My Kind of Exercise

A native of Bantry Bay, Martina O'Donoghue, presenter on Cork's Red FM, tells Patricia Weston she would love to learn to swim…

A native of Bantry Bay, Martina O'Donoghue, presenter on Cork's Red FM, tells Patricia Weston she would love to learn to swim. As a committed vegetarian she considers her diet healthy apart from a weakness for cheese and ice cream.

Do you exercise?

I do Pilates and yoga classes every week and in summer I try to get out walking.

Are you a gym bunny?

READ MORE

No, I find the gym mind-numbingly boring.

What's your favourite activity?

My favourite activity is dancing. I was obsessive about salsa dancing for a few years because it was such fun, and it has a social aspect as well as being a healthy pursuit.

Any activity you'd like to try?

Every year I tell myself that I'm going to learn to swim - it's ridiculous that I've not yet mastered it, as I grew up overlooking Bantry Bay. I have a fear of water that I need to overcome... one of these days...

Are you a healthy eater?

I'm a long-time vegetarian and I believe that's a healthy choice.

Luckily I enjoy cooking, as I think extra effort needs to be made to create vegetarian dishes that are interesting and full of flavour. I'm actually being very healthy at the moment because I'm on day 10 of a 30-day detox.

So there's no dairy, no wheat, no tea, coffee or alcohol in my diet, in other words, no fun.

What foods do you love?

I'm a big fan of cheese - although unfortunately I don't share Ireland's love of cheddar. I prefer goat's cheese, Brie, Camembert, ricotta, feta, etc.

Give me a good cheese with a baguette and a bottle of red wine and I'm in heaven. I also adore Indian cuisine, as it's very good for catering to vegetarian tastes. In summer I can't resist ice cream - a simple cone brings me right back to my childhood.

Any unhealthy vices?

Probably the aforementioned ice cream and cheese due to the high fat content. Having said that, I'll never own a deep fat fryer and the chipper would go out of business if it was relying on me for custom.

Are you a smoker/drinker?

I don't smoke and think the smoking ban is great. I drink but (usually) in moderation.

Anything about your body you'd like to change?

Where do I start?

Your attitude to exercise?

A necessary evil.

Patricia Weston recommends:

Patricia Weston is an NCEHS fitness instructor, personal trainer and Pilates teacher.