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- I spent a day working out like Britain's Prince Charles, and it was more challenging than I anticipated.
- The heir to the British throne is reportedly a fan of the Royal Canadian Air Force's five basic exercises (5BX), which involves stretching, sit-ups, back and leg raises, push-ups, and cardio for 11 minutes twice a day.
- At the age of 23, I am 48 years younger than the prince. However, as someone who is relatively new to the world of home workouts, I was nervous to see how I would find his routine.
- Ultimately, I enjoyed the routine, and the push-ups were the only thing I struggled with.
- Doing the exact same exercises twice a day was a tad too repetitive for my liking, but I understand that it's probably ideal for someone like Charles, who works on a packed schedule.
Prince Charles is 71 years old — I am 23. And yet, I wouldn't be surprised if the heir to the British throne was just as fit as me.
I never thought that I'd be trying out the Prince of Wales' workout routine — or that he even had a workout routine, for that matter. But according to The Telegraph, the future King is a fan of the Royal Canadian Air Force's five basic exercises (5BX), an 11-minute regime that reportedly could have contributed to his speedy recovery from COVID-19 earlier this year.
Charles reportedly does the 5BX exercises twice each day, along with his daily walk.
"He is probably the fittest man of his age I know," his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, said during a recent interview with the BBC.
"He'll walk and walk and walk. He's like a mountain goat, he leaves everybody miles behind."
As someone who only got serious about at-home exercises during quarantine (HIIT workouts are my new favorite), I was eager to see if Charles' routine would be a challenge for someone like me, who is 48 years his junior but who has had a mostly relaxed approach to exercise until recently.
Before the UK lockdown, I regularly attended cardio dance classes but rarely worked on strength or core-based exercises.
I tried the 11-minute exercises twice during the day — once at lunchtime, and again in the evening.
Here's the full routine that I followed each time:
- Stretches (2 minutes),
- Sit-ups (1 minute),
- Back and leg raises (1 minute),
- Push-ups (1 minute),
- Run on the spot. For every 75 steps, do 10 eagle jumps (6 minutes).