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Dame Helen Mirren has revealed the 12-minute military workout that's helped her maintain her incredible figure for 60 years.
The Oscar-winning British actress, 79, is known for age-defying looks and glamorous red carpet ensembles.
And now she's lifted the lid on the fitness routine, which was originally created by the military, that she's done every day for the last six decades.
She told Woman's Weekly that she is 'a big believer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) women's exercise regime, which is 12 minutes.'
Helen explained: '[Exercise] doesn't mean joining expensive gyms. It is an exercise regime that starts from very low and easy, then if you follow it through it can become quite difficult.
She admitted: 'I've never gotten past the second level but it's a nice little exercise programme.'
Dame Helen Mirren has revealed the 12-minute military workout that's helped her maintain her incredible figure for 60 years
The Oscar-winning British actress, 79, is known for age-defying looks and glamorous red carpet ensembles (Helen pictured 1974)
The programme is called the XBX routine, which means ten basic exersizes, and was created by Dr Bill Orban in the 1950s for the Canadian Air Force's new female recruits to improve their fitness levels.
It's a physical fitness program composed of four charts of ten exercises, arranged in progressive order of difficulty.
The ten exercises on each chart are always performed in the same order, and in the same maximum time limits. The charts are divided into levels and there are 48 levels in all, 12 in each chart.
It includes 30 seconds each of simple exersizes like toe touching, knee raises, lateral bending and arm circling.
The programme's official booklet explains: 'The exersize plan in the XBX booklet provides women with the opportunity to achieve physical fitness in an enjoyable, interesting manner for a total investment of 12 minutes a day.'
It comes after Helen looked nothing short of sensational as she graced the red carpet at the star-studded L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth Celebration in November.
The actress, who has been a L'Oreal brand ambassador since 2014, dazzled in a sequinned lavender gown with a demure neckline and sheer mesh skirt.
Helen kept her silver tresses off her face with a thin headband while also added extra sparkle to the ensemble with a pair of purple diamond drop earrings.
She toted her essential for the evening in a perfectly co-ordinating clutch and slipper her feet into a pair of silver heels.
And now she's lifted the lid on the fitness routine, which was originally created by the military, that she's done every day for the last six decades
She told Woman's Weekly that she is 'a big believer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) women's exercise regime, which is 12 minutes' (Helen pictured in 1967)
Helen explained: '[Exercise] doesn't mean joining expensive gyms. It is an exercise regime that starts from very low and easy, then if you follow it through it can become quite difficult'
In October, Helen shared that discrimination against age 'needs to change,' after new research suggested a third of over-65's have been subject to ageism.
The actress said that discrimination is both 'upsetting and unfair' after Age UK published its report indicating millions have had negative experiences due to their age, ranging from being treated with less respect to being threatened.
The charity, for which Dame Helen is an ambassador, said its analysis found that a third of people aged 65 and over and almost a quarter of people aged between 50 and 64 in England said they had been discriminated against due to their age.
Using population statistics and its analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, the charity suggested that around 6.1 million people aged 50 and over in England have faced ageism.
This can come on top of other forms of discrimination for some, the charity said, finding that around one in six women aged 50 or older said they had faced sexism, and more than half of people from minority ethnic backgrounds in this age category had endured racial or religious discrimination.
Age UK said while the 'population is rapidly ageing, ageism remains rife' and has made calls to change attitudes, tackle poverty and inequality and ensure older people’s health and social care needs are 'recognised and fully met'.
Dame Helen said: 'Ageing happens to us all but, as we get older, life can get tougher. Many will start to be treated differently, which can not only be very upsetting but also unfair.'
'Everybody, regardless of their age, should feel included and valued and that is what Age UK is striving to achieve.'
She concluded with: 'This is an ambitious but truly important challenge, as things need to change and it’s in all our interests to ensure that older people are respected and treated as the individuals that they are.'
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