Strictly doctor on how dancing was 'the best thing I’ve done for my health’

Ian West/PA

By Lisa Salmon, PA Media

The TV GP Dr Punam Krishan has spoken about how good dancing has been for her health.

The resident doctor on the BBC’s Morning Live show, who also works full-time as an NHS GP, took part in the last series of Strictly Come Dancing, and says it had a huge positive impact on her health and fitness, as well as being a fantastic experience.

“It’s been the best fitness journey of my life, hands down,” she said.

“At first I was a bit anxious and I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but the training is so physical, and the dancing, and I was loving it. I’m more toned than I’ve ever been, and I had so much more energy as a result.

“And of course, there’s the mental wellbeing aspect as well – there’s mental fitness that you get as a result of dancing, and it brings so much joy. So all round, I think it was the best thing I’ve done for my health and fitness in my life.”

She says her two children – 11-year-old son Aarish, and daughter Ellora, aged 4 – loved her being on Strictly.

“My son and I have always watched Strictly together, and over the years he’d say ‘I can imagine you doing that one day mummy’, and I used to just laugh at him. But, of course, the joy in him when I told him that his mummy was going to do Strictly – it was just amazing to watch.

“So it felt like for a few months it wasn’t just a journey that I went on, the whole family went on it together, and they loved it.”

Krishan, 41, became the fifth contestant to be eliminated from the show at the end of October, but she was delighted that blind comedian Chris McCausland was the eventual winner.

Krishan and Strictly dance partner Gorka Marquez. Credit: Ian West/PA

“I really connected with Chris during Strictly,” she said.

“He’s such a genuine guy, a lovely, lovely man. And I think what he did through dance was inspire so many of us to believe that you really can achieve anything you set your mind to, and nothing is impossible.

“So I’m just delighted, I think he absolutely deserved to win.”

Krishan, who’s married to the Scottish Conservative MSP Sandesh Gulhane, used her own Strictly experience to keep on track with her fitness, and as well as starting the Couch to 5k challenge, she’s also enjoying weekly jazz heels dance classes.

“I think it’s been the kickstart I needed,” she reflects.

“I’m a full-time working GP with two young children and I don’t have a huge amount of time – or that’s been my excuse over the last decade, when trying to find time to go to a gym class or whatever has been really difficult.

“But I’m an active person, and doing Strictly was the real boost I needed. It’s given me that need to exercise because it makes me feel so much better about myself – I feel I’ve got more energy and I’m actually carving out time, because I know I do have it.”

As well as dancing and running, Krishan enjoys going for long walks with the family dog, while listening to motivational podcasts.

“I just feel that protecting your mental health is the most important thing you can do, because if that’s in check, then everything else follows.

“All your decisions follow on from positive mental health, and it’s not easy. It’s something we’ve all got to work hard at – and I’m not immune to that either.”

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