Shaun Wallace is best known as The Chase‘s Dark Destroyer, but away from the quiz show the 66-year-old takes his health and fitness just as seriously.
His daily routine starts with 2,000 sit-ups and 300 kettlebell swings, followed by a second workout later in the day and a disciplined diet. It’s an approach that has helped Wallace lose more than 22kg in recent years – all while balancing his work as a criminal defence barrister alongside filming The Chase.
‘The first thing I do every single morning is my physical exercise,’ he told the Daily Mail.
‘In the afternoon, once I’ve finished, I meet up with my personal trainer and he puts me through my paces. He’s in New York at the moment, so he sets me rowing challenges. Yesterday I rowed 10,000 metres, and the day before that I rowed 8,000 metres on the rowing machine I’ve got up in my loft.’
Wallace is a firm believer in staying active, regularly sharing his training on Instagram and encouraging others to move more. He isn’t suggesting everyone should copy his daily double workouts, but believes any form of regular exercise can make a real difference.
‘I’m a big believer in daily fitness. It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you’re starting from – staying active, keeping your body moving and looking after yourself should be part of your everyday routine,’ he wrote.
‘You don’t have to run marathons or spend hours in the gym. A walk, a workout, some stretching, cycling – whatever works for you. The important thing is to keep going.’
Why Wallace Prioritises His Fitness
Wallace says he started taking his health more seriously after turning 50, following the deaths of both his parents, who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Watching their health decline motivated him to make some lasting lifestyle changes.
‘I thought it was incumbent on me not to fall into the same trap, even though you can never really tell whether or not you’ll get a particular disease, especially if it’s prevalent in your family,’ he said.
‘I used to play football and run a lot, and I decided when I turned 50 that, to invest in my own physical and mental wellbeing, I would exercise daily.’
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