Helen Mirren's 'disciplined' military workout she's followed for 60 years

Dame Helen Mirren is one of the film industry's longest-standing stars with a career spanning 60 years.

The 1923 star, 79, never fails to impress with her on-screen performances and it has been revealed that a certain fitness plan helps the actress to stay at the top of her game.

It has been reported that the White Bird actress follows a strict daily workout regime, but it is not what you may think. Helen has admitted to following the same 12-minute exercise routine every day for the last 60 years.

Join HELLO! in getting the full low down on the actress' workout with expert advice from personal trainer and founder of Ladies Who Crunch, Nancy Best.

The exercise programme was originally created by the Royal Canadian Air Force and it involves ten basic exercises, hence its moniker as the XBX programme. The regime ranges in difficulty – though the time limit for each rep remains the same, the number of reps in a set increases according to a levelled system.

Keeping fit at 79

Nancy Best tells us that maintaining a balanced exercise routine is important at any age and even more so for people in their 70s, like Helen Mirren, who want to maintain strength and mobility.

"The more we move as we age, the more likely we are to live without pain," the personal trainer explains. "There is strong research to suggest that exercise helps us live longer, too! A study from The BMJ showed that muscle strengthening was associated with a 10 per cent to 17 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, total cancer, diabetes and lung cancer."

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The benefits of Helen's military

When many of us picture a military workout we think of an intense endurance test and a true feat of agility and stamina. However, Helen's sustainable approach to working out has many benefits.

"It's great that there is a dedicated section for mobility at the start of the workout, which is often neglected in shorter formats like this," Nancy tells HELLO!. "Our lifestyles are predominantly sedentary, so we need to prime and prepare our bodies for exercise. Otherwise, we'll feel stiff and can sustain injuries."

The full-body approach is also great for those with limited time to work out. "It's great to see a mix of compound exercises (which target multiple muscle groups), alongside unilateral exercises (which use one limb, instead of two)."

The conditioning aspect of the workout plan is important for aerobic endurance. Overall, Helen's plan makes military fitness principles accessible and it can be performed at the gym or at home.

A safe and effective workout

Women who are post-menopausal, and particularly those over 70 such as the Fast X actress, have to be mindful of how changes in hormones can affect their workout plan for reasons of safety. Nancy explains: "Women can lose up to 20 per cent of their bone density within five to seven years following menopause. This means our bodies lose bone faster than we can rebuild it (making your bones fragile and more likely to break).

"Our chances of developing osteoporosis increase, which is why it is important for post-menopausal women to follow a low-impact strength training programme. This will help retain muscle mass and protect joints from injury."

Complete beginners should also approach Helen's workout with caution. "Female hormones are complex and particularly post-partum and post-menopause, it’s important to lay the foundations of functional strength before introducing intense movements like these," the fitness expert says.

"Whilst the format is varied and has progressive options, we need to ensure there are opportunities for adequate progressive overload, to help develop muscle fibres and facilitate adaptation. If we’re doing the same bodyweight exercises, over and over again, we’re going to hit a plateau."

To avoid this, Nancy recommends introducing weighted variations, with a gradual increase in the load over time.

Is 12 minutes enough?

The generally accepted recommendation when it comes to exercise as an adult is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity – but is breaking your workout down into daily 12-minute sessions cutting it?

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Nancy recommends focusing on consistency over the length of the workout. "If you can do this workout daily for six months, you’re definitely going to be fitter than trying to do a couple of random 30-minute sessions across the same timeframe," she explains. "Building a habit takes discipline, so I'm a fan of anything that gives people a route to regular exercise."