Do you feel tired, sluggish and unmotivated? We sat down with TV presenter and BECYCLE member, Annika Zimmermann, to discuss her best strategies to stay fit and happy from her new book Fit & Fröhlich.

Every weekday Annika's alarm clock rings at 2:00 in the morning; it's time for the presenter to get up, get ready, and head to to work. She is the face of the daily sports report in the ZDF "Morgenmagazin". After a morning of work, her day is still far from over. Annika makes it a priority to get 1-2 hours of exercise each day, while maintaining a healthy diet. In this short interview, Annika reveals how she manages her busy life through daily habits, and gives tips on how others can too!

What is your most important tip for the ideal work-life balance? Listen to yourself and your intuition. Ignore the influences from the outside world, tune in and focus on what your body tells you. Our bodies are intelligent and they talk to us all the time, all we need to do is pay attention and listen to them.

What does fitness mean to you? To me, fitness means always being thoroughly relaxed. Fitness brings structure into my everyday life. Through fitness, I’ve learned to organize and motivate myself, but also to assert myself and to be ambitious. It is the basis for a balanced and successful life.

What makes your approach unique? It places an emphasis on me as an individual. Finding your own fitness approach is not about my exact plan or a mission statement. If you want an approach to be successful, you can’t simply put it on someone else. You are unique, and it is important to find your own routine that leads to a healthy lifestyle. I can give you insights on how to create your own approach to a healthy lifestyle, but it is up to each individual to personally find their own dedication to fitness.

What do you want to achieve with your book? It is super important to me that everyone pays more attention to themselves and pursues fitness and a healthy lifestyle on an individual basis. I aspire to help everyone find their rhythm and balance despite all the increased expectations, accessibility and possibilities in everyday life. I want to get everyone to a point where they are completely happy and content with themselves, because when individuals live a healthy lifestyle, they will lead a happier life.

Article written by Julia Stein

How to Stay Fit and Happy