The Fitness Routines Of History’s Most Beautiful Ancient Princesses

We’ve all seen the viral videos where women rhythmically jump on treadmills or leap across a studio on bungee cords. Does staying in shape really require such kitsch, or are we overcomplicating exercise for the sake of novelty? Well, our female ancestors got quite creative with how they maintained a slim figure. Exercise as we know it today would be a really strange concept for women and men in ancient civilizations, because physical activity wasn’t separated from the rest of life; it was deeply integrated into daily routines.

Whether through labor, status, ritual, sport, self-defense training, or, frankly, domestic survival, people burned way more calories than we do now in our air-conditioned gyms during an hour-long sweat sesh. That’s not to say people didn’t intentionally train their bodies or partake in leisure, but generally speaking, humans didn’t “work out” until at least the last couple of hundred years.

That said, some of humanity’s most famous beauties had favorite ways to exercise, and when you look through letters, biographies, art, and other historical accounts, there’s a clear pattern that emerges. The women who enchanted those within their societies were often quite active… but their exercise wasn’t a slot on their calendar in between meetings. Instead, it happened in rose gardens, forests, riding fields, ballrooms, palace grounds, and more.

Empress Joséphine’s Flower Walks

We all know the “hot girl walk” by now, and many of us swear by our step counters to keep us on track. But long before that was trendy, Napoleon Bonaparte’s first wife, Empress Joséphine, was known to spend much of her time roaming the gardens of Malmaison. She developed such an intense obsession with botany that she was able to assemble one of Europe’s most impressive collections of roses, as well as other, more exotic plants. Historians estimate that hundreds of species were cultivated at Malmaison, and you bet that Joséphine regularly inspected new arrivals to the collection and worked closely with the on-site gardeners.

As it is a French château, Malmaison’s grounds are vast. Easily, touring it on foot could involve several miles of walking. 

Unlike modern garden enthusiasts who might browse a nursery on a Saturday afternoon, Joséphine’s hobby meant she was constantly moving across the historic estate. Today, wellness influencers prescribe long leisurely walks for stress reduction, but Joséphine reaped those same benefits centuries earlier.

How you can reap the benefits: Research your local botanical gardens or arboretums and take an hour out of your Saturday or Sunday to stroll the grounds. Make sure to snap some photos of the flora that catches your eye!

Marie Antoinette’s Château Strolls

In the same vein as Empress Joséphine’s pre-hot-girl-walks, Marie Antoinette similarly enjoyed her time outdoors ambling about. Though her image is often depicted as a pampered queen who lounged indoors, she likely spent a lot of time outside the formal court of Versailles. After Marie Antoinette received the Petit Trianon, a château (also called a hamlet) located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, she was often described as retreating into its gardens and grounds. Accounts say she would walk the property to oversee landscaping projects and tend to flowers. Knowing how rigid court life can be, it’s no wonder she would want to spend hours away from the formalities.

18th-century aristocrats considered walking one of the best forms of recreation. Doctors from that time frequently recommended it, and in hindsight, those perfectly landscaped gardens make perfect sense when you consider how they were designed with strolling in mind. So, Marie Antoinette’s preferred pastime happens to align with exactly what modern researchers now recognize as a must-have in your daily wellness arsenal: getting up from wherever you’re sitting and taking a hearty stroll.

How you can reap the benefits: Research your local outdoor museums, sculptural gardens, and sprawling parks, get some good walking shoes on, and leave the headphones at home. Let your mind soak in the sights rather than the latest episode of your favorite podcast.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria’s Cardio Circuit

If there’s one historical beauty who would understand today’s fitness culture, it would probably be Empress Elisabeth of Austria, or Sisi, as some lovingly call her. Sisi became famous for her beauty, of course, but also for her relentless physical drive. Historians have documented her passions for horseback riding, hiking, fencing, gymnastics, and long-distance walking. She actually had exercise equipment installed in her private chambers, like gymnastic rings and balance apparatuses.

During this time period, many upper-class women were discouraged from vigorous activity. Tight corseting was still practiced, and the restrictions it puts on your body are no joke. But Sisi rode her horses for hours at a stretch and even participated in fox hunts. Her riding career became so iconic that she earned a reputation as one of Europe’s finest female equestrians. And when she developed health concerns that forced her to scale back riding? Sisi didn’t stop moving, taking on marathon-length walks that reportedly stretched for miles and miles each day.

