Aine Lawlor, presenter of RTÉ’s Morning Ireland
Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?
In parts, yes. On the good side, food and exercise and on the bad side, lack of sleep. When I’m working, I’m up at 4.30am and I’m only going to sleep after Vincent Browne – so not a lot of sleep.
How often do you exercise?
I do yoga and Pilates twice a week, I walk and I garden a fair bit too. I started the yoga about 10 years ago and then added the Pilates because of a back ailment. I do physio once a month too to keep my back in shape – I couldn’t be going into work on tablets, so I had to do something.
Do you get your five a day?
I spend a lot of time growing and cooking food. Potatoes, peas, beans, chillies, salads, asparagus – whatever doesn’t get eaten by the slugs. I grew up with my mother and grandmother doing it. I’m a toast merchant in the morning but as the day goes on, I’d have salad. I’m not great on fruit but there are always soups and vegetables with dinner.
Do you worry?
A bad habit, but yes – about anything and everything. I think when you are in the right humour, you can worry about anything, but when you are nice and relaxed and have had plenty of sleep, it’s amazing how much doesn’t trouble you.
What do you do to relax?
Gardening, because nobody talks to me and I talk to nobody. I’ve a small garden with my house and an allotment. Time is slow in gardening as opposed to at work where everything is counted in seconds.
What’s your unhealthiest habit?
This is really bad – smoking. I think the smoking ban is great because it gives me time out. I’ll step outside for a fag and it’s kind of a real little three minutes to yourself, though I know it’s totally bad for you and I should be giving them up. I haven’t ever really actually wanted to give them up enough, when I get to that point I’ll stop. This is the first time I’ve ever confessed in public to smoking.
