Helen Skelton says exercise is about wellbeing not appearance

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 15 Nov, 13:56 · Archive

TV presenter Helen Skelton says she exercises for mental health rather than looks and is training for next year's Great North Run.

TV presenter Helen Skelton has said she exercises for wellbeing rather than appearance while living in Cumbria with her three children. The former Blue Peter star returned to her home county and now lives there with her family.

The 43-year-old BBC Morning Live presenter is currently training for next year's Great North Run. She runs several times a week, hikes regularly in the Lake District, plays golf and swims. She has previously completed a 78-mile Namibian ultra marathon and kayaked the length of the Amazon River.

Skelton said she needs a goal to stay motivated. 'I do it for me – you've got to enjoy it. I can't just go to the gym for going to the gym's sake. I'm the kind of person that needs to have something to train for,' she said. She also noted that she prefers shorter training schedules than many endurance athletes, often deciding to attempt challenges just eleven weeks before doing so.

As well as preparing for the Great North Run, Skelton is encouraging families to get outdoors through guided community hikes with Go Outdoors. She recently joined a family-friendly walk from Yew Tree Farm, one of Beatrix Potter's former properties in the Lake District, to mark the author's 160th birthday.

Skelton admitted that convincing her children to join her outdoor activities is not always straightforward. She joked that getting them to participate 'is not without coercion and control'.

How it is being reported

• Helen Skelton shares joys of outdoor life in CumbriaTV presenter Helen Skelton has revealed she never works out for appearance's sake, insisting exercise is about wellbeing rather than looks while enjoying life in Cumbria with her three children.NW Evening Mail · 15 Nov, 13:21
• Helen Skelton shares joys of outdoor life in CumbriaTV presenter Helen Skelton has revealed she never works out for appearance's sake, insisting exercise is about wellbeing rather than looks while enjoying life in Cumbria with her three children.News & Star · 15 Nov, 13:21
• Helen Skelton shares joys of outdoor life in CumbriaTV presenter Helen Skelton has revealed she never works out for appearance's sake, insisting exercise is about wellbeing rather than looks while enjoying life in Cumbria with her three children.Westmorland Gazette · 15 Nov, 13:21

In this story: Helen Skelton · BBC · Cumbria · Lake District · Go Outdoors · Great North Run · Beatrix Potter

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