Bear Grylls understands as well as appreciates both physical and mental fitness. Being an adventurer, survivalist, and outdoors enthusiast it is certainly sort of implied.
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While he may not say it, being an Emmy Winning Host makes appearance and fitness also sort of. . . a job requirement.
What he will say is that it is important to have good people to support you and workout with. It’s also beneficial to have a routine that you like to follow.
“I work out in the community with my military veterans fitness company, where vets run the training sessions—half of my training is that,” Grylls told GQ Magazine recently. “The other half is weights. I don’t run much now. I play touch tennis, for cardio, and three good weight sessions a week, 30 or 40 minutes.”
No. That is not it. You thought it would be that easy? Grylls has so much more to his routine. He has to. The 48 year-old father of three, husband and author must do more now than ever to remain at his peak.
“I’ll do a yoga session once a week, and stretch 15 minutes to start the day. I swim 500 meters on non weight days,” Grylls has more. “I started a thing a year ago where before weights I do 25 pull-ups, 50 press-ups, 75 squats and 100 sit-ups. It’s 10 minutes, and I’ve gotten really good at it. When I was in the military, I could do max 15, now I do 25 pull-ups with a weighted vest routinely.”
I am telling myself that I don’t have to do all of that stuff to stay in shape. I mean I could if I was on tv. Right? Sure.
Grylls understands the pressures of his job — which happens to also be the thing he is passionate about. He recently made a secret mission into Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The rigors of being on an adventure as well as the additional requirements for television production forced adjustments to how he previously approached fitness.
“I’m always tired at the end of Running Wild. There’s a lot of concentration involved in guiding people. You’re in a difficult place, carrying weight on your back,” he told GQ. “But I find my training isn’t crazy. It keeps my bones and muscles strong, and the swimming and stretching keeps me flexible. I don’t need the endurance. That’s not the job. It’s more about strength, flexibility for the long term.”
So, see. If you are not on television you don’t have to do all of that either. So long as you can do all of it, you know, eventually.
