How might our Georgian era historical romance heroes have kept fit?

The labouring heroes would have kept fit within their appropriate profession, of course, such as chopping/sawing wood, hammering against an anvil, etc. But would a gentleman or even an aristocrat have kept fit?

While the common ideology of a gentleman, and especially an aristocrat, is of someone inactive who can laze about the house and enjoy a life of leisure, the men of the Georgian era would have considered fitness training an act of leisure and would have enjoyed rigorous physical training. That's not to say there were not plenty of men who preferred the lazy life and to dress with padding so as not to appear lazy, but more than not would have enjoyed staying fit.

The Georgian era, specifically, saw a huge push towards physical fitness, including both resistance training and calisthenics within many educational programs. Letters to family included references to this training and building of a lifelong discipline of physical rigour. Consider, as an example, Benjamin Franklin's letter to his son encouraging the use of dumbbells to enhance the daily workout.

The first gym opened during the Regency and included a complete gentleman's training program along with equipment we would see a Crossfit gym today, such as climbing ropes, pullup bars, parallel bars, etc.

We often read about our heroes fencing (with hefty swords, mind, not foils), rowing, dancing, and riding, along with that occasional visit to Gentleman Jackson's Boxing Saloon. These were popular ways to stay fit, but we would also find our gentlemen heroes doing much more, the list in the graphic just a taste.

What about the ladies? On the continent, European women, namely those who could afford private lessons, were enjoying more than long walks, rides, and late nights of dancing. They were being tutored privately in calisthenics, all to stay fit and healthy. Since British ladies were advised not to engage in strenuous exercise after puberty, fitness was discouraged until late Regency when the benefits finally caught on (ie they realized how fashionable it was amongst the most well-to-do ladies in Europe).

To read more, check out each of these wonderful resources:

All Things Georgian: 18th Century Exercise

Colonial Williamsburg: Exercise in the 18th century

Nesta Certified: History of Personal Training 18th century to 1980s

Shannon Selin: Exercise for Women in the Early 19th century