Jane Asher has graced our screens for decades, and she’s showing no signs of slowing down now she’s entered her 80s. In fact, Jane’s undertaking an exciting new role playing the late Queen Elizabeth II in the stage play, By Royal Appointment. So, what’s her secret to keeping herself fit, healthy and feeling great for new ventures?
Well, speaking in The Lady, Jane admitted she’d tried a few different exercise routines, but struggled to stay committed. ‘Over the years, I’ve tried yoga and Pilates but never kept them up,’ she previously told the publication. However, there’s one workout she’s switched to which seems to have stuck. ‘I’ve been swimming for a couple of years now and I try to go every day, near my London home,’ she said.
Jane said that that it’s ‘part of my job to keep the equipment in good nick,’ and praised the physical benefits she’s experienced from swimming. ‘It’s good for keeping creaky old joints moving,’ she said.
A&E specialist Dr Hussain Ahmad explains that, ‘water supports the body and takes much of the load off joints such as the knees and hips, so swimming is a good option for people with osteoarthritis or joint pain.’ He says that swimming in warm water (in the UK, that would largely mean heated pools rather than wild or cold water swimming) offers potential added benefits. ‘Warm water may also ease stiffness, while moving joints through a comfortable range helps maintain flexibility,’ he adds.
While Jane keeps herself active, she’s also mindful about ‘eating less red meat’ than she used to and is adding ‘more fish’ into her diet. However, that doesn’t mean she’s giving up on her favourite treats. ‘I’ll have a chocolate croissant if I want one,' Jane told The Lady, before revealing to The Guardian in 2023 that her guilty pleasure is ‘eating condensed milk out of the tin’.
And while the detrimental health impact of smoking is impossible to ignore, she did confess to The Telegraph just last month that she believes ‘you can’t beat a cigarette with a glass of wine at the end of the day’.