She\u2019s dame fit! Helen Mirren is turning 80 this July, but her energy could put a rookie cadet to shame \u2014 and it\u2019s all thanks to a quick and classic military-style workout. The award-winning actress told British Vogue that she is \u201ca big believer\u201d in a no-frills routine first developed in the 1950s to help women in the Royal Canadian Air Force stay fit.<\/p>\n
Helen Mirren is \u201ca big believer\u201d in a military-style workout regime. WireImage<\/span> \u201cNothing extreme, but you need to do it every day. That\u2019s a great start, because it\u2019s all to do with taking control of yourself. I\u2019m incredibly lazy and if I can avoid doing it, I will, but every now and then I pull myself back and do what I know works,\u201d Mirren added. The entire circuit is designed to be progressive \u2014 you increase reps as your fitness improves, but the time commitment stays at a grand total of 12 minutes.<\/p>\n The workout was developed in the 1950s to help women in the Royal Canadian Air Force stay fit. Getty Images<\/span> Loosen up with gentle forward bends.<\/p>\n Get the heart pumping with exaggerated high knee steps. Improve shoulder mobility with forward and backward rotations.<\/p>\n Strengthen hips and thighs with standing side kicks.<\/p>\n Build upper body strength with classic pushups \u2014 use the wall for a modified, low-impact version.<\/p>\n Lie on your stomach and lift arms and legs slightly to engage the back.<\/p>\n Hands on hips, gently rotate side-to-side for core flexibility.<\/p>\n Strengthen lower abs and hip flexors. Light jogging on the spot for cardio.<\/p>\n Wind down gently. While the routine may be Spartan, Mirren\u2019s philosophy on aging with joy is far from harsh. \u201cMy advice is to work from the inside out,\u201d she told British Vogue. So if you\u2019ve got a spare 12 minutes and a floor, you\u2019ve got no excuse. Dame Mirren commands it.<\/p>\n Q: How long does the XBX workout take? Introduction to Helen Mirren’s Fitness Regime She\u2019s dame fit! Helen Mirren is turning 80 this July, but her energy could put a rookie cadet to shame \u2014 and it\u2019s all thanks to a quick and classic military-style workout. The award-winning actress told British Vogue that she is \u201ca big believer\u201d in a no-frills routine first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":17491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-17490","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/michael-pitt-attends-afterparty-black-103969557.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024&w=1024&resize=1024,682&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17490"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17490"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17492,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17490\/revisions\/17492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe workout was originally laid out in a guide called XBX \u2014 short for \u201cTen Basic Exercises\u201d \u2014 and is famous for its simplicity and accessibility. \u201cIt is an exercise regime that starts from very low and easy, then if you follow it through, it can become quite difficult. I\u2019ve never gotten past the second level, but it\u2019s a nice little exercise program,\u201d she said. <\/p>\nThe Importance of Consistency<\/h2>\n
The XBX Plan<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cPhysical fitness does not mean bulging muscles nor is it the exclusive property of men,\u201d the manual\u2019s foreword reads. \u201cThe ten exercises in this booklet have been carefully selected and their manner of use has been designed to enable women to achieve physical well being for optimum living.\u201d
\nHere\u2019s a typical 11-to-12-minute version of the XBX Plan.<\/p>\nStretching (toe touches)<\/h3>\n
Knee lifts (marching in place)<\/h3>\n
\nKnee lifts are a great, easy warm-up. michaelheim \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/p>\nArm circles<\/h3>\n
Side leg raises<\/h3>\n
Pushups (wall or floor)<\/h3>\n
Back extensions (superman pose)<\/h3>\n
Torso twists<\/h3>\n
Leg lifts (lying down or standing)<\/h3>\n
\nLeg lifts can help strengthen your lower abs and hip flexors. Lisa F. Young \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/p>\nRunning in place<\/h3>\n
Cooldown walk and deep breathing<\/h3>\n
\n\u201cIt is an exercise regime that starts from very low and easy, then if you follow it through, it can become quite difficult,\u201d Mirren said. Getty Images for L’Oreal Paris<\/span><\/p>\nMirren’s Philosophy on Aging<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cFirst of all, take control of your diet and find one that makes you feel good. I\u2019m the first one at the fish and chips, but what you\u2019re putting inside your body does influence how you feel about yourself, so start there,\u201d Mirren said. \u201cThe next thing is exercise, which doesn\u2019t mean joining expensive gyms.\u201d<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\nA: The entire circuit is designed to be completed in 12 minutes.
\nQ: Do I need to be extremely fit to start the XBX workout?
\nA: No, the workout starts with low and easy exercises and becomes progressively more difficult as you improve your fitness.
\nQ: Can I modify the XBX workout to suit my fitness level?
\nA: Yes, the workout allows you to increase reps as your fitness improves, and some exercises can be modified to be low-impact.
\nQ: What is the philosophy behind the XBX workout?
\nA: The workout is designed to help individuals achieve physical well-being for optimum living, and it emphasizes the importance of taking control of one’s diet and exercise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"