Mr Motivator: Good wellbeing isn’t just physical – you’ve got to look after yourself mentally and emotionally too
The TV fitness legend wants everyone to remember it’s ok to put yourself first
As TV’s upbeat fitness instructor Mr Motivator, Derrick Evans has made a career out of helping others find their mojos and stay fit for life.
But he has no qualms about putting his own needs first as well.
“Too often we forget that we are the most important people in the world, and we wait for someone to tell us [to take care of ourselves],” says Jamaica-born Evans, 71. “When in fact, we must reward ourselves, we should be the one that goes – listen, it’s time to reward myself.”
For Evans – who first burst onto TV screens across the nation in the early-Nineties as GMTV’s Lycra-clad workout expert, quickly becoming known for his joyfully bright outfits and personality to match – it’s the small daily acts of self-care that really make a difference when it comes to keeping his own mojo intact.
One thing he likes to do after a busy morning is: “Get in the car and go and get myself a drink. Not a strong drink! I like a creamy mocha. But I’ll do that and go and park somewhere where I can have my drink in peace. The phones are not going, the window’s open, and I think, right, I’m really for a moment going to take a breather.
“I’m focusing on me. I’m saying I am important – let me just take a break from everything for a moment and focus on looking after me,” he adds. “And everything I do to me that’s good, will help me to be able to look after other people in my life and give them the attention they require.”
Movement is at the heart of his work. But for Evans, who was adopted as a baby and has previously talked about experiencing homelessness and depression, this goes hand-in-hand with looking after our mental and emotional wellbeing too.
“This is the message I give to everybody. It’s not just physical, if you want to have good state of wellbeing – mentally, you’ve got to look after yourself, and emotionally, you’ve got to look after yourself.”
He has now teamed up with Emmi CAFFÈ LATTE on a campaign urging people who work at a desk all day to be proactive when it comes to dealing with energy slumps.
According to a new survey on behalf of the brand, office workers typically have an energy slump around 2:12pm, with 65% of the 1000 people quizzed saying they notice a massive dip in their productivity levels around this time. One of the main reasons for this was being sat in one place at their desk all day (35%), while 29% said they simply find their working day too long. Poor sleep the night before was also a contributing factor for 27%, along with lack of exercise (18%). Less than half of the people surveyed (45%) said they manage to get away from their desk in a bid to combat the afternoon slump.
For Evans, who led workers at Manchester’s Media City through a 15-minute movement session to launch the campaign, the survey findings are no surprise, especially given the immense pressure many people feel to be busy and productive all the time these days. But he is a big advocate for making breaks and rewards part of our daily routines – and certainly not feeling bad about doing so.
“It’s natural [that you’re going to need a break]. If you really sit down for a moment and evaluate what you’ve been up to during the day… And those little treats and rewards are very, very important, because you’re recognising yourself and how well you have done.
“Number one – I don’t feel guilty about it. That’s the first thing, is not to feel guilty about it,” adds Evans, who still makes TV appearances alongside working with brands, such as Saga, doing onboard talks and classes for cruise passengers, and his own online platform, Mr Motivator’s Club.
Mr Motivator with supermodel Cindy Crawford in 1993 during his early TV days
At 71, Evans’ passion for movement is as strong as ever. He is keen to remind others in their 60s and 70s – or indeed any age – that it’s “never too late” to start moving and look after your strength and mobility.
“The one thing I know is that there is a curative power to exercise,” he says. “And if I can get that message into the brains of every single person who is either in their 60s or 70s, if you move to the rhythm of life, you’re going to improve your independence.
“When you’ve retired and you’ve worked hard all your life, the last thing you want to be doing is saying, ‘catch up, please’ to your health, so it’s important no matter what age you are now, to start doing something, and it’s never too late.”
His main tip? Start simple and focus on building habits you’ll be able to stick with – like “every hour, reminding yourself to stand up and sit down, stand up and sit down”.
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He adds: “And every time you pass the mirror – remember the mirror is your friend – check your posture. Imagine there’s an orange between your shoulder blades, squeeze your shoulder blades together and as you squeeze out the juice of the orange, that alters your posture.”
He believes we can all make changes – “but it starts with you appreciating you, loving you, show yourself you love yourself. And if you love yourself, then move your body.”
There is no magic secret to motivation, he adds. Mostly it’s about creating habits.
“If you do something often enough, that’s the only way you’re going to form a habit. Like brushing your teeth every morning – that is habit-forming taught to you as a child. You do it every day, so then if you rush out in a hurry one day [and forget], you don’t feel right.
“It’s the same things with exercise and movement. Do it often enough, don’t leave big gaps in between so the muscle memory improves, you’re going to eventually forge a habit. After a while if you don’t do it, something doesn’t feel right.”
Emmi Caffè Latte have enlisted the help of Mr Motivator as their Daymaker in a bid to encourage people to celebrate the everyday little wins. For more information, visit instagram.com/ukcaffelatte
The Press Association
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