At the age of 64, Susannah Constantine is feeling healthier and happier with her body than ever before.
The TV presenter who was best known for advising people on their style choices with her pal Trinny Woodall in the BBC’s What Not to Wear in the Noughties, says: "I’m very happy with the way my body is at the moment in terms of how healthy it’s feeling, how effectively it’s working.
"I’m happier and more comfortable in myself than I’ve ever been. I’ve reached a point where I don’t want to fight my body or feel uncomfortable for the sake of fashion."
But in her characteristicly blunt way, she adds: "I’m not happy about this extra layer I can do nothing about" – adding, that it’s "an age thing".
The mother-of-three keeps herself healthy by open-water swimming and running, although she stresses she does it for her mind, rather than her body, explaining: "My main thing is running – I probably run about 25 miles a week, and I do that for my head."
She also swears by using breathing techniques to steady herself, and says: "The other thing I do religiously is the Wim Hof breathing technique [using breath-holds to reduce stress].
"It sort of stills the nervous system. I’m not quite sure about the science, but during the pandemic I started to get into the breathing, because I wake up every morning with anxiety, and it’s the one thing that gets rid of that.
"I do it lying in bed. I’m fundamentally a very lazy person, so the more often I can lie horizontal, the better."
In 2020, Constantine revealed she was an alcoholic and had been in recovery for seven years, and proudly says she’s now 14 years sober.
But quitting alcohol isn’t the only thing that’s improved her life – she gave up sugar in February after not feeling right for some time, and can hardly believe how much better it’s made her feel.
"For a year, I thought I was a total imbecile – my brain just wasn’t working, and I was low-level depressed," she recalls. "And I was doing all the things I thought I should do – eating healthily, running, but I couldn’t shake it."
Then a nutritionist told her her body was inflamed through sugar.
"So I stopped all sugar," she says. "That made a profound change, most importantly in my energy levels and my brain function."
She says that before giving up sugar she felt so terrible she was thinking ‘What’s the point with doing anything? I’m just going to live with it’.
"The point is, you don’t have to," she says. "You have a choice to either stay feeling less confident, or you can choose to do something about it. And I would say get off your ass and start moving, even if it’s just walking.
"And don’t do it for anyone else. Just do it for yourself. Don’t do it because you want to feel that you look better in front of other people. It’s just for you. Put yourself on a mission.
"So when I gave up sugar, I didn’t tell anyone I was doing that, and it made it much easier, made the pressure less, and I had myself do impress rather than other people. It made a massive difference."
What’s also made a huge difference to herself, she says, is simply age and experience.
"I’m so much more relaxed now, and I think that comes with age," she explains. "I have a real balance in my life, so the home, family, work is really a level playing field, and I think that’s made a huge difference. And as for physically ageing, I am very accepting of it because I’m much more confident as a person.
"I think without question, age and experience really enhance and cement confidence – but it can go the other way, and you can become totally invisible."
And to make yourself more visible in midlife, Constantine says you need to have a passion, and keep your life interesting and vibrant.
"It’s not just that you need to rely on how you look, it’s having hobbies, keeping your brain engaged, being curious, trying new things. It’s having a passion in your life which doesn’t involve work or your family or friends. It’s something that’s just for you.
"So I don’t have to or want to rely on the way I look. There’s more in my life. There’s more to me than just the way I look."
It might be a surprising statement from someone who’s spent most of her career advising people on how to look their best – but Constantine is keen to point out that it doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about how she looks any more.
"I still make an effort every morning," she says. "I won’t just stay in my pyjamas all day. I still feel empowered by dressing in a way that’s right for me, living in the countryside.
"I will dress up – I won’t sit in front of a laptop and write a book wearing my pyjamas. I’m dressed like I’m going to work, and I think how you look on the outside definitely affects how you look on the inside. But that can be done by wearing the right clothes for your lifestyle, the right colours, the right shapes. So I don’t discount that in any way.
"I think it’s about respecting yourself, respecting your body, and giving it the best chance it can have, and that’s not just about what you wear or how you look. It’s about eating healthily, obviously, and taking supplements if you need them, collagen if you want to. If you’re into surgical procedures or whatever, and it’s going to make you feel better, go for it. Not my bag."
What is Constantine’s bag these days is a little simpler than surgical procedures – she swears by wearing shapewear under her still carefully-chosen clothing. She’s teamed up with the shapewear brand Shapermint to create her own What To Wear Edit range of shapewear, including a bra, leggings and shaper shorts.
She says: "I don’t wear it to slim me down, I wear it to tone me, and be extremely comfortable. And if you’re feeling comfortable, you’re going to feel more confident. So although no one else might know, you know you’re wearing it, and then you conduct yourself differently.
"I’ve always been a campaigner for women making the best of themselves, but it’s nice to have a few little secret weapons up our sleeve."
