Fitness

King Charles reveals his unusually rigorous exercise regime at 77

Published

4 weeks ago

November 15, 2025

King Charles reveals his unusually rigorous exercise regime at 77

King Charles III celebrated his 77th birthday on Friday, 14 November by carrying out a series of engagements in South Wales, refusing to be put off by the chaotic rain of Storm Claudia, much like his niece, Zara Tindall, over in Cheltenham. Alongside his wife, Queen Camilla, he kicked off the day at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil, one of the most significant buildings in the country that also celebrated its 200th anniversary this year. During his visit, he had a conversation with people working their patronages, including The King’s Trust and Royal Osteoporosis Society, sharing with the public an insight into how he manages to keep fit at 77.

The King spoke to various Welsh celebrities and media personalities, including TikTok creator Lewis Leigh, Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones, and Liam Reardon, the reality TV star who shot to fame after winning the 2021 series of ITV’s hit dating programme Love Island. In conversation with Liam, he revealed his rigorous fitness routine.

Queen Camilla and King Charles wave as they depart from a visit to Cyfarthfa Castle

Speaking to the father of Prince William and Prince Harry, Liam said: “I’m opening a gym next week, so if you ever fancy a little session, let me know, we’ll have a session together.” In response, the King laughed and said: “I try to do my exercise… twice a day.”

Later talking about the interaction, the Love Island winner said: “He mentioned going to the gym… He said, ‘You’re opening a gym are you?’ I said, ‘Yeah. Look, if you’re ever in the area again and you fancy a session, I’ll put you through your paces’… He said, ‘Oh yeah, I’d love to’. I said, ‘You look fit anyway’, he said, ‘I train twice a day’, I said, ‘I can tell’.”

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: King Charles’ health over the years

At his age, and with such a busy schedule, getting in two workouts a day is quite the task, but for someone who is constantly out and about, as well as a continuously public-facing figurehead of the country, it’s especially vital that he is physically and mentally fit enough to handle the image side of his responsibilities.

The King’s birthday celebrations in the Castle

At the community reception, there were also representatives from the King and Queen’s respective patronages, as well as local businesses such as Coco’s Coffee and Candles, and Enaid Wellness. People from the King’s Trust, Royal Osteoporosis Society, and domestic violence charity Safer Merthyr Tydfil were also present.

King Charles was then presented with a coin to mark the Trust’s upcoming 50th anniversary next year, which was designed by King’s Trust alumna Jessica Gregorio and produced at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant.

The guests then sang happy birthday to the King before he cut his cake, which was a replica of Cyfarthfa Castle made out of a vanilla sponge with jam and buttercream. After the celebration, King Charles left to officially open the South Wales Metro Depot in Taff’s Well, just outside of Cardiff, while the Queen visited Cyfarthfa Primary School in Merthyr Tydfil to mark World Poetry Day.

Related Topics:health-fitness king charles royalty

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December 11, 2025

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Fitness

Skip the 10,000 Steps: The One Exercise That Matches a Full Day of Walking, according to a Fitness Coach

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

On Instagram, Zarina Manaenkova advised taking short intervals of squats could deliver the same impact as a full day of walking. “Ten squats instead of 10 thousand steps,” Zarina’s post read, referencing a study that equated ten squats every 45 minutes with 10,000 steps. Manaenkova explained the science behind her claim, stating, “When your muscles actively contract, they produce very important compounds that influence your brain, metabolism, and even your fat-burning processes. Meanwhile, a simple walk does not have this effect. So, if you want to stay young, squat.”

Fitness

A deload week over Christmas will help you hit your goals, experts say – here’s how

Published

2 days ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

A deload week over Christmas will help you hit your goals, experts say – here’s how

Has the idea of taking a break from your fitness routine this Christmas left you with more fear than cheer? Good news. Rest days are a legitimate cornerstone of muscle recovery – a hard-earned chance to kick back and allow the past week’s gains to catch up with you, and never has there been more reason to do so than now, when Christmas is here, and, TBH, we deserve a bloomin’ break.

Besides letting up on any mental stress you may have amassed over the year, extended breaks from training help keep you motivated and, plot twist, there are also physical benefits that come from switching the squat rack for the sofa. They trigger powerful physical and biochemical changes that help increase your muscle mass over time.

Your body needs regular breaks to adapt to sustained training. It’s not the work itself that brings your goals into fruition – like enhanced muscle mass and a deadlift PB – but the time you spend recovering. The training is just the stimulus; during rest periods you experience a cascade of biochemical, neural and hormonal changes that cement those changes in your body as it’s the time for your muscles to repair and grow back stronger.

If you don’t regularly take time to recharge and regenerate, you simply won’t cash in on the results you’ve already paid for. Play the hero long enough and you could even suffer overtraining syndrome (OTS), the result of excessive muscular, skeletal and joint trauma.

This could cause a rise in circulating monocytes – a type of white blood cell linked to immune function – which leads to:

Low energy;
Reduced protein synthesis;
Poor sleep;
Reduced performance;
A drop in hormone production

Pretty much everything you need to ensure muscle growth and energy production get shut down.

You keep training because you want to achieve your goals. But by overtraining you force your body into survival and protection mode instead. To some, a week away from the gym might seem counterintuitive. Two weeks might seem like heresy. However, in reality, it could be your key to success. When you take a week or two off from the gym every 12 weeks or so, your muscles, tendons and ligaments repair themselves, and the glycogen energy stores in your muscles and liver are replenished.

Best of all, you won’t lose any of your hard-won gains: studies show it takes four to six weeks of pure inactivity – we’re talking proper bed/boxset rest here – to see severe catabolic breakdown. After one or two weeks off, you won’t suffer a significant drop in strength, power, body mass or size – or witness a noticeable gain in body fat.

And it takes even longer to see any decline in aerobic capacity, stamina or VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise, according to BUPA). A week without loud, crowded gyms and rushing to get to spin class will also do wonders for your mental freshness.

You’ll feel sharper, your enthusiasm to return to your workouts come January will surge, and you will have neutralised all the tiredness and irritability associated with overdoing it. So cut yourself some slack and plan in a week of (COVID-friendly) festive fun. Truth be told, you’ll do a lot worse by overtraining than you ever could by taking time off.

Expert source: Ian Aylward, lead strength and conditioning coach at Perform St George’s Park