How you can reap the benefits: Research the best hiking locations near you (beach trail, wooded walk, you name it) and devote a half-day on the weekend to a long walk with your loved ones.

The Tang Dynasty’s Horseback-Riding Baddies

When viewing historic Chinese art, it’s easy to assume that ancient Chinese women were restricted entirely to a life of delicacy and restraint. In many cases, this was true, but during the Tang Dynasty, women weren’t totally sedentary. The Tang period was highly influenced by Central Asian cultures, where horseback riding was part and parcel of elite lifestyles. Archaeologists have uncovered many figurines from this period that depicted aristocratic women mounting horses to ride and swinging polo mallets, and murals and paintings show noblewomen participating in riding excursions and even polo matches.

One historian, Bret Hinsch, noted that horse culture became quite fashionable within upper-class Tang women’s circles. Elite women rode for transportation, of course, but also recreation and sport. Polo—one of the most physically demanding games in the premodern world—grew particularly popular in aristocratic life. Some historical records even note that female polo teams competed at court.

How you can reap the benefits: Take a stab at horseback riding lessons by seeking out introductory courses. And if you don’t love it, no sweat—at least snap a pic or two on horseback to document the day!

The European Women Dancing The Night Away

Before boutique fitness studios, there were royal balls, and they weren’t just something you could drop in to on a trial run to see if it fits your vibe. Court dancing in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe required training that started when you were a child. Noblewomen perfected their posture, balance, and footwork under the guidance of professional dance instructors to master complex dance sequences. 

Historians have noted that major balls could go on for hours and hours into the night, and when you consider how heavy formal clothing was, the women (and men) dancing the night away likely burned a ton of calories. 

That said, the calorie burn was just icing on the cake for participants. Dance was more of a vehicle for social networking, entertainment, and art. The physical demands weren’t an afterthought, of course, but dance was used to mix and mingle within your community. And the women who excelled at it were admired by onlookers for those same qualities we love in modern ballerinas: poise, stamina, and artistic control.

How you can reap the benefits: It may not be in the cards for you to travel to Europe for the modern Vienna balls, but most places in America offer some form of social dancing—whether that’s line dancing, swing dancing, club dancing, or Latin dancing. Gather the girls for a GNO, doll up, and get ready for a marathon of movement.

Cleopatra’s Aquatic Escapades

While many stories surrounding Cleopatra are admittedly difficult to verify, ancient writers documented aquatic throughlines in elite Egyptian life—bathing, boating, and other recreation on or around the water. Cleopatra spent much of her life near the Mediterranean and the Nile, and some have linked her to swimming and aquatic leisure.

It may just be a tall tale, but some have written that Mark Antony took note of his wife’s love for swimming and gifted her a geothermal spa in Turkey, the Ancient Pool of Hierapolis, which people can still visit to this day. 

Whether every famous anecdote is true matters less than the fact that water recreation was way more common in elite Mediterranean life than one may realize. Long before lap swimming became a fitness activity, affluent women sought out time in the water not only for pleasure, but for health.

How you can reap the benefits: Research your local rec center or gym equipped with indoor or outdoor pools. Whether it’s a recreational pool, a lap pool, or a water park, don your favorite swimsuit and get your heart rate pumping in the water.

The Hawaiian Royalty Who Swam and Surfed

While European aristocrats wandered rose gardens on foot, the noblewomen of Hawaii grew up in an environment many now consider to be paradise, but which is actually quite physically demanding. Historical accounts describe elite Polynesian and Hawaiian women swimming regularly in the ocean, traveling by canoe, and even navigating the rugged terrain around volcanoes. Surfing wasn’t just for men, either, as female members of Hawaiian nobility often caught a wave. So naturally, balance and confidence in the water were admirable qualities.

Some accounts describe female chiefs and noblewomen riding waves alongside men, and what makes surfing such an interesting historical example is how it develops many of the same qualities that modern fitness programs promise. 

