This month, TV presenting legend Michaela Strachan has been busy touring the UK with her show Not Just A Wild Life to celebrate turning 60 and 40 years on screen – reflecting on her work across 50 different series during that time. From hosting children’s TV shows to becoming one of the most loved wildlife presenters, Michaela has already been on a wealth of adventures – and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
‘I’ve been charged by elephants in Africa; bitten on the face by a lemur with rabies in Madagascar; and chased by a buffalo in Africa. I was four months pregnant and escaped by climbing onto a brick barbecue,’ she recently told Saga.
However, despite living an active, healthy lifestyle, Michaela has faced several health challenges over the years. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 following a routine mammogram and underwent a double mastectomy as part of the treatment. At the time, Michaela told the BBC she’d felt unsure about publicly discussing it, not wanting to be ‘labelled’, particularly after having struggled with anorexia as a teenager: ‘For years, I’ve carried the label “ex-anorexic”; no doubt that will now change to “breast cancer patient”. But we all have challenges to face in our lives. We all have curve balls thrown at us,’ she said, before explaining that she wanted to share her experience to encourage other women to have regular checks – ‘If I’d put mine off, my story could have been a very different one.’
Now, she sees every year as even more of a bonus. ‘Half my friends are saying, “Oh no, we are 60”. The other half are like me and have had a cancer scare and are cheering, “Great! We are 60!”,’ Michaela revealed in her Saga interview.
Have her health challenges changed the way she views fitness and exercise? ‘Body confidence-wise, I suffered from anorexia when I was a teenager, and since then, I’ve been very into, “Let’s just be fit, let’s look after my body.” I’m not a health freak, but I eat pretty well. I’m not a heavy drinker. I’m quite a disciplined morning exercise person – hiking makes me happy,’ Michaela recently told Radio Times.
Instagram / @strachan.michaela
Hiking is an integral part of Michaela’s fitness routine
Michaela’s weekly fitness routine
Considering her chosen career, it’s unsurprising that Michaela embraces exercising in the Great Outdoors. Her 60th birthday plans? ‘Swimming in a dam, hiking with friends and then sundowners on top of a mountain,’ she told Saga. ‘I’ve never been a gym bunny but I do yoga and Pilates, train with weights and go on two hikes a week.’
And if longevity has always been the foundation of Michaela’s workouts, it’s even more so now following her Dancing on Ice stint – on which she came second. ‘I was really toned and fit after ITV’s Dancing On Ice, but sustained an injury three days before the final while doing a lift. I later discovered I’d torn my hamstring and glutes, so I’ve needed physio and rehab to recover.’
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.