Helen Mirren, the 80-year-old Oscar-winning actress, said she still performs a 12-minute daily military workout she first adopted in the 1960s, calling the routine a longtime cornerstone of her fitness approach.
Mirren told Women’s Health that she is “a big believer” in the system and praised its accessibility, saying she has followed the regimen faithfully for more than six decades.
The program Mirren described is known as XBX, or the Ten Basic Exercises, developed in the late 1950s by Dr. Bill Orban for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The plan was created to help female air force personnel improve overall fitness without access to gyms or specialized equipment.
The XBX regimen comprises four progressive charts, each containing 10 exercises. Participants move through 48 levels in total — 12 levels per chart — with workouts designed to be completed in about 12 minutes, according to descriptions of the system.
Mirren’s endorsement draws attention to an older method of conditioning that emphasizes consistency and simplicity. She has highlighted the routine’s ease of practice and its suitability for people who prefer brief, equipment-free sessions.
The actress’s revelation follows a wider public interest in short-format fitness routines that circulate on social platforms and in lifestyle publications. Health experts say that adherence to any safe, sustainable exercise habit is a major factor in long-term benefits, and some trainers point to low-equipment programs like XBX as accessible entry points for older adults or those with busy schedules.
Mirren has maintained a high-profile career in film, television and theater for decades, and she has frequently discussed the role of fitness and wellbeing in her personal life and professional longevity. Her mention of the XBX routine underscores how older training methods can remain part of contemporary wellness practices.
The XBX program’s military origins and structured progression are often cited when the regimen is described in fitness histories. While the method predates many modern commercial fitness programs, its focus on brief, repeatable exercises continues to be referenced by those promoting sustainable daily movement.
Mirren’s comments provide a high-profile example of long-term commitment to a simple exercise practice, and they have prompted renewed media attention to a decades-old routine that remains available to anyone seeking a short, no-equipment workout.