As King Charles is set to become the oldest newly crowned monarch in fitness history, he has been working hard to make sure he's fit enough for the honor.
King Charles III is set to become the oldest newly crowned monarch in the history of the United Kingdom at the age of 74. However, despite his age, he has been making sure to stay fit and healthy for the job. According to sources close to Charles, the King has been putting in the work to make sure he’s up to the task and remains fit and spry.
5BX fitness regime
According to the Telegraph, one of the ways that King Charles keeps himself fit is by starting each day with the 5BX fitness regime, which stands for 'five basic exercises'.
This regime, designed for the Canadian Air Force in the 1950s, consists of a 12-minute workout that includes press-ups, sit-ups, back extensions, stretching, and running on the spot. When the monarch was younger, he was even able to do the rigorous regime twice a day.
According to the autobiography Spare written by the Duke of Sussex, it was disclosed that his father used to do headstands regularly while wearing only his underwear to alleviate his back pain. Prince Harry wrote:
'Prescribed by his physio, these exercises were the only effective remedy for the constant pain in Pa’s neck and back. He performed them daily, in a pair of boxers, propped against a door or hanging from a bar like a skilled acrobat.'
Outdoor activities
During his younger years, the King was a daring polo player and skier, though his boldness often came at a price. Playing polo on horseback led to a degenerative disc issue at the base of his spine, which made it difficult for him to sit for long periods due to the numerous falls he took during matches.
Furthermore, the King has had a lifelong passion for hiking. According to Queen Camilla, who served as a guest editor for Country Life magazine last year, her husband's love for hiking in the countryside, as well as hedge-laying and gardening at Highgrove, is what keeps him healthy and fit.
Strict diet and eating habits
According to the Mirror, King Charles has kept up a regime of good diet and exercise throughout his life, making sure he maintains a weight of 11st 5lbs and branding the process as a 'never-ending battle'.
He reportedly does not eat lunch and, though he flirted with the idea of becoming vegetarian in the 1970s, he has settled for skipping meat and fish two days a week, while ditching dairy one day per week.
After a breakfast of fruit, nuts, seeds, soft boiled eggs, and a cup of tea, Charles won’t eat again until 5 pm when he has a tea consisting of sandwiches and cake, the Telegraph reports. While traveling abroad, the staff and media personnel are expected to adhere to the King's routine of skipping lunch. They quickly learn to carry snacks like energy bars or a banana to manage their hunger throughout the day. More surprisingly, the King does not even drink water between meals to avoid unscheduled loo breaks.
As a result of the King's monitoring of his calorie intake, he is able to wear several of his military uniforms tailored for him during his younger years, a source of great pride for him. This includes the RAF uniform he donned in 1971 when he achieved his wings.
Avoiding extravagant banquets
King Charles also likes to avoid banquets whenever possible, both at home when entertaining guests - he prefers a drinks reception when hosting - and when abroad. He reportedly tries to minimize foreign banquets as there are parts of the world where people might have left food out all day to make sure it’s ready.
The King also travels with his own private chef, reportedly to minimize the chances of food poisoning. A source told the Telegraph:
'It might seem like an extravagance. but it’s an absolute necessity to have your food prepared by your own team as often as possible because it minimizes the danger of food poisoning. He is very aware that when you’re cresting 75, you have to do everything you can to maximize your efficiency as a tool of the state.'
Additionally, King Charles always travels with a doctor, one of a roster of GPs who use their annual leave to accompany the monarch on trips abroad.
Read more:
⋙ Here's everything King Charles eats in a day
⋙ King Charles III: Five foods the monarch refuses to eat
⋙ Kate Middleton always has these two vegetables for breakfast
