Rita Ora, 35, has spent more than a decade living at speed. From chart-topping singles and global tours to becoming an X Factor judge and a familiar face on prime-time TV, her career has been defined by momentum. And in an industry where visibility is currency and stamina is key, slowing down is rarely encouraged.

“My friends are always like, wow, you have a day off and you just fill it up with workouts and appointments,” says the I Will Never Let You Down singer, “but honestly, it’s part of my self-care routine.”

For Ora, movement has become a tool to regulate her nervous system. Exercise, she explains, is not something she uses to push herself harder, but something that helps her stay steady.

“When people look at someone’s transformation, they think it’s all about how they look,” she says. “But genuinely, you get up because something ignites in you – maybe you want to change your mental health or a habit or a routine.”

That ignition, she says, was immediate for her when she started working out regularly. “I became very, almost, addicted to that endorphin [hit] after that one-hour workout. And my day just felt really positive. It changed my whole mindset.”

Early in her career, fitness was more functional. Touring, rehearsals and live shows demanded stamina, and exercise became a way of coping with the physical demands of performance.

“[Exercise] did ignite a fire in me when I was out of breath at my shows, and it was all about […] trying to sustain a show without looking tired. That’s how this all started.”

What followed, over time, was a recalibration. “That hour [workout] is really crucial to me now,” she says. “I wouldn’t necessarily even relate it to how I look, really. It really is about a feeling.”

Ora’s relationship with movement predates fame. Born in Kosovo and raised in west London, she grew up in a household where exercise was not framed as a luxury but as something fundamental.

“I honestly never saw working out as something that has to do with money,” she says, when discussing the expense of workout classes and gym memberships. “I come from not a lot of money and I always grew up very active – in the parks, playing football, regardless of the weather.

“My parents were very strict on us moving our bodies at a young age. That’s just how I was raised.”

Those early memories informs how she views modern wellness culture, particularly the idea that movement needs to be structured, expensive or aspirational to be valid.

“There are a lot of ways around a routine that doesn’t necessarily involve big classes or flashy studios,” she says. “It’s [simply] about movement at the end of the day.”

Despite a schedule shaped by travel and time zones, Ora has learned to let go of rigid expectations around fitness. “Sometimes I don’t have an hour,” she says, “I’ll do 20 minutes in a hotel room. Bands, glutes, mat work. I just do something.” She finds Pilates the easiest form of exercise to do on the go, with little to no equipment needed but a soft surface.

“It’s definitely my easiest format to go to, just because I can travel with the equipment way easier than a heavy set of weights,” she explains. Still, she resists locking herself into a single discipline, “but I do love a strength class when I have a gym around.”

What matters, she says, is consistency without viewing activity as a punishment. “I don’t put that much pressure on myself, because I don’t think it’s healthy.”

Listening to her body has become central to that approach. “If my body feels tired, I wouldn’t push it insanely,” she says. “I do listen to my body a lot. I think it’s important.”

Her preferences for exercise have shifted with age, which she says is important, as it’s great to mix up your workouts. “My 20s were all about hitting it crazy hard for 45 minutes,” she says, “but I wasn’t seeing a lot of results. I think it just comes with time.”

Now, she’s swapped intense cardio for strength training, saying: “I like that you don’t have to rush in a strength class, you just have to hit those four rounds. You can take a minute rest – sometimes I take a two-minute rest – but I hit the rounds.”

Ora is also candid about her limits. “I’m still not incredible at cardio,” she admits. “I get so tired. I can’t just do a 10k run and not stop. That’s just not what my body does and I’m OK with it.”

Her advice to those feeling intimidated by fitness culture reflects that pragmatism. “You don’t need to hit 10,000 steps,” she says, “you just need to move. If it’s 20 minutes walking in the park, that’s incredible. Walking is so good for you.”

After years spent in the public eye, her relationship with exercise has settled into something less rigid and more sustainable. “It’s a lifestyle,” she says.