Famed for being one sixth of the pussycat Dolls, Kimberly Wyatt is fitter than ever. Here, she tells BESTFIT how…

The Pussycat Girls were extremely fit… strong, powerful, flexible and nimble. Reaching level of fitness must have involved a lot of hard work!

I always saw it as a job and my ethos in life really is you get out what you put in. Yes it was tough, but it was also amazing. Being in a group of girls meant that I had a gang of ‘sisters’ around me at all times so we all helped each other, especially in the gym; training together was a real incentive.

Dancing is harder than people think, particularly when you have to sing as well… how did you find it?

Our choreography was fantastic and our performances were worked out so that we could breathe as well as sing with big dance breaks throughout. Yet as is everything worth the struggle… it was tough.

You still dance… what are your favourite moves for killer abs?

I will always dance – in fact, I have just built my own dance studio, which I cant wait to get in and use everyday. For killer abs, it’s all about repetition, consistency and trying new things to make sure you get results. Calisthenics training has been instrumental in waking up core muscles and building even better strength throughout.

Were you keen on keeping fit when you were growing up, or was it becoming a Pussycat Doll that ignited that passion?

I have been dancing from the age of 7, so fitness has always been a way of life and still is.

Did you enjoy the training? Were any of the girls lazier than others? Or was there anything you hated doing?

We all worked out together, so enjoyed it and the hours of dance rehearsals kept us all in shape. As the serious dancer of the group, my training was crucial to make certain I nailed every move and held every leg tilt without fail. The only thing I ever hated was not doing my very best. I’m a bit of a perfectionist in that regard and the drive to attain my potential each night on stage kept me driven to keep pushing harder.

Is it hard maintaining that body without the exercise regime you would have had as a pop star, and as you get older?

I have had a child, so your body changes anyway, but your training changes too – I now don’t have the time for hours in the gym, so I make the time that I have count and do HITT training and calisthenics… maximum effort with maximum results, I love it.

How often do you train now?

I try to dance or train at least three times a week but I am very active with my family. We swim together, train, walk the dogs, dance, and do calisthenics together. I always get excited to have opportunities to perform because it means I have a goal and the dance obsession to do my best on stage kicks in and the fitness levels increase. Four to six hours of dance a day is certain to get me in my best shape!

Is calisthenics responsible for how toned you are?

It’s dancing and calisthenics – I train alongside my husband where possible and we support each other. Dancing and jogging keeps my cardio up and yoga and calisthenics help build and tone the entire body. But it’s never about what I look like, rather what I feel like and what I can achieve.

Do you and your husband enjoy working out together?

It’s nice having a date day in the gym rooting each other on. Probably the best thing for us as a married couple! Train together, stay together, is our motto.
My family is my life. Max and I are a team and support each other’s need for fitness. Nap times are essential for workouts and getting our baby girl involved makes it fun for all of us. She’s already hanging on the rings, doing push ups, and dancing with us. She thinks it’s playtime, which is exactly what we hoped!

You’ve done a triathlon too. Did you have to alter your approach when it came to training for that? And will you do another?

Yes, I trained. I swam outdoors, rode my bike and ran – it was very tough, especially swimming in freezing water with such a buoyant wetsuit. I don’t know if I will do another: never say never!

What role does GEN P play in your lifestyle and how do you incorporate the range in to your daily routine?

I have a very busy schedule with family, work and keeping fit so GEN P helps me get the protein I need after training or when I’m rushing around. I usually have a 3-Way Blend shake in the morning and a Protein Milk after my training sessions.

How important is eating healthily to you? And how easy was it to eat well when you were on tour… your meal times must have been hugely out of sync?

While on tour it was very difficult to eat healthy! Luckily the show was such a huge workout that we could get away with lack of dietary support. I ate lots of fruit, veg, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Finding a good meal at every hotel was almost impossible, so a club sandwich was a consistent go-to and I’d remove the bread. Now, I keep GEN P bars in my bag for a quick protein fix on the move. I also love the Strawberry Punch milk, so I’ll have one straight after my workout if I haven’t got time to make up a shake.

Did you ever still feel under any pressure, being in the entertainment industry, to look a certain way?

Always! If I would have acted on the pressures I would probably have had a nose job, lip injections, boob job, laser treatments, botox, and spend most of my life in the gym and eating tiny meals made of air. But I love my life, I’m proud of who I am and I do my best to take a stand against those pressures. Fitness for me isn’t about what I look like; it’s about what I can achieve, what I can do, and how I feel. Fitness is the best anti-depressant when all those pressures start taking over! It’s a weekly battle to be confident enough to just be me.

Do you have any dietary weak spots?

I love chocolate, so the GEN P Chocolate Caramel bars are my saviour when my sweet-tooth kicks in – a guilt-free chocolate bar!

Music has and is an important part of your life… so what music do you listen to when exercising?

Twenty One Pilots, Ed Sheeran, Agnes Obel, Cinematic Orchestra, Hudson Mohawk, Robyn, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Lou Reed… the list goes on and on! I love all sorts of music.

You were back in shape within a couple of months of giving birth. How did you do that?

I listened to my body and only went as hard as it would allow. I did a lot of Pilates – yoga-inspired movement with bands, and I firmly believe that staying active through the pregnancy was crucial. It takes time for the abs separation from growing a big tummy to come back together and it’s imperative not to push too hard. Pelvic Floor exercise is the best new knowledge I learned throughout.

Hot yoga forms a big part of your regime now. Why is that?

I’m a flexible dancer and Hot Yoga warms up the muscles and allows me to stretch through them easily while building core and inner muscles and squeezing out all the toxins of the organs. But most importantly it helps me let go of mental anguish. The psoas muscle is the muscle of the soul and hot yoga helps me focus on this and relieve anxieties and stresses.

Kimberly is an ambassador for GEN p, a new protein supplement brand tailored to women who do High Intensity Training, available exclusively at Boots and www.gen-p.com.