Exercise won’t just help you maintain a healthy weight, it could be the single most important step you can take for your mental and physical health, and the best way possible to keep the effects of ageing under control.
Exercise can reduce your risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers by up to 50 per cent, and lower your risk of early death by nearly a third.
It can also cut your risk of osteoarthritis by up to 83 per cent, boost mood and sleep quality and reduce your risk of depression and dementia.
The official recommendation is to be active daily, with at least two-and-a-half hours of physical activity a week. But a recent report from the British Heart Foundation found that 48 per cent of adults never exercise. The good news is it’s never too early or too late to start.
Use tests to check whether you’re as fit as you should be for your age, right up to your 80s – the experts explain what you can do to improve your fitness, whatever your age.
