RUNNING IS MY MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY'

Former Hollyoaks actress turned health and fitness influencer Davinia Taylor, 45, says exercise, especially running, is a must for her wellbeing, and shares some of her top health hacks we can all try

- Katy Sunnassee

I run not to lose weight but to align my feel-good hormones.

When your muscles are activated, you release antidepressant hormones. For me, running is a no-brainer because it requires little effort, little concentration, and the plodding rhythm plus the music I listen to lifts me and takes me back to good times - it's so beneficial for my cognition.

Also, I'm worried that I might lose my mind as I get older, so my mantra now is to use it or lose it! That applies to physical and mental health. So running is my mental health strategy. I never regret a run, except perhaps when I've rolled my ankle going off-road, so I'm sticking to the roads now!

I've done the London Marathon twice and I did one during lockdown at home!

London was cancelled so I just did it on my treadmill and raised about £30,000 for the NHS. It was so nice because people were following me live and sending in messages and we listened to '90s house music and everyone was like, "I love this tune!" It was really uplifting.

I signed up to the Manchester Marathon earlier this year to force myself outside in February. With marathon season generally around April, it means you have to train during winter so that was my motivation to boost my mood.

As part of my training, I used a ReOxy machine, which constricts you of oxygen for a few seconds, on and off. Then it saturates you with oxygen - it's hypoxic breathing (find out more at reoxy.co.uk/ method-overview). It makes you learn to relax into an oxygen-depleted state, which then makes your body become more oxygen efficient.

Normally, after a long run, I can feel quite depressed, achy and inflamed. But I didn't get that after this marathon. I struggled as a toenail came off my big toe on my left foot is completely black and disgusting! - but I got through it and didn't get the come-down or aches and pains afterwards.