Little is known about King Charles’ daily fitness regimen behind his palace doors, other than that he reportedly loves the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 11-minute workout regimen, known as 5BX. However, he hinted that he has not ruled out dancing as a way to stay fit.
At the King’s Trust’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Belfast, the monarch watched an impressive hip hop performance by students from Urban Motion, founded by Jamie Fagan through the Enterprise Program six years ago.
Inspired by that dance, Charles told Jamie he wanted to give him a “royal hip-hop lesson.” The King’s Trust ambassador added: “He wants us to teach him how to do hip-hop.”
Charles, 77, may be mistakenly thought to have aged by trying out his famously youthful dance style, but qualified personal trainer Nicole Chapman explained to HELLO! Why is it actually the driving force behind “healthy aging”?
When asked if she was “too old” to start doing hip-hop, she replied: “Not at all. One of the most powerful things we’ve learned about aging is that the body continues to adapt amazingly well when challenged.”
“Whether you’re 30, 60, or 80, learning new movement patterns stimulates your muscles, brain, and nervous system. In fact, taking up something like hip-hop later in life can be especially beneficial because it combines physical activity, cognitive challenge, and fun. This combination can be extremely valuable for aging healthily.”
While gentle exercise such as walking, yoga, and Pilates are popular low-impact exercises to maintain strength as you age, hip-hop relies on “moving your body in multiple directions, shifting your weight, rotating your spine and hips, and quickly responding to changes in rhythm.” Nicole explained these specific benefits: “This is great for core stability, which is necessary for joint mobility, coordination, and balance.”
Of course, being a beginner, Charles will not suddenly start performing complex choreography, but unpredictable and quick changes of direction will have a positive effect on longevity. “These short-term impacts create healthy stress on the skeleton, stimulate the bones, and help maintain bone density long-term,” said the founder of Power of Mom, who incorporates strength-strengthening exercises into her workouts to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
©Getty Imagescognitive advantage
Besides the physical benefits, hip-hop is also beneficial in preventing cognitive decline, as it requires you to learn choreography and react to the rhythm of the music.
“Learning hip-hop choreography challenges your brain and body in a way that few other forms of exercise do: process rhythms, memorize sequences, coordinate different limbs, and coordinate movements in real time.
“This strengthens neuromuscular coordination, or communication between the brain and muscles, allowing us to move efficiently and react quickly. These are the same skills we rely on to maintain confidence in our movements as we age,” Nicole said, later pointing out that the journal Age and Aging found supporting evidence that a dance intervention in adults 55 and older resulted in improved cognitive function, balance, and mobility.
Overall, she said that if King Charles’ cheeky candid comments about hip-hop lessons come to fruition, it would be overwhelmingly beneficial to his mental and physical health, calling it a “very effective tool” for healthy aging.
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