When I think of Dame Julie Andrews, fitness isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
Soaring through the sky attached to a brolly, skipping through the Alps singing, or more recently, narrating the scandals of the ton are all things I associate with the veteran actress.
But it turns out, we can learn a lot about exercise and longevity from the thespian, who turns 91 in October.
While Dame Julie recently disappointed fans when she revealed she won’t be starring alongside Anne Hathaway in the reprise of The Princess Diaries, sharing she feels she is “past all that now,”, she is far from taking it easy in later life, sharing two years ago that she has worked out first thing in the morning for her whole life.
The benefits of morning workouts
The timing of the actress’ workout could be key to her incredibly good health at 90, according to fitness professional Sarah Campus, who explains that there are many a benefit to be had from morning workouts, both mental and physical.
“One of the biggest benefits of exercising first thing is that you simply get it done before the day has a chance to get in the way,” Sarah says. “There are always going to be excuses later in the day, whether that’s work, children, feeling tired or simply not having the motivation, so getting your workout done in the morning means you’ve already ticked that box before the day starts.”
Indeed, with a busy career such as Julie’s, no wonder she needed to find time first thing to get her movement.
© FilmMagicThe physical benefits of exercising in the morning include getting your body moving and increasing circulation, both of which can leave you feeling more energised and alert, ready for the day ahead, Sarah adds. “It can also have a positive impact on your mood, which gives you that sense of achievement before the day has even started. Psychologically, you know that you have started the day doing something positive for you and your health rather than constantly thinking, ‘I’ll fit it in later.'”
Sarah, who teaches fitness classes day in and day out, says of her own love for morning sessions: “Personally I love the feeling of having done something for myself before the rest of the house wakes up and the day gets busy.
“There’s something really peaceful and exciting about that time in the morning, and I find I’m much less distracted. It sets the tone for my whole day. I feel more energised, productive and positive afterwards, and I’m much more likely to continue making good choices around movement, food and looking after myself.”
This is an interesting point – once you’ve torn yourself from bed and made the effort to work out first thing, you’re far less likely to sabotage your good efforts with unhealthy choices later in the day.
Sarah concludes: “The biggest benefit to a morning workout is that there’s no time to overthink it! I get my kit ready the night before, have my workout planned and get up and go. The less opportunity I give myself to talk myself out of it, the more consistent I am.”
So now we know the benefits of Julie Andrews’ morning sessions, what is the actress actually doing in her workouts?
What exercise does Dame Julie Andrews do at 90?
The dame shared in the past that she does yoga and “a little bit of ballet – 30 or 40 minutes every other day,” something she’s been doing for decades, originally sharing in 1996: “I do about 45 minutes of stretching and some aerobics and ballet barre.”
Walking makes up a portion of the Mary Poppins icon’s workouts, too, with Dame Julie sharing back in 1993 that she got into hiking when she was preparing for a role at the London Palladium.
© WireImage“I decided to go for brisk walks every day. And I started to walk up to the farm and around because there are many hills and steep inclines and that really gets the legs strong. Then I started jogging a little and running a little.”
Over 30 years on, we suspect running and jogging might not be Dame Julie’s preferred exercise methods, but all of her workouts over the years have certainly set her in good stead for a healthy lifespan.
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