Lazy Mirren Stunned By Offer To Promote Fitness Game!

Dame Helen Mirren was shocked when she was asked to promote a fitness video game – because she is “so lazy” when it comes to exercise!

The 65-year-old Academy Award-winning actress can currently be seen jogging and practising yoga moves in TV ads for Nintendo‘s Wii Fit, which allows users to workout at home, but admits she nearly snubbed the offer because she doesn’t consider herself an exercise expert. Now I’m stunned. I thought the object of the Wii Fit was to encourage couch potatoes to get up and get active?

She tells ITV1‘s Daybreak show:

“I’m so lazy about exercise, like most people I guess, and I absolutely resisted (the offer initially) so it was interesting that I would be asked to do exercise on an ad. But I did genuinely love it – it was great.”

‘The Queen‘ star is proud of her attachment to the games after learning they are used to help patients suffering with the neurological condition Parkinson’s disease.

She adds:

“The most amazing thing which I’ve only just recently become aware of is (that) this technology is really useful for people with Parkinson’s. It’s made me very interested in the whole issue of Parkinson’s and the way people with Parkinson’s are so frightened to go out because people don’t understand about Parkinson’s. The great thing about this technology which was developed for a game – it’s been of immense help for people with Parkinson’s because it is all about balance and posture.

“Exercise is good for all of us, no matter who we are, but it’s really, really interesting that something like 83 per cent of people with Parkinson’s who have tried this said it was of positive value to them. Now they’re doing research to find out exactly how and why this is helping people with Parkinson’s.”

I’ve yet to invest in a Wii Fit, but I think I might just do so next year. Or…if I’ve been really good…I might find it amongst my Christmas pressies this year 🙂