health, while 53% said it improved
their physical health. Another
activity that will beneit your mind
and body is gardening – the act of
reconnecting to nature and getting
your hands dirty is always thera-
peutic, no matter the weather.
Gentle exercise like this doesn’t
need to feel taxing, as Harry
explains: “There are plenty of
activities that you can approach
for fun – you can burn 400-500
calories ice skating with friends,
or 200 calories if you go bowling,
and you deinitely won’t view this
as a workout!”
Remember that exercise isn’t all
about losing weight. Maintaining
strength as we age is essential, but
you don’t have to join your nearest
kettlebell class, as Harry tells us:
“Auster (austerfit.com) produces
a suspension trainer, which you can
attach anywhere, so you can work
out in the great outdoors, or in your
living room! You can attach this
piece of kit to a tree and enjoy
a quick workout, even on your
lunch break; it’s light, portable and
adjustable, and gives you the ability
to practise a number of diferent
exercises. If the weather is poor
outside, hook it to a door handle
and set yourself the challenge of
doing 10 press-ups or ab crunches
every time you open the door.” Even
simple, everyday household tasks
can help you to maintain yourstrength; whether you hoover or do
the weekly shop, as Harry suggests:
“Don’t buy your food online – go in
store, buy the freshest food you can,
and carry it yourself. Don’t let the
delivery driver do the hard work for
you! Even something as mundane
as a shopping trip will keep you
mobile as you get older.”
Don’t forget to take advantage
of the technological age we live in.
There’s nothing to stop you from
buying an eco yoga mat and
searching YouTube for a decent
yoga video – this is exactly what
deputy editor, Sian does when it’s
cold or dark outside (yoga with
Adriene is a irm favourite). As
Harry says, “there are millions of
videos on YouTube showing you
how to do a range of exercises, along
with the key mistakes that people
make; from morning yoga routines,
to full-on gymnastic programmes.
Try these at home, and you won’t
need to worry about what you’re
wearing or how you look – you can
focus entirely on just getting your
blood lowing.”