Zara Phillips has revealed how she got her fitness back after the birth of her first child Mia - by hitting the exercise bike every morning before her daughter even woke up. The 33-year-old, who is vying for a place on Team GB at the Rio Olympics, welcomed Mia Grace with husband Mike Tindall last year. But after finding herself 'surprised' by how her fitness dropped during pregnancy, the Queen's granddaughter has committed to a strict exercise and diet regime to get back in shape. Scroll down for video . Zara Phillips has told of how she was surprised at how difficult it was to regain her fitness after the birth of her daughter, Mia, one (pictured left in January and right, last July when Mia was six months old) 'What surprised me about having a baby is losing all your fitness and how tough it is to get it back to that level again,' she said in an interview with The Sunday Time Magazine. Starting her morning at 7am, Zara has a breakfast of Greek yogurt and honey and tries to get in a stint on the exercise bike at her home, Gatcombe Park, before Mia wakes at 8am. Her day is then typically spent with the horses kept at her mother, Princess Anne's stables, before squeezing in another workout. 'Lunch is quick and simple, like soup and a sandwich or eggs and toast. I don't diet but I try to eat well and not to eat too many carbohydrates or sugary things. Zara (pictured competing in the 2012 London Games) said she is keen to win a place on Team GB in 2016 . The 33-year-old (pictured with Jessica Ennis-Hill with their medals in 2012) is yet to qualify for the forthcoming Olympics . 'In the afternoon I'll do extra exercise like swimming or cycling.' Zara helped take home team silver at the 2012 London Olympics and is keen to compete int he 2016 games. The Queen's granddaughter when she was pregnant in 2013 . 'I hope to be part of the eventing team that goes to the Olympics in Rio, but first I need to qualify.' A keen eventer, she said she is eager for daughter Mia to spend time around horses as she grows up. 'I expect Mia will grow up with horses all around her, just like her mum did,' she added. The one-year-old's father previously revealed the couple had 'three Shetland ponies waiting for her'. Speaking in an interview in January, Mr Tindall, who has recently taken part in the reality skiing show The Jump, said: 'Eventing children have to be very relaxed. 'You are going to travel around a lot.' Earlier this year Zara told of how little Mia enjoyed playing with her royal relatives Prince George and her cousins, Savannah and Isla. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at Magic Millions Race Day in January she said of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: 'We've all got small ones now so it's great fun.' Prince William and his wife are expecting their second child this week, with palace sources confirming Kate's due date to be April 25. Zara and her husband Mike Tindall (above celebrating a win at the Grand National last week) live on Gatcombe Park next to her mother, Princess Anne .
The Queen's granddaughter is vying for a spot on Team GB in 2016 . She gave birth to her daughter, Mia Grace, in January last year . To regain her fitness Zara, 33, uses an exercise bike every morning . She sticks to a healthy diet and also goes swimming and cycling .