Gian Rooney: 'I didn't know how good life could be'

My health is so much better now than when I was swimming. When you are pushing your body to that extreme level day after day it's not that healthy. Your immune system is constantly under stress. Mentally, I also feel better. I find it much easier to be positive. Getting out of bed is easier — I look forward to going to work and I look forward to seeing what each day holds. That's been a big shift for me.

I didn't know how good life could be until I retired from swimming. When I was swimming I had low points — I don't think any athlete would say they hadn't had those — they're those times when you ask yourself what you are doing.

Swimming is particularly hard because you only get to compete once a year, and that's the part I loved, so it was difficult to keep finding the motivation. I wouldn't call what I felt depression, but I would call it extreme exhaustion.

I do have to watch what I eat. This is the funny part for me. When I was doing six or seven hours of exercise a day I ate as much as I could whenever I could. My life revolved around getting enough food. I absolutely love food, but now I don't eat by the clock, I eat more when I'm hungry. And I have figured out some foods that work and others that don't work for me.

Carbohydrates are the big thing. I used eat a lot of carbs but if I have too much bread now I feel sluggish. I'm not a coeliac, but I think I have slight wheat intolerance, so I try to moderate that as much as I can. Also, in the past my one staple was dessert. I didn't know how to go to sleep without having a proper dessert. Now I still change my palate, but I will have some dark chocolate or a herbal tea instead.

Everyone assumes that as an ex-athlete you love exercise but for me that's not true. I had no idea how hard it was to exercise when there's no clear goal in sight. I had to find a type of exercise that a) I enjoyed; b) fitted into my lifestyle; and c) I didn't have to do as if I was training for the Olympics. I mix my exercise up — I need to do that to stay interested.

I have an active dog and we walk as much as possible, so usually it's a five- to six-kilometre power walk. In winter I do Bikram yoga, and in summer I'll mix up Pilates and yoga. Also I try to incorporate exercise into everyday life, so I always park my car at the far end of the parking lot and take the stairs instead of the lift. It all adds up.

For the full story, see the March issue of Good Health. Subscribe to 12 issues of Good Health for $59.95 and receive two free cookbooks —The 21-Day Diet Planner and After Work Healthy.