Recently I read a fascinating book titled Long Live the Queen – 23 Rules for Living from Britain’s Longest Reigning Monarch by Bryan Kozlowski. I knew nothing about the Queen’s health habits nor did I ever think to explore them. I’m very grateful this gifted writer did it for me! The excellent health advice is cleverly interwoven with historical incidents from the Queen’s childhood to the present day. If you’re looking for a stimulating and intellectually satisfying Christmas gift — or a treat for yourself — I highly recommend this book. In fact I’ve been recommending it to all my patients. I also recently mentioned it during my interview on ABC radio Gold Coast with Julie Clift.
Click here to listen to our conversation and read a section of the transcript below.
Julie: I believe you’ve recently read an intriguing book that provides great health advice. What’s the book and what’s the advice?
The book is Long Live the Queen – 23 Rules for Living from Britain’s longest reigning monarch by Bryan Kozlowski. The book is meticulously researched and a great read. It takes us behind Palace doors to reveal the Queen’s secrets of longevity. And one of her big secrets is that she exercises every day but she’s never set foot in a gym!
Instead, the Queen engages in the latest exercise trend called LISS. But she’s not doing it because it’s trendy, she’s been doing it all her life. LISS stands for Low Intensity Steady State and it’s a fancy way of saying ride a bicycle at an easy pace, take a brisk walk or do some comfortable laps in the pool. Whatever pace is sustainable for you.
For the Queen, her LISS exercise is to go for a sprightly daily outdoor walk for 30 to 60 minutes. At Buckingham Palace she walks around the gardens and at Balmoral or Sandringham she strides through the woods and moorlands. What’s just as important is the Queen’s attitude to exercise. She really enjoys it. And pleasure is critical to getting the most out of our exercise.
If we don’t enjoy exercise, it actually mitigates some of the benefits. Feeling stressed or resentful about exercise triggers production of the hormone cortisol — and cortisol not only stimulates fat storage around our abdomen, it kills brain cells in our memory centre called the hippocampus.
So find something you enjoy. Throw a frisbee around, try body surfing or go dancing. The Queen’s motivation to exercise comes from the pleasure it gives her; the health benefits are a bonus. And that’s the secret to sticking to regular exercise. You want to do it because it’s fun, not because you have to.
Click here to read more about Long Live the Queen by Bryan Koslowski. Available at all online bookstores and also on Audible.
By all means forward this Health-e-Byte to anyone who might like to get you the book for Christmas!
