Fiona Bruce says GP was 'appalled' to find out she did 'literally no' exercise

Fiona Bruce has admitted she was left "mortified" after her GP was evidently "appalled" about her lack of exercise.

The newsreader, 58, shared the embarrassing but defining moment in an interview with woman&home as the magazine's new cover star.

After stating, "I run but I've not always been fit", Bruce explained the back story to this and what caused her to switch up her routine.

"I never did any exercise until I went to see a GP before or just after I had Sam," she said.

Bruce, also presenter of Question Time, Antiques Roadshow and Fake or Fortune? shares her son Sam, now 24, and daughter Mia, 20, with her husband Nigel Sharrocks.

She recalled, "When asked if I did any exercise, I said 'None' and the doctor replied 'Literally none?' I said 'No.'"

Read more: How to start working out: A beginner's guide to getting fit for the first time

"I was mortified because she was so appalled, so I decided to do something," said Bruce, with the moment evidently paving the way for her love of running.

Watch: Jeannine and Nathalie provide a free six part workout series for you; starting with the warm up routine right here

"To me, exercise isn't about living longer but it gives me energy and I don't know what I'd be like without it.

"I definitely get mental benefits. If I'm feeling stressed at work or stressing that I've got a lot on, I find it really helpful."

Read more: Do the risks outweigh the health benefits?

After recalling the time around the birth of her son, Bruce also opened up on her family today.

"I'm thrilled to see how my kids have grown into such wonderful human beings and are forging their own path," she said.

"I used to feel like I had no time to do any kind of socialising if I hadn't seen my family enough.

"I'd look at my diary and think, 'How much time have I got with the children this week?'"

With them now all grown up, she added, "Now my daughter's at university and my son's working, I have less of that, but when Mia's home, I totally want to see her."

And away from her busy career, she values spending time with the rest of her loved ones too. "I also want to see friends and spend time with my husband," she said. "It's no great shakes, but we recently went for a city break to Porto and it was heavenly.

"We haven't done anything like that for years and just hanging out [together] is great".

Bruce has previously discussed how her successful career impacted her relationship with her children, and how she managed to balance it all.

Read more: 10 expert-approved weight loss tips good for your body and mind

"Did I spend enough time with my children? I think scratch the surface of any working woman and she will always think, 'Probably not,' she told Good Housekeeping magazine last summer.

"I don’t think there’s such a thing as quality time with your children. I think it’s quantity. But there’s never been any question that they take precedence over everything in my life, and always have done."

However, she added, "It was definitely helped by having the same nanny living with us for 20 years. She left when Mia finished her GCSEs, but she’s a firm family friend."

Bruce also commented candidly on the fact that she would be repeatedly asked as a young journalist whether she was "ambitious".

"When I started my career, I got asked that time and time again.

"In the end, I was thoroughly sick of it because I never heard a man being asked that. It’s the same as only women being described as ‘feisty’.

"You want to do as well as you can in your job – that’s human nature."

The August issue of woman&home is on sale Thursday 30 July 2022.

Watch: Active video games can help 'inspire people to exercise'