Prue Leith has more urgent places to be than the gym. The restaurateur, writer, grandmother of 11, businesswoman and former Bake Off host has – excuse the pun – a lot on her plate. So how does she balance the need to stay fit enough to tackle it all with the desire to, well… do more exciting things than exercise?
The answer was revealed in a recent interview: ‘I race through it,’ she said with characteristic frankness. ‘It’s so boring.’
Boring, perhaps, but also brilliant. ‘Prue’s routine is a great example of a simple, consistent maintenance programme,’ says physiotherapist Sam Bhide, having analysed its component parts. ‘It’s a very practical little routine,’ she adds, approvingly.
So what does it involve? And how can we copy it?
Prue’s routine
‘I lie on my bed and roll my knees from side to side, then I bicycle my legs in the air 30 times,’ she said. ‘Then 30 lunges, 30 leg lifts, then I bounce up and down on my toes until my ankles ache – I never do anything any more, once things start aching.’
Each move, analysed
Rolling your knees from side-to-side: ‘This is excellent for mobilizing the lumbar spine and stretching the hips,’ says Sam. ‘It helps maintain the rotational range of motion needed for tasks such as getting out of a car or turning to look behind you.’
Bicycling your legs: ‘This encourages circulation and joint lubrication,’ says Sam. ‘It helps keep the synovial fluid moving in the knees and hips, which is vital for preventing stiffness.’
Lunges: ‘These are brilliant for functional lower-limb strength,’ she explains. ‘They target the glutes and quadriceps, which are essential for everyday movements such as walking, standing up from a chair and climbing stairs.’
Leg lifts: ‘These are a fantastic low-impact way to strengthen the hip flexors and quadriceps without putting excessive stress on the knee joints themselves.’
Bouncing on your toes (also known as calf raises): ‘This is wonderful for ankle mobility and calf strength,’ says Sam. ‘Strong calves are a key component of balance and essential for the “push-off” phase of our gait cycle, helping us walk more efficiently.’
But…
NHS guidance recommends muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week.
While lunges count as strengthening exercises, and leg lifts can, too, the routine doesn’t – sadly – work your upper body. You’ll need to lift some smaller grandchildren to tick that box, as well as chasing them around to get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week.
The GH take
Still, a study published last year in the journal Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise looked at a broad range of exercise forms undertaken by participants with an average of 76 including walking, gardening and – yes – housekeeping.
It found that people with consistent activity schedules (specificly the ones who exercised every morning) experienced more benefits than people who chopped and changed their routines. The best exercise, then, is the one you do consistently. Even if it’s boring.