Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's Workout Routines Are Different, But Here's Why It Works
They say the couple who exercises together, stays together, but what if you and bae don’t adhere to the same routine? What if you aren’t even members of the same gym? The way I see it, #swolemates is a subjective term, and I’m willing to bet the Duchess and Duke of Sussex would agree, considering Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s workout routines appear to be so different from one another. And I mean, sure, is it super adorable that A-list lovebirds like J.Lo and A. Rod, Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson, or Ciara and Russell Wilson look to their SO for motivation, and post gym selfies on social media together? Of course. Some might even say it’s #goals. But other couples, like Markle and Prince Harry, seem to prefer getting their sweat on solo, and TBH, that’s just as inspiring.
Navigating the fitness world, and figuring out what works best for your body, is such a personal journey made up of so many different components. For instance, I’m a firm believer in that how you’re introduced to fitness and physical health growing up can have a genuine impact on how you view and approach these things as an adult. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to be the perfect example of this.
Back in April 2018, The Independent reported that Markle is the daughter of a yoga instructor, so it’s only natural that pilates and yoga practices would be something the actress-turned-duchess would include in her own routine. Harry, on the other hand, has a military background, so his idea of training might be centered around dumbbells and barbells. Though, the prince also has a history of being a partier, according to Refinery29, so it did take some encouragement on Markle’s part to get her beau back in shape.
Obviously, now that the royal couple has wed and they're expecting their first child, I think it’s safe to assume that their workout routines look slightly different than they did a few months ago. However, baby bump aside, if you look at their average regimens, it’s clear the 37-year-old mama-to-be and her prince charming might lean on one another for support, but overall, it seems like they’re dedicated to putting in the work separately.
For example, during an interview with WomensHeathMag.com back in May 2018, Markle’s trainer, Craig McNamee, C.S.C.S., founder of Catalyst Health in Toronto, Canada, told the outlet that, prior to his instruction, Markle was already in great shape, thanks to years of yoga and avid treadmill work. Essentially, McNamee’s job was to take Markle’s fitness levels up a notch, he told the outlet, so he’d schedule 45-minute sessions with the former Suits star three to four times a week, focusing on full-body routines that incorporated a high number of repetitions with low weight.
Once Markle fell head over heels for the Duke of Sussex and started a new life across the pond, however, her work with McNamee was put on hold, though the two have kept in contact, and McNamee is positive that Markle still keeps up with routines similar to those they worked on together. "Meghan is dedicated to her health, it’s a big aspect of her life," he told WomensHeathMag.com, "so for her, now it’s about keeping up with the workouts we did together, and making them count."
As for Prince Harry, let’s just say Markle has been quite the positive influence on everyone’s favorite red-headed royal. The New York Daily News reported in March 2018 that Markle not only inspired her then husband-to-be to cut down on cigarettes and alcohol, but to also work with a personal trainer in London. A source told the news outlet that the Duke of Sussex was so dedicated to the routine at the time that he would show up for his workouts at 7 a.m. sharp, every single day. Clearly, between his 10-year military career, and having Markle to hold him accountable, this daddy-to-be knows a thing or two about discipline.
Aside from Prince Harry's groom-in-training regimen, though, in an April 2017 interview with English journalist, Bryony Gordon, during the first episode of her podcast Mad World, the 34-year-old royal talked about how he'd taken up boxing to help him work through his anger and the emotions he'd let build up in the years after his mother, Princess Diana's death, The Telegraph reported at the time. And even though he and Markle may not necessarily work out together, the Duchess of Sussex has also been known to link her workouts with her mental health: In March 2018, she told Women's Health UK that running is her "form of moving meditation" that allows her to "get out of [her] head." In other words, the couple definitely seems to share the same values when it comes to health and fitness, which, I would imagine, probably brings them closer together in their relationship, even if they don't typically sweat it out in the same exact ways.
At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter whether you and your partner are hitting the ground running side-by-side, or would rather do your own routines solo. Remember, what works for your body might not work for your partner's, and vice versa. So it's totally fine if you head to Zumba while your SO does a CrossFit workout. The couple who gets fit together might stay together, but that doesn't mean you can't get swole in separate rooms, at separate times.
