Helen Mirren’s 60-Year Commitment to the RCAF XBX Program

Renowned actress Helen Mirren, who celebrated her 80th birthday in July, has shared insights into her long-standing fitness routine that has endured for six decades. In a recent interview with Women’s Weekly, she expressed her strong belief in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) women’s exercise regimen known as XBX, which is just 12 minutes long.

The XBX Exercise Program

Developed by Dr. Bill Orban in the late 1950s, the XBX program was specifically designed to enhance the physical fitness of women in the Air Force. A group of over 600 women contributed to its creation. Mirren emphasized that exercising doesn’t have to involve expensive gym memberships.

The program’s objective is to promote:

• Muscle strength and endurance
• Flexibility
• Cardiovascular efficiency

Structure of the XBX Program

The XBX plan features four charts consisting of ten exercises, arranged by increasing difficulty across 48 levels. Although the time allotted for each exercise remains constant, the repetitions increase as one progresses. For instance, in Chart II, participants perform exercise 2 twelve times at level 18, increasing to fourteen times at level 19.

Exercise Details

Each chart follows a specific format:

• Exercises 1-4: Focus on warm-up and flexibility (Time: 2 minutes total)
• Exercise 5: Strengthens abdominal and thigh muscles (Time: 2 minutes)
• Exercise 6: Targets back, buttocks, and back thigh muscles (Time: 1 minute)
• Exercise 7: Works on the side thigh muscles (Time: 1 minute)
• Exercise 8: Concentrates on arms, shoulders, and chest (Time: 2 minutes)
• Exercise 9: Enhances waist flexibility and strengthens hips (Time: 1 minute)
• Exercise 10: Conditioning for heart and lungs (Time: 3 minutes)

According to the XBX instructions, participants should only advance to the next level once they can comfortably complete their current level within the 12-minute timeframe.

Getting Started with Helen’s Workout

Mirren tends to focus on the first two charts of the program, which offer a range of targeted exercises to enhance overall fitness.

Exercises in Chart I

The exercises in Chart I include:

• Toe touching
• Knee raising
• Lateral raising
• Arm circling
• Partial sit-ups
• Chest and leg raising
• Side leg raising
• Knee push-ups
• Leg lifting
• Run and hop

Exercises in Chart II

Similarly, the exercises in Chart II consist of the following modifications:

• Rocking sit-ups (instead of partial sit-ups)
• Leg overs (similar to side-lying thoracic rotation stretch, instead of leg lifting)
• Run and stride jumping (instead of run and hop)

Mirren notes, “It is an exercise regime that starts from very low and easy, then if you follow it through it can become quite difficult. I’ve never gotten past the second level, but it’s a nice little exercise program.”

By embracing a routine like the XBX, anyone can enhance their physical health without the need for expensive gym facilities.