it.

'Now it's been moved to another room and I don't think it even works any more,' she grins.

But she does try to run for at least 20 minutes at a time if she thinks she's putting on the pounds: 'I prefer to go to my gym, put my music on and run there.'

I don't do faddy diets

As for her eating habits, she says she makes a conscious effort to eat well. She's not a fan of diets or the faddy eating plans followed by many celebs.

'It would take me three hours longer to do the shopping if I followed any of those,' she jokes. 'I can't be doing with that!

'When I'm in Italy I eat a lot of pasta, which is my favourite food.

'I don't believe in banning treats – people should eat them in moderation. For me, healthy eating means having fruit for breakfast and eating more veg.'

There's pressure on celebs to be thin

Unlike her former Spice Girls bandmates Geri Halliwell, Mel C and Victoria Beckham, Emma's weight has never fluctuated drastically and she's never been ultra-skinny.

Mel and Geri have both since confessed to having suffered from eating disorders and Emma now thinks there's even more pressure on female celebrities to be unnaturally thin.

'I do think it's even more difficult to be in the public eye these days. In the Spice Girls days we never had people taking pictures up our skirts and having a go at us about cellulite.

Things have got worse over the years. More than ever before, celebs are expected to look a certain way.

'I'm lucky – myself, my family and my friends are all confident and happy. We refuse to fret about weight. Worrying makes things worse, to be honest.

'There is pressure on women in this business, so having friends who don't move in showbiz circles helps.

True friends keep me grounded

'I've known my oldest friend since I was four and we love going out for lunch or sitting on the bed, watching movies and eating chocolate.

'My friends and family have kept me grounded and normal. But I do understand the other side and I have to balance it out.

'I'm just like any other girl. I look in the mirror and think: "God, I've got a bit of cellulite!" - things like that. Sometimes there's a great photo of me and sometimes there are bad ones.

'I'm happy with the way I look now, but I've always been happy inside and I think that shows.

'I do train and work out if I ever feel like I've overdone it on the cakes. But it's just a case of balancing everything out.

'As long as I feel good about myself, that's the main thing.'

I am content with myself

Emma reveals that she's a big fan of reflexology and holistic therapies. She's lucky enough to have her own therapist virtually on tap.

'My mum does reflexology for me. I try not to stick my feet out every time I see her! I often use reflexology. It's fabulous. I'm into all that healing and holistic stuff. I think it balances you and keeps you from getting too stressed.'

Paula Jones