The 12-Minute Military Workout That Keeps Helen Mirren Ultra-Fit at 79
Actress Helen Mirren has built quite the repertoire throughout her film career. Mirren's breakthrough in theatre came in 1965 when she took on the role of Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra with the National Youth Theater, according to PEOPLE. From there, she became an Academy Award-winning actress and starred in many films, including Excalibur, Gosford Park, The Madness of King George, The Queen, and Eye in the Sky.
In real time? Mirren is a familiar face on Paramount+. Western drama 1923's strong matriarch, Cara Dutton, is certainly a force for the Western frontier to reckon with—and fans can't get enough of her.
When Mirren is offscreen? The actress apparently spends 12 minutes every day doing an intense military-style workout, according to Good Housekeeping.
It's no secret that Mirren is in excellent shape at 79, and we learned exactly what her workout routine is all about.
Helen Mirren's 12-Minute Military-Style Workout
Mirren looks spectacular as she embraces the powerful role of Cara Dutton on 1923. She's not one bit intimidated to defend her home and loved ones with rifle in hand at a moment's notice. The actress has worked out every single day for the past six decades—and we're not talking about a horse ride on the prairie!
Mirren performs an impressive military workout daily. The routine was designed by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and features exercises like sit-ups, pushups, leg raises, and more.
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Let's take a closer look at what the RCAF women's exercise regime entails—and what Mirren powers through each day.
The workout is a solid 12 minutes of XBX, consisting of 10 vigorous exercises. The routine was designed in the 1950s by Dr. Bill Orban, who was asked to create a routine to help female Air Force personnel build flexibility, strength, endurance, and cardio wellness.
There are four progressive workout charts to choose from, and we outlined an example below of what Mirren's gym time may look like.
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Exercises 1-4 (2 minute warm-up; 30 seconds per exercise)
Goal: to boost mobility and flexibility
- Knee raises
- Toe touches
- Arm circles
- Lateral side raises
Exercise 5 (2 minutes)
Goal: to strengthen the abdominal and front thigh muscles
- Partial sit-ups
Exercise 6 (1 minute)
Goal: to strengthen/build the back, buttocks, and back thigh muscles
- Leg raises
- Chest raises
Exercise 7 (1 minute)
Goal: to strengthen/build the side thigh muscles
- Side leg raises
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Exercise 8 (2 minutes)
Goal: to strengthen/build the chest, shoulders, and arms
- Knee pushups
Exercise 9 (1 minute)
Goal: to strengthen the hip muscles and sides of the body
- Leg lifts
Exercise 10 (3 minutes)
Goal: to enhance heart and lung strength
- Running and hopping conditioning
