Sprightly at 70: I owe it to my tennis ball and a foam brick, says Camilla
Duchess tells Singapore hosts about her ‘healthy ageing’ philosophy that includes yoga and pilates
IN YEARS gone by, keeping fit in retirement might require little more equipment than a pair of comfortable shoes and a dog to take for a walk.
The modern pensioner, however, may wish to adopt a more unusual range of accessories: a tennis ball and a foam brick.
The Duchess of Cornwall has disclosed she uses the unexpected items to stay fit, undertaking yoga to stay supple at 70 and using the small ball to keep her muscles pain-free.
Advocating “healthy ageing”, she hailed the real difference exercise and stretching makes, saying she found it “very important as you get older”.
The Duchess spoke in Singapore as she attended a morning of classes based on “active ageing”, helping older people to live life to the full through art, cookery and exercise.
Watching a class, the Duchess said she does “a bit of yoga and pilates”.
Discussing the technical details of the class with Lim Bee Ling, an instructor, she pointed to props including bricks used to support the body.
“They’re very good,” she said. “I have a back brick like that, they’re very good for stretching the muscles. I travel with mine, it’s very useful.”
Told she should try using a simple ball, which can be rolled under the feet or used to massage the back, she added: “The tennis ball is very good too, I know, because if you’ve got a bit of a spasm you can roll about on it.” The Duchess has recently become a vocal champion for older people, becoming patron of The Silver Line, a helpline for loneliness, and launching the Royal Volunteer Service’s visiting scheme.
As she visited Singapore as part of a 10-day Commonwealth tour, also taking in Malaysia and India with the Prince of Wales, she spent the morning at Tiong Bahru’s Community Centre with elderly people enjoying classes that reflected her own hobbies.
Admitting she was sad not to join in the yoga class, she said: “It’s very good for you as you get older, it makes you less stiff. It makes you much more supple, doesn’t it? Able to bend and stretch.
“I think it’s very important as you get older to take exercise and stretch. It does make a difference. Healthy ageing, that’s what we all need,” she said.
The Duchess also visited other classes aimed at active ageing, including Japanese flower arranging.
A keen flower arranger herself, she praised the work of older women and men. At the National Orchid Garden, the couple accepted a purple orchid named in their honour: Dendrobium Duke (and) Duchess of Cornwall.
The Prince visited the National Gallery and Dyson Technology Centre, where he tried his hand with a vacuum cleaner to the amusement of onlookers. Today, the couple will stop off at Brunei for the day, meeting the Sultan and his family, en route to Malaysia.
‘I have a back brick like that, they’re good for stretching the muscles. I travel with mine’