Sally Nugent, the famous BBC Breakfast host, impresses her fans and viewers with her fitness and healthy physique every time she appears on TV. People must be thinking she's following an intense workout routine to look that way. But in reality, due to her busy schedule, she hardly gets time to hit the gym regularly.

So, how does Nugent stay fit even at 54? Her longtime personal trainer, Nicky McBurney, revealed the secret in Women's Health's March 6 article.

According to McBurney, “Fifteen years ago, like many women, Sally’s training was far more cardio-focused – lots of high-intensity sessions, burpees, and chasing calorie burn. Today, the focus is completely different, because as we get older, we need a different approach.”

According to her trainer, Nugent still does cardio sometimes, but she mainly focuses on:

HIIT and strength-based training

McBurney added that Nugent has adopted a strength-based training routine that will help her:

• Supporting bone density
• Building muscle
• Hormonal balance and protect metabolism

Apart from that, the BBC Breakfast host's HIIT routine mainly includes bike rides, daily walking, and gentle jogging.

According to the personal trainer, “High-intensity interval training absolutely has benefits, but for women over 45, especially those in demanding careers, layering intense training on top of chronic stress can elevate cortisol levels further,” and it helps in:

• Recovery
• Change the fat storage pattern
• Improving sleep quality

This helps Nugent decrease her stress after a busy day.

Apart from that, the PT also discussed some workouts that the mother of one never skips.

Workouts that Sally Nugent always follows

Nugent follows these 3 workouts and performs each for 40 seconds. After that, she rests for 20 seconds and then continues with the same exercises. The whole cycle runs 3 times. The 3 workouts are:

• Dead Bugs
• Side Planks
• Mountain climbers

These core workouts are very important to the host because, according to her PT, they help her build longevity.

McBurney said, “As women move through different life stages, deep core strength becomes essential for long-term mobility and confidence.” These workouts help the host protect her spine, improve her lifting power, improve her stability and balance, reduce injury risk, and improve her posture.

McBurney also shared the weekly workout routine that helps Nugent stay healthy and fit.

Sally Nugent’s weekly exercise routine

A standard daily workout routine for Nugent is mainly 30 minutes, so she can consistently follow it without burning out. Her weekly routine includes:

• Monday: 30-minute walk using an interval approach. For instance, she alternates between 30 seconds of moderate-paced walking and 30 seconds of fast-paced walking.
• Tuesday: According to her trainer, her Tuesday includes “a 30-minute upper-body strength session from my online platform focusing on either arms, shoulders, chest, or back.”
• Wednesday: This is the rest-and-recovery day, mostly consisting of light stretching and meditation.
• Thursday: On this day, she focuses on 30 minutes of core and lower-body strength exercises, including lunges, squats, and deadlifts.
• Friday: According to McBurney, her Friday includes “a 30-minute EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) workout from my online platform. This is usually full-body compound movements to finish the week strong.”

On weekends, the host and her trainer go for a nearly 3-mile walk, and sometimes they run depending on their bodies’ condition. Sometimes, the BBC host adds yoga to her routine.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil