Friday 20 May 2022 06:34 AM EXC Ulrika Jonsson details how she is combatting bouts of 'pretty horrendous' ... trends now
Ulrika Jonsson has turned to Zero Gravity Pilates in a bid to combat 'pretty horrendous' bouts of arthritis.
The former Gladiators host, 54, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in both hips around four years ago but was told she has probably suffered most of her life.
Ulrika, who was forced to give up running, said her arthritis was 'completely exacerbated by child bearing four times and various bits of exercise that probably weren't ideal'.
EXCLUSIVE: 'I go through periods of time when it's pretty horrendous' Ulrika Jonsson detailed how she is combatting bouts of arthritis with Zero Gravity Pilates - and revealed she is 'nearing' need a hip replacement(pictured in March)
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, she said: 'I started about a month ago, Zero Gravity Pilates. It's using that reformer that piece of equipment that looks like something out of Fifty Shades of Grey and because it's zero gravity you're not putting any pressure on the muscles.
'But when I do that I can hear and feel my hip bone click, and the pain from that. But I know that what I'm doing is strengthening all the muscles.
'I used to do a lot of swimming which was definitely an excellent exercise for me but they're pretty much the only two things.'
Health: The former Gladiators host, 54, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in both hips around four years ago but was told she has probably suffered most of her life (pictured in March)
Rochelle Humes, Kimberley Walsh and Lisa Snowdon are all fans of the low impact workout which involves working against your own body weight, and gravity, to create resistance on a rolling board.
Although she is not in daily pain, the Sweden-born TV star finds it increasingly difficult to get out of bed or out of a car after long periods.
She uses a specially designed hot water bottle to ease the stiffness in her hips in bed and takes painkillers during flare ups.
'The big thing is I work for the most time at home and I'm often sitting down writing and I just can't sit down for long periods of time,' she explained.
Journey: Ulrika, who was forced to give up running, said her arthritis was 'completely exacerbated by child bearing four times and various bits of exercise that probably weren't ideal'
'I get up and move around I put my laptop into a standing position. It's a constant negotiation.
'If I've spent two or three hours in a car getting into London it's pretty tough. It's like your hips seize and you have flashes of moments when you think, "I can't move".
'When I'm in bed, of course if you do fall asleep you're probably lying in a pretty stationary position, and sometimes I struggle to get that first movement out of my body.
'I use a long hot water bottle and it's perfect because it goes right across my hips and it's been like a revelation just warming up the muscle.
Honest: The mother-of-four, who took part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins last year, said it was difficult to take in the news about a prospect hip replacement as it was a 'sign that my body is falling apart' (pictured August
