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Want to have a physique like David Beckham? Here his former personal trainer shares transformative five diet rules

Even today, the legendary footballer is quite fit. Shona Vertue makes some very important diet suggestions.

Updated on: Feb 22, 2026, 19:12:34 IST
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Even in his 50s, David Beckham is an epitome of fitness. He retired from international and club football long ago but that has not made him complacent in terms of maintaining his fitness. There are many examples where footballers, post retirement, develop distended bellies thanks to an awful lifestyle where eating and drinking takes precedence over everything else.

David Beckham has been one of the fittest sportspersons of all time. (REUTERS)
David Beckham has been one of the fittest sportspersons of all time. (REUTERS)

Not Sir David Beckham. He is a different beast. Beckham's former personal trainer Shona Vertue has now let on five diet rules that can go a long way towards keeping one in excellent shape. In light of her past association with Beckham, she is not any ordinary person and definitely has some serious credentials. Let's see what all she has to say.

Also Read: Floyd Mayweather to come out of retirement: ‘Still have what it takes’

First up, no food bans, the Mirror reports her as saying. Eat whatever you feel like eating. There is no need to believe one food is better than the other. So, you are not eliminating anything from your diet. It's actually about developing a balanced relationship with the food.

Third, emotional well being is important. Because if that box is not ticked, it can lead to terrible eating habits. So make sure you are emotionally sound. "When you want to eat, ask yourself if a snack will truly 'fix' your situation, or if there's a better choice that aligns with a long-term solution," Shona says.

And then centre your meals around "protein". "Protein intake isn't just about preserving muscle mass - even though this is hugely important for all of us," she says. “It's also necessary for many bodily processes from making digestive enzymes to hormone production, immune and cognitive function,” she said.

Finally, calm the nervous system before meals. Eat at leisure. Not with stress. The food then can impact adversely. Avoid eating while watching television. One can end up eating a lot more than they should. When you eat, it should be a tryst between you and your meal.

All of you out there who aspires to be fit, swear by these five rules. They can be life changing. Come on guys, get your act together.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Prateek Srivastava

Prateek Srivastava is a senior sports journalist having been in the profession for two decades now. He started his print career with the India Today Group and later also worked for the Asian Age.   In 2009, sensing the wind of change, he switched to the digital media and joined Mobile ESPN. There, he covered the 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2010 Hockey World Cup as a venue reporter. He did plenty of voice-over work too, over there.   After leaving Mobile ESPN, Prateek went on to work for Cricketnext, Gocricket and Cricbuzz. At Gocricket (Times Internet Limited), he covered the 2014 T20 World from Bangladesh. There he also received a team leadership award, given at the end of the month.   Prateek has also covered the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, this time working for Sportz Interactive. He also worked for Chinese giants Alibaba over two years and led their ""Short News"" content team at UC Browser.   While cricket is Prateek’s expertise, he has also done a lot of golf. In fact, he has covered India’s first two European Tour events back in the late noughties. He has also done extensive writing on football having been associated with the Indian Super League for three seasons. Finally, Prateek is a literature aficionado and swears by Philip Roth and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and when he doesn’t joke, he is usually quiet and at work.

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Stay updated with the latest scores, results, and headlines from us sports, wwe, football, tennis, hockey, and other sports. Follow live action, big tournaments, and top players across all major leagues on sports by Hindustan Times.
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