Only 15,000 steps on a ‘lazy’ Sunday: Notes from a conductor’s exercise regimen

No two working days are the same for Sarah-Grace Williams, chief conductor of Sydney’s The Metropolitan Orchestra. Some days are spent on her feet in rehearsal and performance, moving to the rhythm of her musicians; others at her desk, drumming out scores.

The one constant is exercise.

“I like to start each morning with a six-kilometre walk/run with my three-year-old schnoodle, Skye, before the sun is up,” says the mother of one, who’s in her 40s. It’s a way to be with her thoughts, feel grounded and prepare mentally for the day ahead. While she’s moving, she listens to podcasts or the music she’s preparing to conduct. The process is, she says, “crucial to my state of mind”.

On office days, when it would be easy for her to sit at a desk for hours on end, she instead pops in her wireless earbuds and makes calls while she walks. Her daily step-count is generally about 23,000; on a “lazy” Sunday, she might only hit 15,000.

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Preparing her body for her physically demanding job involves full-body strength-training at the gym. “I like to do supersets and tailored workouts that target and support the muscles I use,” she says. The odd Zumba class is an exercise in release, while days off with her family, nine-year-old Scarlett-Grace, husband Bevan and Skye, provide the antidote to her intense career. “Prioritising family time is crucial, too,” says Williams. “We like getting out and about and being active together.”

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