Downton Abbey

Well, that got your attention! But what does this charming BBC series have to do with running or exercise? Interesting question. True confession… I’ve just blitzed through the first two seasons of Downton Abbey on Netflix and yes, I loved it. There was enough drama, fashion, culture, history, beauty and mystery to keep me going and apparently millions of others feel the same too. I don’t have a TV and therefore did not watch the shows as they aired, but since everybody is talking about them and references to them keep cropping up, I knew it was time to watch them – especially when I saw that they were available on Netflix.

So what does Downton Abbey have to do with running or exercise? You will actually see very little exercise illustrated in the episodes, especially in the way we think about it these days, such as donning spandex and heading out for a run or going to the gym or the pool. Although I dare say, the grounds of Downton Abbey look marvellous for a very long run, but I do wonder why there is not a pool or a gym somewhere in that massive castle? So no overt exercise, but there would have been plenty to be had in the day. Nobody appears overweight, although, Mrs. Patmore, the cook, does appear to be a bit wide, but let’s attribute that to excessive tasting. However, I would say that a person in her position, as with the rest of the kitchen and serving staff would have been very fit; lifting and moving food and serving items, walking up and down all the stairs in the Abbey and keeping the place in shipshape condition.

With all the pampering that the Crawley family and guests received you might wonder how they stay fit. It was perhaps a bit easier for the men as they participated in team events such as cricket or tug-a-war or went out hunting or shooting on foot or on horses. Occasionally they were joined by the women, e.g. Mary Crawley, who rode horses sidesaddle. Good grief think about the amazing core workout they must have been just to stay on board. There was of course also all those stairs, up and down to eat all those lovely meals and to change outfits or fix their hair and to sleep. Exhausting! It appears that walking was encouraged, both on the grounds and to the nearby village, but one mustn’t forget one’s hat and gloves for fear of becoming too tanned!


As intrigued as I was about the fitness level or derivation thereof for the Downton Abbey characters, a quick Google search for “Downton Abbey exercise” brought up a completely unusual but entirely wonderful response. Apparently there is a form of exercise for TV watchers that I was quite unaware of until now. It is one that one can do whist watching such TV programs, presumably to prevent oneself from becoming a couch potato. How it works is that when a common occurring action takes place, such as when Thomas lights up a cigarette, the watcher jumps off the couch and performs a specific exercise, such as 5 squats. Downton Abbey fulfils this brilliantly with all its repeat offensives. Here’s a suggested exercise routine from the apply named Downton Abbey Addicts website:

If you’ve made it this far down the page, but are not a Downton Abbey addict, get thee to Netflix or some other source to watch it or chose another show (also good for DA addicts between seasons). The exercise game can easily be adapted to any show, e.g. NCIS, when DiNozzo references a movie, 30 second wall sit; Big Bang Theory, when Sheldon misunderstands sarcasm, 20 jumping jacks, etc. and don’t forget the commercial breaks if you watch live TV – So much time for added fun!

Turn the luxury of TV show watching into an exercise routine and have a blast while you are at it. Invite friends over and watch re-runs of Friends or Buffy, but first make a list of repeatable offences that can be matched by a plank pose or sit-ups. In the meantime, I beg Netflix to license Downton Abbey season 3; I’m hungry for it and now have the matching exercise regime with which to indulge my passion.