Art Green – 'When the going gets tough I tell myself not to be a wuss'

Fitness, meditation and cold showers play a core role in Art Green's wellness plan. Photo/Supplied.

Art Green has come a long way since he first appeared on our TV screens as the original winner of The Bachelor NZ. These days he's parent to 3-year-old Milo and 1-year-old Autumn, with his wife Matilda, is a business owner, health and fitness ambassador and host of the Well & Good podcast, which has just launched its new series.

Here, he talks about how he resets, recharges and faces the day:

• I don't really have a morning routine due to my kids being the ages they are. It means that every morning is different and I just have to roll with it. I love routine, so not being able to have one has been an interesting challenge for me, to be honest.

• At times in my life when I have had a morning routine, my ideal would have been to wake up when the sun rises, without an alarm, perform 15 minutes of stretching while drinking a big glass of water. I'd meditate for 20 minutes, have a cold shower, have a coffee and own the day.

• I can't start my day without a long black with a splash of cream.

• Presentation isn't important to me because I know that my kids will just get food and snot on my clothes, so I tend to just wear old, average clothes most of the time.

• I feel my best when I've done a workout and meditated during the day.

• I train most days (I like to call it training, rather than exercising – I feel like "training" is more purposeful), it varies every week but on average four days of resistance training, two days of cardio (bike or rowing machine) and stretching, and one rest day.

• I walk a lot throughout the week. I also aim to meditate twice a day but that very rarely happens currently, so I settle for one good 20-minute meditation every two days. I take a sauna four times a week for 20-25 minutes at 85 degrees. I also have an ice bath four days a week for 2-3 minutes at 1 degree.

• I try to get as much sun on my skin without getting burnt to maintain vitamin D and I eat as close to a whole food diet as possible – this means eating unprocessed meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs and milk. I'm not too strict though, as I really enjoy delicious food that may not fit this framework.

Art Green on a weekend walk with son Milo. Photo/Supplied.

• I have all my notifications on my phone turned off the majority of the time and never have my phone in the bedroom – this enables me to not feel like my head is in my phone and allows me to be more present.

• The best advice I've ever been given about life is: "The hardest part about going for a run, is putting on your shoes." This is something my dad once said to me. The notion is that the hardest part is to just get started – after that it's usually not too hard and you'll never regret having done it.

• I apply that philosophy to much of my life – if there's something that I don't really want to do but know I have to, I tell myself to just pull my head in and make a start ("put my shoes on") and usually once I've started doing whatever it is, it's never as bad as I had built it up to be in my head.

• The values I live by are family, honesty, fun and health.

• As I get older, I realise that I'm not invincible and that I need to start thinking about training and living my life now in a way that will enable me to be a fit, healthy grandparent.

• When the going gets tough I tell myself not to be a wuss. I have quite a tough, loving inner voice that will often tell me, "Stop being a wuss, you got this!"

• The things that make me happiest are playing with my kids and wife when I have nothing on my mind and I'm able to be completely present with them.

• On Sundays you'll find me going for a walk with my family, going to the beach, going to the local farmers' market, playing games with my kids, baking or cooking something delicious.

• My best life hack is a cold shower. Honestly it's a game-changer. It's the most amazing way to start the day – it wakes you up, it feels amazing (afterwards!) and gives you a sense of achievement first thing in the day.