{"id":321629,"date":"2026-02-28T10:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T10:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/321629\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T10:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T10:11:11","slug":"how-prue-leith-reinvented-her-workout-routine-at-86-and-why-it-actually-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/321629\/","title":{"rendered":"How Prue Leith reinvented her workout routine at 86 \u2013 and why it actually works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dame Prue Leith has never been interested in \u2018formal\u2019 fitness<\/a>. \u2018I find exercise for the sake of exercise painful and unbelievably boring,\u2019 the formerBake Off host told The Mirror<\/a>, describing her dislike of structured training.<\/p>\n

\u2018Being tortured on a Pilates<\/a> reformer machine, forcing oneself out into the rain to go running or doing push-ups<\/a> on the bedroom floor are all variations of hell for me,\u2019 the 86-year-old said. \u2018Ditto yoga<\/a>, steps, spinning and the rest.\u2019<\/p>\n

But in her eighties, Prue has quietly reinvented her approach to exercise \u2013 not because she suddenly fell in love with the gym, but because she realised she needed it.<\/p>\n

The turning point<\/p>\n

A fall several years ago changed her perspective.<\/p>\n

\u2018A couple of years ago I fell at our train station and it\u2019s taken me two years to recover,\u2019 she told The Express<\/a>. \u2018My main worry is falling over. You don\u2019t want to break a leg or hip at my age. I think if I can keep everything working, I will be OK.\u2019<\/p>\n

That shift in mindset led her to incorporate functional training<\/a> into her routine. \u2018I do exercise 1772273470. I have a personal trainer who comes once or twice a week.\u2019 She\u2019s still candid about how she feels. \u2018If I have an excuse to cancel then I do it because I don\u2019t enjoy it,\u2019 she added wryly.<\/p>\n

\"new<\/p>\n

Dia Dipasupil<\/p>\n

Functional training focuses on movements that support everyday life \u2013 like standing up from a chair, stepping up, reaching, balancing and stabilising. Rather than isolating muscles, it builds strength, coordination and joint stability in ways that translate directly to real life.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s strong evidence behind it. Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine<\/a> has shown that strength and balance training can significantly reduce fall risk in older adults.
<\/p>\n

Still her way<\/p>\n

Working with a PT marks a departure from her previous habits. \u2018At various times in my life, I\u2019ve joined gyms that I never went to. I\u2019ve made countless resolutions about exercise and diet that I\u2019ve never stuck to. The worst kind of exercise is when it\u2019s non-competitive, like\u2026 going to the gym,\u2019 she revealed to The Mirror.<\/p>\n

But Prue still prefers movement that feels purposeful and social. \u2018I love tennis because it\u2019s sociable and there\u2019s a chance you\u2019ll win. I love riding because it\u2019s exhilarating, and you can do it in a gang,\u2019 she said. \u2018Weekends at home in the country offered long walks<\/a>, and more tennis<\/a> and riding.\u2019<\/p>\n

Her broader health philosophy remains holistic. \u2018It\u2019s all about the serotonin levels in the brain,\u2019 she told The Sunday Post<\/a>. \u2018If you can be optimistic and forward-looking and don\u2019t brood about the things that go wrong\u2026 I also sleep well and eat well, and I have a lovely husband.\u2019<\/p>\n

She may not enjoy structured workouts, but at 86, Prue understands what they\u2019re for: staying independent and able to keep doing the things she loves.
<\/p>\n

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