King Charles follows an impressive fitness routine, so much so that his wife Queen Camilla even called him a "mountain goat" when talking about the speed at which he ascends hills.
With his 78th birthday fast approaching, King Charles could be forgiven for pulling back on his fitness regime, but it seems this is far from the case, with the monarch giving a rare insight into his daily workouts during a previous engagement.
Speaking to sprinter Desiree Henry, King Charles revealed that he "exercises twice a day", performing "squats and does the pull-up bar" – impressive!
© Mark CuthbertKeen to discover if his daily routine is part of the reason the royal is so sprightly in his seventies, we previously spoke to personal trainer Chloe Thomas for her expert opinion.
King Charles' pull-ups
"Pull-ups have lots of benefits such as improving our upper body strength, improving our grip strength, helping our shoulders and joint health and improving our core," Chloe previously revealed. "Doing pull-ups as we reach our 70s is important for small daily tasks - anything from opening jars to holding onto things for support. This is because pull-ups help grip strength."
His daily habit will improve the King's day-to-day life, too, Chloe says. "Improving our upper body strength also means that we can carry out daily activities, like carrying our shopping bags or reaching for things out of cupboards.
"Pull-ups can also help strengthen shoulder joints which then prevents any injuries which are quite common as we age. Pull-ups cause us to use our core and by improving our core strength, this helps protect our spine and reduces the risk of falling over."
King Charles has a history of back pain, following a dramatic polo accident in the 1990s, with Prince Harry sharing that his father "hangs upside down" each day to ease the ache, so his penchant for pull-ups is not entirely unexpected.
Chloe adds that pull-ups are helpful for our posture as we age, helping us to stand straighter, which can be an issue as we hit 70 and beyond – nobody wants a slouching King!
King Charles' squats
© RICK RYCROFTMost people associate squats with a peachy posterior, but they have huge benefits as we age, Chloe says.
"Squats are a movement that helps strengthen our legs, hips and our glutes, and this is really important as we get to our 70s to help us keep our independence for everyday activities such as simply standing up from a chair."
She adds: "Having strong leg muscles in our 70s will also help prevent the risk of falling. As with other resistance exercises, squats can stimulate the release of growth hormone (GH) which plays a role in bone growth and maintenance. "This is important as natural levels of these hormones decrease with age."
Chloe goes on to mention osteoporosis, a concern for Queen Camilla, whose mother and sister both suffered from the condition.
"Squats can slow down and prevent osteoporosis which is common as we get into our 70s."
© Getty ImagesLastly, Chloe notes that squats help engage muscles around our knees, hips and ankles, which are common areas that tend to weaken as we age, so it’s important to keep them strong and flexible.
It sounds like King Charles is setting himself up well for a healthy decade and beyond!
King Charles' healthy daily diet
It's not just the monarch's fitness regime that keeps him in good health; he also follows a healthy eating plan.
King Charles and Queen Camilla love starting their day with fresh eggs laid by their own chickens at Highgrove House, their family home in Gloucestershire. Along with eggs, the King enjoys a morning serving of nuts and seeds, which royal journalist Tina Brown noted as one of his unique breakfast habits.
© Getty ImagesWhen it comes to the rest of the day, the King famously skips lunch. This unusual habit was even confirmed by Clarence House in a list of facts released for his 70th birthday. According to former royal correspondent Gordon Rayner, Charles considers lunch an unnecessary luxury that gets in the way of his busy work schedule.
For dinner, the royal couple prefers hearty meals made with fresh produce grown right on their own estate. Both Charles and Camilla are passionate about gardening and enjoy eating what they grow.
King Charles also uses his diet to help protect the environment. To lower his carbon footprint, he follows a mostly plant-based routine. As he shared with the BBC, he avoids meat and fish two days a week, and goes entirely dairy-free for one day each week.
