Fleur East reveals the tricks to how she keeps fit WITHOUT going to the gym
- Fitness fan Fleur is the face of Puma's new #CrossTheLine campaign
- The 28-year-old says it was her dad who first got her into healthy living
- X Factor star says she used to do sit-ups every morning with her sister
During her time on the X Factor, her abs of steel commanded almost as much attention as her frenetic on-stage performances.
And two years after the show first propelled her into the spotlight, Fleur East admits that while the attention was 'flattering', her time on the talent contest feels like a million years ago.
'I love that show,' the 28-year-old told FEMAIL. 'When I watch it I still get the same feelings, I still get really nervous watching them.
Fleur East made the X Factor final in 2014 and two years later she is carving out a solo career
'When it comes to those moments when they do the verdicts, it all comes back.'
But if Fleur's time on the show was challenging, the chart-topping R&B star's new lifestyle sounds nothing short of exhausting.
Since releasing her debut album, Love Sax and Flashbacks, in December 2015, she has been busy flying between London and LA, where she is working on her second record, performing gigs around the UK, and working on her own Lipsy fashion collaboration.
On top of that she squeezes in time with her family when she can, and of course, with her boyfriend, French designer Marcel Robin.
Fleur has spoken in the past about struggling to fit everyone in - but says she is now learning to make it work.
'Fitness has always been an important part of my life, from a young age': Fleur says it was her father who got her into fitness, and she used to do sit-ups with her sister every morning
'I think I’ve learned to be more spontaneous,' she explained. 'If I’ve just landed from somewhere, rather than just go home I’ll turn up at my mother’s house or I’ll go to see my dad.
'I found it hard in the beginning to get used to the new, crazy schedule but now I just know that whenever I have a moment I’ll just fit everybody in; so everybody’s used to it now.'
Her most recent project, a campaign wit Puma called #CrossTheLine, aims to help people explore their inner athlete - something Fleur knows a thing or two about.
'Fitness has been an important part of my life from a young age,' she said.
Busy lady: Although Fleur's toned arms and enviable six-pack have become the stuff of legend, she admits she struggles to shoehorn exercise into her packed timetable
Fleur admits that it can be hard to feel motivated when she's jet-lagged after a long day at the studio, 'but I still try to keep on top of it as much as possible'
'My dad instilled in my sister [Keshia] and I the importance of healthy eating and healthy living. We used to wake up in the morning and do some sit-ups before we’d even brushed our teeth!'
At school Fleur joined a netball team and excelled in the 200m sprint, then, at college, she got into dancing.
These days, although her toned arms and six-pack have become the stuff of legend, she admits she struggles to shoehorn exercise into her packed timetable.
'To be honest, my schedule is so unpredictable that I haven’t been able to stick to [the gym] as much as I used to,' she said.
Instead, she'll do home workouts on her laptop: 'If I’m in a hotel, I'll just train in my room. I do body weight training, circuits and squats.'
Two years after appearing on the X Factor, Fleur admits that while the attention was 'flattering', it now feels like a million years ago (pictured at the X Factor Live Tour in 2015)
Fleur's first X Factor appearance came in 2005, when she made up one quarter of girl band Addictiv Ladies - the first act to be voted off the live shows (Fleur is pictured second right)
She admits that it can be hard to feel motivated when she's jet-lagged after a long day at the studio, but 'I still try to keep on top of it as much as possible.
'Some mornings I’ve just rolled out of my bed and I’ve just gone to my laptop, pressed play and then I’m like right, OK, I’m in the mode.'
To anyone suffering from a case of 'gymtimidation', Fleur's advice would be: 'Just get over that first hurdle.
'You think, I can’t be bothered - but once you get into the routine and once you start seeing results, you immediately feel more confident.
'That will be your motivation; that’s all you need. Everybody has their vice and there are so many addictions in life, and fitness cannot be a bad one.'
To anyone suffering from a case of 'gymtimidation', Fleur's advice would be: 'Just get over that first hurdle. 'I think once you get that feeling, that will be your motivation'
Her next step? Working on her second album, which she says will have a 'touch of the throwback' but will be more 'modern-sounding than her first, which has sold over 100,000 copies to date.
'I’ve just got back from LA with some great songs, so I’m so excited,' said Fleur, who once spoke of her 'despair' after losing out to fellow contestant Ben Haenow on the X Factor and the chance to bag a recording contract.
'My debut single Sax is still doing really well so that's amazing, I feel like that's an amazing achievement. But I feel like now is the time for some music, I’m definitely eager to get it out there.'
Die-hard fans will remember that Fleur's first X Factor appearance actually came in 2005, when she made up one quarter of girl band Addictiv Ladies - the first act to be voted off the live shows. Nine years later, Fleur's solo entry - as well as her enviable athletic figure - became a household name.
Fleur says her next album will have a 'touch of the throwback' but will be more 'modern-sounding than her first, which has sold over 100,000 copies to date
Speaking of her younger fans, Fleur says: 'It does put a certain amount of pressure on me because then I feel that people are looking up to me, I have to set an example in a way'
Does she look back at her time on the show - and Ab-gate - fondly? 'I’d never been on a platform in that way before, so I’d never had that exposure,' she said.
'I didn’t even realise it would be a talking point. So it surprised me, but then I thought, oh well - obviously all the hard work has paid off!
'I think I naturally put pressure on myself anyway, but since I’ve been off the X Factor, and I‘ve released my own music, I get a lot of messages from fans and supporters online saying that I'm an inspiration.
'It does put a certain amount of pressure on me because then I feel that people are looking up to me, I have to set an example in a way. But I don’t mind that. I like to be a positive example.'
Fleur East trained with @PUMATraining trainer @jaycopley in preparation for taking to the stage at V this weekend. Training in PUMA Ignite Duals watch Fleur in action at instagram.com/fleureast. Shop Fleur's outfit at puma.com and follow @PUMARunning to view the collections.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3736378/Fleur-East-admits-s-fitness-junkie.html#ixzz4HZzW1rnA
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook