Chloe Madeley has candidly spoken about her ongoing struggle with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), confessing she was "basically a f**king mess.
In an interview with The Sun, 37, Chloe reflected on her career in the fitness industry and explained how she made the brave jump from working in TV to becoming a personal trainer.
Chloe, the daughter of famous presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, said she started working in fitness 12 years ago, while she was battling undiagnosed GAD.
She confessed: "If you'd have told me 12 years ago that I was going to work in fitness, I would have laughed my arse off, but I love it. When I started out, I was working in TV and I was miserable.
"I had undiagnosed generalised anxiety disorder and was basically a f**king mess. Then I did Dancing On Ice and panto and met my then boyfriend Danny [Young, 38, an actor turned PT] who wanted to train me. Because I fancied him, I said OK, even though I was dreading it," reports Surrey Live.
"During the first session, I did a barbell back squat and I immediately felt strong and capable, and that was it. I started doing it more and went out less, and my mental health improved. I quit TV and thought: 'I want to do this for a living'."
Image:
No credit)Chloe, who separated from her husband James Haskell in 2023, has revealed how exercise has been a transformative force for her life, mental health and body. The mum-of-one, at the helm of The EC Blueprint, Fitness Fondue blog and her personal training venture, has served up some essential advice for fitness enthusiasts.
Opening up about the benefits of an active lifestyle, she said: "My advice is: action breeds motivation. Look at your lifestyle and be realistic how many days you can commit to the gym - even if it's one, it doesn't matter what you do, just do it."
She shared how endorphins drastically improve physical and mental well-being, stating, "The endorphins will kick in so you feel physically and mentally better. Build on it and suddenly, you will start to change your lifestyle, and the motivation will be there."
Reflecting on her own challenges, Chloe disclosed, "When I separated from James, I went through a spell of circumstantial depression. I couldn't get out or go to the gym, and having to claw that back was so difficult. But within two weeks of getting back into a routine, I was a different person. That's the reason I keep going to the gym. I'm a happier, healthier person."
Highlighting generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), information from The Royal College of Psychiatrists identifies it as a common anxiety ailment, with diverse worries and proportionally high anxiety levels being key symptoms. To help the 1 in 25 affected UK individuals, more details can be sought from the NHS website.
English (US) ·