He may not have permanently returned to our screens as EastEnders character Grant Mitchell, but Ross Kemp is adamant that he's in no hurry to retire. His work on documentaries such as Extreme World and Welcome to HMP Belmarsh continues to fill his time, not only for financial reasons, but also to keep himself fit and healthy – something he is focusing on more now he's in his 60s.
Opening up about his "lifestyle-changing" diet and "military" exercise routine, the actor – who has pegged to his support of this year’s 'Pay Your Pension Some Attention' campaign – told HELLO! that he has dropped a jean size through simple swaps at home with his wife, Renee O'Brien, and four children: a son from his previous relationship with Nicola Coleman, and three children with Renee: Leo, Ava and Kitty.
Weight loss diet
Chocolate was one of Ross' guilty pleasures, and he revealed he hasn't taken any drastic measures to cut it out of his diet. Instead, he focuses on everything in moderation. "It's like I used to go into the supermarket and I'd buy the large bar of chocolate, Dairy Milk, whatever it was, or the chocolate Galaxy, right? Now I buy the smaller bar because I enjoy it just as much. I spread it out to last just as long. I just take smaller nibbles," he began, before admitting his approach to making healthier swaps extends beyond sugary snacks.
"I drink smoothies rather than cans of Coke. As a consequence, I get into a smaller pair of jeans," he added.
Favourite workout
Hot yoga is one of Ross' go-to exercises he "absolutely adores" doing with his wife, Renee, but he said it's harder to squeeze in the time to do a class with a young family. "It’s great prep training for going off to the jungle. I love hot yoga. Although they now call it warm yoga because of the electricity bill. I remember doing the shoulder stands, where you put your legs up. I remember it was so hot. The sweat was running down my face. It was unattractive.
"Nowadays, it's not as hot. I sort of get that. Just work a bit harder and make your body a bit harder. All exercise is good for you. I don't think any exercise is bad for you," he said, before revealing he doesn't always make it to regular classes. "With four kids, it [isn't] that easy. Often, we plan to go, and then some child gets in the way, and you can't go."
Daily exercise regime
So what does Ross do daily to keep fit? Weight training, sparring and running form the basis of his "military"-style workouts. "It depends where I am. On Mondays, I do an hour's pad work and light sparring and go for a run afterwards. On Tuesdays, I do weight training rather than lifting weights. It's aerobic weight training with a trainer called Darrell Fitches, who is ex-military and a very good friend of mine. And then I do half an hour of light sparring.
"Wednesdays, I spar and run. On Thursdays, I do light weight training. I try to do weights, aerobic weights. If I can do yoga on a Friday, I will. And on the weekend, I rest. I might do a light 5k run on a Saturday morning when my son's in for football," he divulged.
Reducing danger in his 60s
When asked if he was more aware of his safety now that he is 61, the Ultimate Force star admitted: "The days of running across fields getting shot at in Libya and Syria are rapidly disappearing at my age."
Family remains at the forefront of his mind, with the doting father gushing that his kids are his "biggest investment in life." This is why he's carefully considered his finances – he has an insurance policy for dangerous jobs, and has been putting savings into his pension throughout his freelance career.
"The majority of us are caring parents who want the best for our proteges. So that's why it's important to pay into the pension. Because if something does happen to me in some foreign field, then at least I know that they're financially looked after," he said.
Pay Your Pension Some Attention campaign
While Ross noted that some people see pensions as a "dull subject", he wants to raise awareness of the importance of planning for later in life.
"I've always been a freelancer. I've never known what was around the corner. I've always managed to save a little bit for that rainy day. I think what we've worked out is that many people aged between 35 and 55 go to the gym, they take steps to get fit and healthy, but not many have organised anything for their future and later life, and that's why I'm funding this year's campaign. It's called Pay Your Pension Some Attention," Ross said.