Donna Air, 47, has revealed her diet, fitness and wellness secrets after posing naked on a sunlounger in California for her 47th birthday last week.
The Newcastle-born actress and former model preserved her modesty with a strategically placed newspaper in the photo before speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail about maintaining her figure.
The former Byker Grove star insisted that no punishing diet lies behind her shape. "I've always eaten whatever I want. Food is one of my biggest joys," Air said. "I get genuinely excited about food - where it's from, how it's prepared and how it's cooked."
Air eats very little processed food and prefers quality over quantity. She enjoys hearty, tasty dishes packed with flavour while keeping hydrated with water, electrolytes and coconut water.
The 5'8 star acknowledged that genetics and a high metabolism have helped her maintain a svelte frame. "I appreciate that I've been lucky to have had a high metabolism most of my life and I've never really had to restrict what I eat, which I know isn't the case for everyone," she said.
She balances her meals by listening to her body rather than adhering to a rigid diet. If she eats carbohydrates for lunch, she might choose more protein for dinner, adjusting her intake depending on how tired or hungry she feels.
Daily eating habits and stage acting routines
Air is happy to skip her morning meal and typically waits until lunchtime to eat. "I've never been a big breakfast person - pardon the pun!" she joked, adding that she prefers giving her body a rest unless she ate a very early dinner.
She eats late in the evening and hydrates in the morning with green tea, water and coffee. Her dietary habits shift whenever she works on acting projects.
When filming on set in cold climates with early starts or late finishes, she craves warmer, more substantial food. Her routine changed again when she returned to the West End in 2024 to star in 2:22 A Ghost Story at London's Gielgud Theatre.
Because performances fell around dinner time, she avoided heavy food before going on stage and practically lived on pizza during her run. She also brought in her own lunches of fish, brown rice, vegetables and smoothies.
The actress, who previously hosted MTV and The Big Breakfast, insists that deprivation is off the menu. She regularly enjoys Sunday roasts and puddings, believing that constant food restriction is mentally unhealthy.
She noted that if forced to choose between restricting food and exercising more, she would always choose to move her body more to enjoy her food.
Cardio workouts, saunas and cold plunging
Air focuses her workouts on cardio to boost how she feels rather than how she looks. "I'm very physically active, but I don't exercise out of vanity," Air said. "I do it because I love the feeling of being strong and healthy."
She avoids static exercises and prefers running, cycling and swimming. She also enjoys hot yoga and spin classes.
Although she admits she has never been good at lifting weights, she knows she needs to do more strength training as she gets older. She prefers class settings over traditional gyms, which she described as "a bit soulless."
Her favourite wellness ritual is spending time in a hot sauna. "My absolute favourite thing, which I swear by, is the sauna," she said. "I love a really hot Russian sauna or banya - the hotter the better."
Air has combined saunas with cold plunging and cold-water therapy for about 20 years. She said the combination leaves her feeling as though she had a facial, workout and massage all at once, and she frequently uses saunas to sweat when she skips traditional workouts.
Health priorities, relationships and life changes
Air's weight has remained stable throughout adulthood, but turning 47 shifted her priorities toward preserving muscle and bone health on her petite frame. She now takes vitamin D, essential fatty acids, collagen and extra protein.
She also enjoys massage and reflexology, a technique that applies pressure to specific spots on the feet, hands or ears. She believes staying youthful involves living fully by watching movies, trying new things and having fun every day.
Air has a 22-year-old daughter, Freya, with her former partner, conservationist Damian Aspinall. She also previously dated James Middleton, the younger brother of the Princess of Wales.
She credits her close group of friends as a major factor in staying healthy and happy. "I genuinely think who you surround yourself with is one of the biggest contributors to staying happy and healthy," she said.
Her approach to her body changed significantly after her father, Trevor Air, died from cancer earlier this year. Watching him go through palliative care gave her a deeper appreciation for a functional body and inspired her to focus on stamina and endurance.
Regarding cosmetic procedures, Air has not undergone cosmetic surgery but remains open and non-judgmental. She regularly gets facials and said she would consider surgery in the future if she ever wanted it, supporting anyone's right to choose Botox or fillers.
Reflecting on the past 12 months, Air described the period as a time of major life changes and goodbyes that felt like starting over with more experience. She also expressed concern over the social media scrutiny faced by younger women on Instagram and TikTok, urging older generations to call out body shaming and protect younger women.
