This Friday, October 5th is the 50th of the first James Bond film, Dr. No. Over the last five decades, 007 has traversed the globe while battling bad guys, and he’s always done it style.
But he hasn’t always… uh… made healthy choices. And sometimes it showed, like when a pudgy Sean Connery huffed and puffed his way through Diamonds Are Forever; that was a decidedly over-the-hill James Bond.
Then again, being a Double-O can wear on you; getting shot at, being in the crosshairs of lasers and chugging all those martinis obviously were not healthy pursuits. Putting aside all of the exercise he’s gotten behind closed doors, here’s a look at the 007 healthiest things James Bond has done while traveling the globe and keeping the world safe from SPECTRE and Quantum:
- Mountain climbing up to the abandoned monastery — St. Cyril’s — at the end of For Your Eyes Only. Mountain climbing is a whole body workout that requires both strength (especially in the core) and stamina.
- Eating a breakfast of yogurt and dates in From Russia With Love. Eating nothing but yogurt and dates was a popular fad diet that surfaced last year, and fad diets are generally a bad idea. But we’re not talking about eating only yogurt and dates; it’s just one breakfast, and a pretty healthy one.
- Golfing in Goldfinger. Better yet, Goldfinger and 007 walked the course during their match. The average 18-hole round of golf equates to a five-mile walk… of course, if you’re not hitting the ball straight you might zigzag your way to even more exercise.
- A spa visit in Thunderball. Nothing like a weekend retreat to replenish your spirit and get your mind back in gear. Of course, you’ll want to avoid that traction machine that nearly pulled 007 in two.
- Skiing in The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only and The World Is Not Enough. Granted, he almost got killed all three times, but skiing, whether in the Swiss Alps or Azerbaijan, is great exercise. As an added bonus, For Your Eyes Only spends a lot of time focused on Winter Olympic sports like figure skating and biathlon.
- In Thunderball, Bond went snorkeling in Nassau, The Bahamas while trying to connect with Domino. Thirty minutes of snorkeling burns 170 calories, and gives your arms and legs a good workout. And before he traveled to Nassau, M mentioned 007’s “enthusiasm for water sports.”
- Swimming in Casino Royale, again in Nassau. He looked healthy when he emerged from the water, didn’t he?
If someone as busy as a secret agent assigned to protect the world can squeeze in a workout while he’s traveling, surely you can too. Just lay off those vodka martinis at night.
Photo by action-man-dossier.co.uk.
