That one hour of exercise ignites the fire in me

SINGER RITA ORA SAYS LISTENING TO HER BODY HAS HELPED TRANSFORM HER RELATIONSHIP WITH FITNESS.

- BY LARA OWEN

RITA ORA has spent more than a decade living at speed.

From chart-topping singles and global tours to becoming an X Factor judge and a familiar face on prime-time TV, the 35-year-old’s career has been defined by momentum. And in an industry where visibility is currency and stamina is key, slowing down is rarely encouraged.

“My friends are always like, wow, you have a day off and you just fill it up with workouts and appointments,’ says the I Will Never Let You Down singer. “But honestly, it’s part of my self-care routine.”

For Rita, movement has become a tool to regulate her nervous system. Exercise, she explains, is not something she uses to push herself harder, but something that helps her stay steady.

“When people look at someone’s transformation, they think it’s all about how they look,” she says.

“But genuinely, you get up because something ignites in you - maybe you want to change your mental health or a habit or a routine.”

That ignition, she says, was immediate for her when she started working out regularly.

“I became very, almost, addicted to that endorphin [hit] after that one-hour workout. And my day just felt really positive. It changed my whole mindset.”

Early in her career, fitness was more functional. Touring, rehearsals and live shows demanded stamina, and exercise became a way of coping with the physical demands of performance.