Between the Olympic equestrian Zara Tindall, polo-loving Prince William and marathon runner Princess Beatrice, it goes without saying that this generation of the British royal family is an especially sporty one. Hence, it comes as no surprise that Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, also loves to keep active, especially as she is currently training in the military cadets. We know that she loves to ski, she loves carriage driving and that she's a keen equestrian like the Princess Royal and her daughter. However, the 21-year-old has another fitness hobby that's popular among the family, and especially good for your health.
HELLO! understands that Lady Louise loves to run, which she is able to do in privacy from her parents' home, Bagshot Park, and while holidaying at other royal homes such as the immense Balmoral estate. Frankly, you can't get a much better running route than the tree-lined paths and remote beauty of Balmoral!
Running is a fantastic form of exercise
According to Monty Simmons, fitness expert and personal trainer, running is fantastic for your cardiovascular health: "It improves heart and lung function, and the more you practice, the more efficiently your body uses oxygen. You'll breathe more clearly, increase lung function, and improve how your body takes in and uses oxygen."
He adds that it helps to build "endurance and lower body strength", working various muscles in your legs, while also helping to reduce body fat and regulate your blood sugar, if you can build a habit around it. "Around 90 minutes a week is enough to burn calories and support metabolism beyond the run itself, as your body continues to recover afterwards," the personal trainer says.
Running can also be great for your mental health
Monty also emphasises the psychological benefits of running: "It releases endorphins, which we call the runner's high, which you feel once you're fit enough. Before that, you'll still feel proud of showing up. If you're stuck at a desk, a run pulls you into your body, breaks overthinking and resets your chemistry."
He adds that it can help drastically improve your mood: "The challenge is getting started when you don't feel like it, but even 10 minutes can be cathartic. It helps you process stress, sleep more easily and sleep deeper." The fitness expert suggests starting with 10 minutes if you find it difficult at first, and begin to increase your speed and distance once you start feeling the benefits.
"Eventually it won't feel like work; instead it will feel like relief," he concludes. "And once you reach that point, you'll really start to enjoy it. That's where you'll start to get fit enough to be able to run long enough for that runner's high to kick in, and you'll get the sense of freedom from that."