Dr Punam Krishan, the resident doctor on BBC’s Morning Live and a full-time NHS GP, has spoken about her incredible experience on Strictly Come Dancing, revealing it was the best thing she’s ever done for her health and fitness. “It’s been the best fitness journey of my life, hands down,” she enthused.
She admitted to initial nerves but found the intense physical training and dancing exhilarating, leading to improved tone and energy levels. “And of course, there’s the mental wellbeing aspect as well – there’s mental fitness that you get as a result of dancing, and it brings so much joy. So all round, I think it was the best thing I’ve done for my health and fitness in my life.”
Her family, including her 11-year-old son Aarish and four-year-old daughter Ellora, were thrilled with her participation. Dr Krishan shared how her son had always envisioned her on the show, making the reality even more special.
“My son and I have always watched Strictly together, and over the years he’d say ‘I can imagine you doing that one day mummy’, and I used to just laugh at him. But, of course, the joy in him when I told him that his mummy was going to do Strictly – it was just amazing to watch. So it felt like for a few months it wasn’t just a journey that I went on, the whole family went on it together, and they loved it.”
Dr Krishan, 41, was the fifth contestant to be sent home from the show in late October, but she was thrilled that blind comedian Chris McCausland took home the trophy. “I really connected with Chris during Strictly,” she shares.
“He’s such a genuine bloke, a lovely, lovely man. And I think what he did through dance was inspire so many of us to believe that you really can achieve anything you set your mind to, and nothing is impossible. So I’m just over the moon, I think he absolutely deserved to win.”
Dr Krishan, who’s wedded to Scottish Conservative MSP Sandesh Gulhane, used her own Strictly stint to maintain her fitness, and as well as embarking on the Couch to 5k challenge, she’s also taking weekly jazz heels dance classes. “I think it’s been the kickstart I needed,” she says. “I’m a full-time working GP with two young children and I don’t have a lot of time – or that’s been my excuse over the last decade, when trying to find time to go to a gym class or whatever has been really difficult.
“At first I was a bit anxious and I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but the training is so physical, and the dancing, and I was loving it. I’m more toned than I’ve ever been, and I had so much more energy as a result.”
But I’m an active person, and doing Strictly was the real boost I needed. It’s given me that need to exercise because it makes me feel so much better about myself – I feel I’ve got more energy and I’m actually making time, because I know I do have it.”
She emphasises the strong evidence supporting the benefits of any form of movement on mental health, stating: “Modern life for all of us is busy, the hectic schedules are full-on. You’re switched on 24/7, and a lot of the micro-stressors stack up and can create stress, anxiety and overwhelm, and can lead you to burn out.”
She adds that exercise is crucial to counterbalance the cortisol from daily stressors. Alongside dancing and running, Krishan enjoys long walks with her dog while listening to motivational podcasts. She believes in prioritising mental health, saying, “I just feel that protecting your mental health is the most important thing you can do, because if that’s in check, then everything else follows. All your decisions follow on from positive mental health, and it’s not easy. It’s something we’ve all got to work hard at – and I’m not immune to that either.”
To maintain balance and safeguard her mental wellbeing, Dr Krishan tries to keep weekends free for family time and recharging, despite admitting her weekdays are “absolutely chaotic with work – I have a very, very busy life”. Despite her busy schedule as a dedicated doctor, she still prioritises sharing vital public health information.
She is currently backing a new Gas Safe Register initiative called the Check Your CO-ld campaign, which is aiming to educate people about distinguishing common cold symptoms from those indicative of much more dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. According to recent findings by the Gas Safe Register for the campaign, only 27% of UK residents know that signs such as headaches, breathlessness, and tiredness can denote CO exposure, whilst these could also be dismissed as typical cold symptoms.
Alarmingly, more than half of those polled (54%) mistakenly believe that a blocked nose and fever are signs of CO poisoning, despite these being unlikely in cases of exposure to the hazardous gas. Dr Krishan points out: “This is the time of year when we seem to have many people, particularly elderly people, who suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning and aren’t aware of the symptoms to look out for. And when there’s so much flu and viruses and colds circulating, the symptoms can overlap between those and carbon monoxide poisoning.”
She emphasises the importance of attention if multiple members of a household exhibit worsening symptoms like headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue, especially if these improve with fresh air exposure, urging that it is essential to have them checked. Dr Punam Krishan, teaming up with Gas Safe Register, is advocating for public awareness about the stark contrasts between symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and common colds.
She says: “I want to help educate people about what carbon monoxide poisoning is, how to recognise the signs and symptoms, and how to prevent it from happening in the first place. Because in this day and age, none of us should have carbon monoxide poisoning.”