Let us count the ways we love Helen Mirren… For a start, the actor has never made fitness sound like a full-time job. She’s long been an advocate of super-short workouts, ones you could feasibly fit into your already overcrowded schedule.
‘I’m a big believer in the Canadian Air Force women’s exercise regime, which is 12 minutes,’ she’s said, describing it as ‘a nice little exercise programme’ – simple, progressive and manageable enough to do every day.
If that sounds miraculous, this week brought even happier news. Brand-new research suggests that even shorter bursts of strength training could improve some of the things that matter most as we age, including balance, leg strength and the ability to get up from a chair.
Helen Mirren’s workout
Created in the 1950s by US physician Bill Orban, the Royal Canadian Air Force XBX (10 basic exercises) routine was created to help women (there’s a 5BX regime for men) work all muscle groups in a short space of time, no matter where they were.
What the new study found
The study was led by Dr Chris Sciamanna, who describes himself as ‘a doctor who hates to exercise’. His research at Penn State is focused on finding, in his words, ‘simpler, faster, cheaper and less soul-sucking ways to get fitter and stronger’.
This time round, his team asked almost 100 older adults with an average age of 74, to complete a daily, four-minute exercise routine.
The results published in PLOS One showed that the exercise regimen, which included only 60 seconds of lower body resistance training, was enough to give significant improvements in functional performance: 4.2 more repetitions in a 30 second chair stand, 3.6 more seconds in one-legged stand time and a decrease of 2.3 seconds in sit-to-stand time.
In just 12 weeks, their strength had significantly improved.
Why short workouts can help
‘The human body is designed to improve very quickly,’ Sciamanna said. ‘And just a few repetitions of an exercise performed regularly can lead to huge improvements. Exercise is about forward thinking — think about what you want to be able to do and train for it.’
Strength is built through repeated challenge, not through spending a certain number of minutes in sportswear. A few well-chosen movements, done consistently and gradually made more difficult, can help us carry on carrying out everyday tasks: standing up, climbing stairs, carrying shopping and steadying ourselves when we lose balance.
The key to this programme’s success may well be its simplicity. A perceived lack of time is consistently reported as the number-one barrier to exercise, cited by roughly 49% of adults. In this study, participants completed the routine on 81% of the days, suggesting that a workout that fits into four minutes is easier to repeat than one that requires clearing the diary, packing gym bag and summoning a heroic amount of motivation.
‘Exercise is actually really complicated, because you have to decide how many repetitions, how far, how many sets, how much rest and how many times per week,’ said co-author Smita Dandekar, associate professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine. ‘It’s hard work, so there are huge problems with people wanting to do exercise. If we can make it short, we’re part-way there.’
How to do the four-minute routine
The study’s exercise programme included four exercises: push-ups, chair stands, two-arm rows and stair stepping. Participants performed each movement for 30 seconds followed by a 30-second rest. They were given four elastic resistance bands, a stepper with an adjustable height and a clear set of instructions, including modifications to simplify each exercise, such as performing push-ups with hands on a countertop or wall, or chair stands with hands on the knees.
As they got better at doing the exercises, they were encouraged to progress to higher levels of difficulty, such as performing the original version of the exercise if they were doing a modified version or increasing step height on the stepper.
Set a timer for four minutes. Work for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, and move through:
Push-ups against a wall, kitchen counter or floorChair stands, using your hands if neededTwo-arm rows with resistance bands or light weightsStep-ups on a low step, or marching on the spot
Start with the easiest version and focus on controlled movement. The aim is not to race or exhaust yourself. Once the exercises feel comfortable, you can gradually increase the resistance, height of the step or number of repetitions.
How to do the XBX workout
1. Toe touching/warm-up: 30 seconds
Stand straight, feet 12 inches apart with your arms raised straight above your head. Bend forwards to touch the floor between your feet, keeping your knees soft but not fully bent, then return to start position and repeat.
2. Knee raises: 30 seconds
Stand straight, hands by your sides and feet together. Raise your left knee as high as possible, grasp it with your hands, and pull your leg towards your body, then lower to floor. Repeat, alternating legs.
3. Lateral bending: 30 seconds
Stand straight, feet 12 inches apart with your arms at your sides. Keeping your back straight, bend sideways from your waist, sliding your hand down your left leg as far as possible. Return to starting position and repeat, alternating sides.
4. Arm circling: 30 seconds each arm
Stand straight, feet 12 inches apart with your arms at your sides. Make large circles with one arm, half the time going forwards, and half the time going backwards. Then repeat on your other arm.
5. Partial sit-ups: 30 seconds
Lie on your back, legs straight and together, arms at your sides. Raise your head and shoulders from the floor until you can see your heels, then lower back down. Repeat movement as many times as possible in the time duration.
6. Chest and leg raising: 2 minutes
Lie face down, arms along your sides, hands under your thighs with palms pressing into you. Raise your head, shoulders and left leg (keep straight) as high as possible from the floor, then lower back down to start position. Repeat the whole movement alternating legs.
7. Side leg raising: 1 minute
Lie on your side, legs straight, lower arm stretched out along the floor. Using your top arm for balance, raise your whole leg 18 to 24 inches off the floor, then lower to starting position. Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch sides and use other leg for 30 seconds.
8. Push-ups: 2 minutes
You can do this in a full push-up position or from your knees, whichever is most comfortable for you.
9. Leg lifting: 1 minute
Lie on your back, legs straight and together, arms at your sides with palms facing down. Raise your left leg until it is perpendicular to the floor, or as close to a 90 degree as possible. Lower, then repeat alternating legs.
10. Run and hop: 3 minutes
Run on the spot lifting your knees as high as possible, counting how many times your feet touch the floor. After fifty, hop off the ground using both feet, then begin the running again.
And remember: Helen Mirren’s routine lasts 12 minutes, this study’s lasted four. The best workout may be the one that feels small enough to begin, and sensible enough to keep doing.
Consult your GP about any specific concerns and before following exercise advice in this article