Paddling builds some serious upper body strength and endurance, while balancing on a surfboard perfects your core and coordination. The hours that they spent swimming through currents and waves challenge the cardiovascular system in ways that would leave many 12-3-30 girlies exhausted. Yet, Hawaiian women weren’t in it to sculpt their physiques; they participated out of a love for cultural tradition.

How you can reap the benefits: Swimming in the ocean may not be realistic if you’re landlocked or can’t slip away on vacation, but many rec centers or gyms near you likely offer pool access for laps or you can take a stab at water aerobics classes.

The Viking Women’s Endurance

Pop culture tends to imagine Viking women in a couple of ways… either as shield maidens charging into battle (which is historically dicey, anyway) or as passive wives waiting at home for their husbands to return from sea. The reality was far more demanding, as women in Viking age Scandinavia managed farms and households, processed textiles, cared for livestock, preserved food for harsh climates, often in long stretches of time while men traveled. Basically, daily life in the Norse world required top-notch physical competence, but Viking women were up for the challenge.

The Scandinavian landscape is unforgiving. Steep terrain, harsh winters, and dispersed communities meant walking long distances was routine, often by foot, horseback, or boat. Historical evidence contains numerous references to women going on these long journeys to visit neighboring farms or traveling for marriages, religious festivals, and family obligations. 

Winter brought its own forms of movement that many now adopt for leisure. Skiing has deep roots in Scandinavia, and though most surviving accounts focus on men, women living in the north would have likely been dependent on skis for practical mobility in the wintertime. The ideal Norse woman likely wasn’t so delicate or fragile. She would have had to be capable, resilient, and able to thrive in extreme conditions.

How you can reap the benefits: Get your breathable socks and sturdy hiking shoes ready, research a hearty, hilly trail, and see if you’re up for a bit of a challenge! If you’re new to hiking, don’t push yourself too hard the first time, though, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

The Court Dancers Dazzling India

Long before barre and ballet-inspired workouts, some of India’s highest-ranking women were developing extraordinary body control through their form of classical dance. For centuries, royal courts and temples trained female dancers who didn’t just do this art form as a casual hobby or a method to burn calories. Classical Indian dance was a respected profession that women trained rigorously to perfect from a young age.

And the physical demands are pretty substantial—traditions like Bharatanatyam require dancers to stay in deep bent-knee positions while performing quick footwork to intricate rhythms, sharp and expressive hand gestures, and keep the upper body controlled and stable. 

You’d need a lot of muscular endurance to maintain a graceful posture and facial expressions while busting out those moves, to be honest. And to modern eyes, some positions look surprisingly similar to ones you might find in yoga studios, barre classes, and things of that sort.

Ancient texts suggest these skills were taken very seriously, such as the Natyashastra (a Sanskrit treatise on theater and dance that some believe is nearly two thousand years old), which outlines posture, foot placement, hand gestures, eye movements, neck positions, and general bodily expression. A woman had to carry herself with grace, rhythm, and control. Many modern fitness routines promise to perfect your posture, flexibility, and coordination, but for generations of Indian dancers, those qualities emerged naturally through this unique pursuit of artistic beauty. Rather than exercising to become graceful, these court dancers became graceful through the discipline of their movement.

How you can reap the benefits: Indian dance classes may not be available where you live, but one of the best parts of the internet is how readily available online courses are on YouTube and other platforms. Clear some space in your living room, pop a class on your TV, laptop, tablet, or phone, and follow along with the instructor!

While none of these women were counting macros, tracking their heart rate zones, or trying to close Apple Watch rings (guilty!) before the day's end, there’s no shame in the modern pursuit of physical fitness. Our culture looks very different from the one that came before us, and many people need to intentionally incorporate exercise to counteract otherwise sedentary lifestyles. But when you look back through history, what stands out is not that women had some secret fitness hack to slim down and tone up like a Victoria’s Secret runway model. Instead, movement was part of things they genuinely enjoyed; things that breathed life into cultural tradition. 

Somewhere along the way, exercise became something many feel they have to suffer through. But for much of history, staying active was a natural consequence of art, community, adventure, and survival. We can gain inspiration from the generations that came before us to add more beauty to our daily lives, whether that’s wandering among roses because we love flowers, wading through ocean waters because of how healing the sea can be, or dancing because beauty itself is a skill worth mastering.