‘I want to get sweaty’: Lesley Manville’s approach to fitness at 70 – and the no-gym routine she loves

At 70 years old, Lesley Manville has an approach to getting older that we’d love to emulate. She’s spent years rallying for better representations of women in midlife and beyond, and encouraging people to see older women as who they really are rather than relying on dated stereotypes.

While she’s celebrated the ‘golden period’ of improvement regarding age representation on TV, Lesley has long pushed for ‘more, more, more’. She previously told The Guardian: ‘It’s important for young people to see that older people have not turned off a button and become this kind of muted, non-feeling entity. I do want to go out dancing and get sweaty and drink too much and go home at three in the morning, and I do want to have sex, and I do want to dress how I want to dress, and I want to have a life and be able to choose what I want to do; and I am over 60.’

And, as an actor known for her staying power (she has previously declared she has ‘exceptional stamina’), it’ll come as no surprise that as she enters her 70s, Lesley seems to show zero sign of slowing things down – when it comes to her work and her personal life. In an interview earlier this month, the actor remarked on how lovely it was to play out a midlife love story in the BBC series Mum, but said she was keen for more real-life romance in her 70s. ‘More of it, please,’ she said. ‘Who wouldn’t want romance? Who wouldn’t want somebody sharing, receiving, giving[...] Who wouldn’t want that in this messed-up world we’re living in? Keep it simple, just a little bit of good, honest, basic to and fro, love, romance.’

Lesley revealed, however, that any potential partners will need to seek her out in real life: ‘I'm not on Tinder, in case anyone is wondering.’

With all her acting work and hunting down romance, Lesley is clearly keeping busy. So, how does she maintain her energy and strength to keep going now that she’s 70?

If you’re looking for a detailed fitness routine with an exact recommendation of weight-lifting moves that will magically give you the stamina of Lesley Manville, you’ll be disappointed. A few years back she told The Cut she doesn’t go to the gym, and credits her ability to keep working non-stop to her ‘inherent energy’.

What we do know, however, is that the actor is a big fan of pilates, having engaged in the exercise for well over a decade. When working on The Christmas Candle, a film set in Victorian times, Lesley recalled that by 8pm: ‘I’m desperate to rip off my corset and do some pilates, which I like to do when my schedule allows.’ And, for her role as Flittle the pixie in Maleficent, she coupled training on how to do tumbles with plenty of Pilates practice.

Continuing Pilates into the next decade of her life is a smart move from Lesley. Previous research suggests it’s a great exercise for older women, as it’s low-impact, relatively accessible for those with mobility issues or joint pain, can protect you from cognitive decline, and may help to maintain bone and muscle strength.

Kim Hawley, Good Housekeeping’s resident fitness expert, says: ‘Pilates is a great way to improve mobility, posture and core strength – particularly in midlife and beyond, when years of accumulated bad habits can begin to take their toll in the form of back issues, shoulder pain and reduced pelvic-floor strength, to name but a few. Because Pilates is low-impact, it can be an appealing option for people managing injuries or those who are new to exercise, thanks to its slow, controlled format.’

One of the great things about Pilates is that there’s no need to join a gym to get started – as Lesley recognises. ‘It can just as easily be done at home under the guidance of a decent online instructor – and there are plenty of those on YouTube,’ says Kim. ‘All you need is a mat, so it couldn’t be simpler.’

One thing to note, though, is that Kim doesn’t recommend using Pilates as your only form of fitness. Lesley Manville hasn’t commented on her cardio levels (although going out dancing to the point you ‘get sweaty’ definitely counts as a workout), so we don’t know what else she gets up to, but all of us should build in some regular activity that raises our heart rate, whether that’s a HIIT class or simply a daily walk.

Kim advises: ‘Combine Pilates with two or three cardio sessions a week for healthy heart and lungs, plus progressive resistance training to maintain muscle mass and bone density – both increasingly important after menopause – and you have the foundations of a robust, whole-body fitness programme. In short, Pilates is an excellent piece of the midlife fitness puzzle, but it isn’t the whole jigsaw. Sadly, no amount of elegant leg circles can do every job.’