THEY are more usually seen perspiring under their black bearskins during Trooping the Colour and other ceremonial duties but the Coldstream Guards have found another way of sweating it now. The guards have turned to Bikram yoga, which is practiced in a room heated to 40oc.
The Coldstreams, who serve in the oldest regular regiment in the British Army, formed in 1650, have supplemented their regular training by attending Bikram classes in St James’s, not far from their regimental barracks.
As yoga goes, Bikram is not for the faint-hearted. It i nvo lve s go i n g through 26 postures over 90 minutes in uncomfortable heat and humidity. Bikram Choudhury, born in India but now a multi-millionaire based in Los Angeles, famously teaches the yoga brand he created wearing nothing but Speedos and a Rolex.
There are now hundreds of studios around t h e wo r l d and devotees include pop singers Lady Gaga and Robbie Williams and footballer David Beckham.
The guards are most visible in their red tunics and bearskins, performing official royal ceremonies but the regiment is also an elite infantry unit — they recently completed a three-year tour of duty in Afghanistan.
The British Army is being surprisingly coy about congratulating its soldiers on their extra exercises. An Army spokes- man declined to comment.
28/11/11