From toe-touching to push-ups – I tried Helen Mirren's 12-minute exercise plan from 1950s…the results were astonishing

01/02/2025 04:11 PM

DAME Helen Mirren – Oscar-winner and national treasure – is looking as strong and healthy as ever at 79.

In yesterday's Sun, we revealed her surprising secret to staying fit – a 12-minute exercise regime that dates back to the 1950s.

Developed by Dr Bill Orban for the Canadian military, his "XBX" workout is designed to be done without any equipment and limited space.

Dame Helen and King Charles are known to be among Dr Orban's army of fans.

So now we are putting his regime to the test – and showing YOU how to do it!

The exercises are designed to be performed daily, and to steadily increase in difficulty and intensity until you reach a level of fitness that you are happy with.

The number of repetitions here are a recommended starting point. But you can scale back and do fewer if it takes more than 12 minutes to complete all ten exercises.

Once you can comfortably finish the whole workout in those 12 minutes, push yourself to the next level and increase the number of repetitions you do in each workout.

Keep it up daily and you will see your fitness improve in no time.

Tom Bryden gives it a go . . . 

Toe touches

TO warm up and get your muscles ready for action, stand straight with your feet 12in apart and both arms stretched above your head.

Bending forward, reach down to touch the floor between your toes. If you are a newbie and you can't quite get there, do not be afraid to bend your knees slightly to make it all the way.

As you progress, you should aim to do it with straight legs.

And when you want to make the movement harder, just add in a couple of touches to the floor on the outside of each foot to give yourself a really good stretch.

Do three repetitions.

Knee raises

STAND straight with your feet together and your arms down by your side.

Begin to raise the left knee as high as you can.

Grasp your knee and shin with your hands and pull your leg towards the body to really stretch those muscles.

You should aim to get the knee as close to your chest as possible.

Then, start lowering your leg, place your foot back on the floor and repeat on the other side.

For maximum effect, keep the back straight and try your best to stay balanced.

Do this eight times in total – four for each knee.

Lateral bending

PLACE your feet 12in apart and let your arms hang by your side.

Standing straight, raise the right arm and bend it at the elbow until the hand is a few inches above your head.

Keeping the back straight, slide your left hand down your left leg as far as you can.

You should feel a stretch down the right side of your body. Keep that right arm raised by your head.

When you can't go any further, bob up and down a couple of inches to push your stretch to the max, then stand upright.

Repeat with left arm up, sliding down your right leg. Do five on each side.

Arm circle

TO complete your warm-up stretches, stand as straight as you can with your feet side by side.

Relax both of your arms by your side, then raise them together in front of your body and circle them backwards 12 times. Repeat the circles 12 times in a forward motion.

If you feel like changing things up, incorporate some "arm flings" to stretch your chest and shoulders.

To do these, bring your fingertips together in front of your chest, palms down, and throw each arm out as far as possible before returning to the starting position.

Sit-ups

NOW you are properly stretched, it's time to push yourself a bit harder. Lie on your back with hands behind your head and legs out straight.

Use the muscles in the abdomen to pull your upper body into a sitting position, before lowering yourself gently back to the floor.

If you are just starting out with the programme, try partial sit-ups.

Do these by lying on your back with arms by your side, then raising only your head and shoulders off the floor as far as you can before easing yourself back down.

For a medium-difficulty version, stretch both arms forward and slide them down your legs as you lift yourself into a sitting position.

Do this for four repetitions.

Chest & leg raise

LYING on your front with arms against your sides – as if you are planking – raise your head, chest and legs at the same time, as high off the ground as you can, balancing on your stomach.

Hold the stretch before easing yourself back down. To increase the difficulty, try doing it with both arms behind your head.

Or to make it easier, do only the left or right side of your body at one time. Repeat four times.

Side leg raise

LIE on your right side with right hand on the ground by your chest.

Then, taking the weight through the right arm, push your body up until your arm is fully extended and your weight is on the right hand.

This will create a triangle shaped gap between body and the floor.

Using the left hand for balance if you need to, slowly raise your left leg up to a 45-degree angle, then lower it.

To make this easier, simply lie on your side on the floor instead of propping yourself up.

Do four leg raises before swapping sides.

Leg raises

GET flat on your back for this one.

Raise your left leg as high as you can.

Keeping it in the air and as straight as possible, move it to the right so it extends over the body.

Then return it to an upright position and lower. Repeat with the opposite leg.

For a bigger challenge, raise both legs and move them together a couple of times, first to one side, then the other, using your core muscles for stability and control.

Push-ups

BOTH palms need to be firmly on the ground, roughly a shoulder-width apart, with legs outstretched behind you as you balance on your toes.

Lower your body close to the ground, engaging the chest muscles, then push yourself up again, keeping your back straight and your elbows tucked in.

To make it easier, perhaps do it with your knees on the ground instead of your feet.

Try this for three repetitions.

Run & jump

LASTLY, jog on the spot and count the number of times one foot has touched the ground.

When you hit 50, bend down and finish off with ten hops or star jumps to really get your heart pumping.

Tom’s verdict

YOU might think that an exercise programme which is 70 years old wouldn't cut it in 2025.

But having tried it for myself, I can say with certainty that this is a workout that ticks all the boxes.

By the end of it, my heart was pounding, while every part of my body felt like it had been used.

And as it took only 12 minutes to complete, I didn't really feel like I was having to sacrifice anything during my day to stay fit.

There is a reason the original pamphlet went on to be translated into 13 languages and sell more than 23million copies.

If you want to get fit without the fuss, then get started with the XBX today – and thank Dame Helen for the tip!