Tess Daly has shared the exact exercises she uses to build upper-body strength — and they’re far more accessible than you might think.
The former Strictly presenter gave fans a glimpse into her routine while debuting her new activewear collection, Naia Active, running through a series of strength moves in a brightly lit mirrored studio.
Opening with staggered-stance bicep curls, the 57-year-old targeted her biceps, shoulders and forearms. By placing one foot in front of the other, she reduced momentum and forced her muscles to do the work, while also challenging her core stability and anti-rotation strength.
She then switched to a half-kneeling bicep curl — a simple tweak that upped the intensity. By removing support from the lower body, the variation forced her torso to stay stable and prevented any swinging, keeping the focus firmly on the arms while building balance and core control.
Next up: the bird-dog row. Starting on hands and knees, Tess extended one leg behind her while rowing a weight towards her waist. The move works the back, core and posterior chain, hitting muscles including the lats, rhomboids and trapezius, while training the body to resist twisting through the hips.
She finished with strict overhead presses, again using both staggered-stance and kneeling positions. Both variations target the shoulders, with the triceps assisting, but the kneeling version demands greater core engagement to stay upright, while the staggered stance offers a little more balance support.
‘It’s not a workout if it’s not in NAIA Active,’ she said, wearing matching pieces from her collection. ‘I’m the co-founder of NAIA Beach,’ she added.
‘Came for a workout and stayed for a stretch – small moments in the day to reset. Sometimes it’s a workout, sometimes it’s a walk, sometimes it’s literally just taking a minute to stretch and slow down,’ she said.
Tess Daly’s current fitness routine
These days, Tess is less focused on intensity and more on consistency. Her workouts often start with a dance, she told Women’s Health.
‘I put the music on really loud and just dance like a madwoman. No one can see me,’ she said. ‘I’ve got my arms in the air, I get my knees up – I’m just jumping around, making shapes, looking ridiculous.’
Once she’s warmed up, she moves onto rebounding. ‘Bouncing up and down gets the endorphins going – it’s the best wake-up,’ she added. ‘If I do a minute on, a minute off, for just three minutes, I feel energised and awake.’
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