\n Prince William<\/span> Rui Viera\/WPA Pool\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
A natural athlete! Prince William<\/strong><\/a> got in a rigorous rowing exercise<\/a> alongside members of the Royal Navy \u2014 all for an important cause<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cJoining the past, present and future crews of HMS Oardacious for a very important conversation about mental health,\u201d the Prince of Wales, 40, captioned a Sunday, May 21, Instagram<\/a> video. \u201cFor\u00a0#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek\u00a0we headed out onto the water, chatting everything from teamwork to food rations and just what it takes to look after your mental health when rowing across the Atlantic.\u201d<\/p>\n The full video \u2014 which was shared by William and wife Princess Kate<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s YouTube<\/a> channel \u2014 saw the Duke of Cornwall team up with the HMS Oardacious squad for a rowing workout<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you see it like this, you realize how, actually, it\u2019s not a very big boat,\u201d William joked during the outing, sitting in the middle of the four-person vessel.<\/p>\n The Duke of Cornwall looked athletic in his blue pullover<\/a> and dark shorts, complete with a pair of sunglasses and sneakers. While they rowed, William asked the group about their experience racing and the importance of prioritizing mental health<\/a>. By the end of the sail, the group turned the questions back to the duke to ask how he felt about joining them on the water.<\/p>\n \u201cGood! [It was] a good warm-up,\u201d William noted with a laugh. \u201cI need the exercise<\/a>, good!\u201d<\/p>\n William learned a lot from the HMS Oardacious crew, especially how they balance prioritizing their physical fitness<\/a> with their mental well-being<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSubmarine service, you know, you have to have a certain mentality to do your job,\u201d the Duke of Cambridge \u2014 who previously served in the British military<\/a> as a pilot \u2014 said in the Sunday video. \u201cYou\u2019re in a metal tube for month son end, lots of your life\u2019s pleasures away. You don\u2019t have sunlight [or] fresh air.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cUnderstanding our support networks is crucial<\/a> because a lot\u00a0of people don\u2019t have a support network. So I think in the military, we\u2019re very good at being able to form close bonds and realize that the only way we can get through all this is to help each other and support each other through.\u201d<\/p>\n William\u2014 along with wife Kate, 41 \u2014 has long been an advocate of supporting mental health platforms<\/a>, especially as a veteran.<\/p>\n \u201cThe relation between the job and the personal life was what really took me over the edge,\u201d he said during the This Can Happen\u00a0conference<\/a> in November 2018. \u201cAnd I started feeling things that I\u2019ve never felt before. And I got very sad and very down about this particular family.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/prince-william-jokes-i-need-the-exercise-after-rowing-with-royal-navy-submariners.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all\")
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\n Prince William<\/span> Babiradpicture\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n