Wellbeing Exercise

"To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."
Buddha

This interminable winter has brought with it interminable viruses and many of my clients are so fed up that they want to get back into their normal exercise regime sooner rather than later. Here's my advice:
– Stick to moderate exercise. Take a walk rather than a run, lift lighter weights than usual, do a less intense class, cycle gently instead of sprinting. Yoga or Pilates are ideal. Break a session up with rest periods as and when you need them.
– Shorter sessions are probably better – aim for 30-45 minutes, not 60+.
– A runny nose, sore throat or stuffy head needn't stop you – you may even feel better for some movement. But a temperature, hacking cough or joint aches are red flags. If you feel awful, rest.
– Don't share your germs. Exercise online, at home or outside instead of piling into a gym, pool or studio.
– If moving makes you feel worse, stop. Illnesses can evolve and overdoing it is likely to set you back.
– When you do feel better, get back into your routine gradually – don't expect to go straight back to where you were before. You need to build up again slowly. The more unwell you've been, the longer it will take – but you will get there.

Anyone who's ever had a bad night's sleep (that's all of us) knows how grim it makes you feel. If it's a regular event, it also puts you at higher risk of killers such as cancer and heart disease. Fortunately, a new study from China has found a remedy: exercise.
The first research to examine the joint effects of sleep and physical activity analysed data from 92,000 British people, and found that sleeping less than 6 hours increased the chances of an early death by 16%, while sleeping more than 8 hours increased risk of early death by 37%. Sleeping too little and failing to move enough led to a 69% higher risk of heart attack or stroke and 21% higher risk of death from cancer.
But meeting World Health Organisation targets of at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week – anything that gets you warm and breathing faster, such as a brisk walk or lifting weights – or 75 minutes of high intensity exercise, such as running or a HIIT class, saw the risk disappear.
One more reason to get a move on, especially when you least feel like it.

About half the population snores – that's a good 30 million people, who are most likely to be over 40. Overweight, smoking, sleeping on your back and too much alcohol are among the major causes – but it isn't inevitable. The rattling, honking noise is caused by your tongue and throat relaxing and flapping around, so exercising them can lead to a major improvement. Welcome to the world of myofunctional therapy, also known as oropharyngeal exercise.
NHS surgeon and Til Tok star Karan Raj suggests these exercises, all repeated 3-4 times. First, stick out your tongue for 5 seconds – push it against a spoon if this feels too easy. Next, move your tongue from side to side inside your mouth – put your fingers on your cheeks and push against them for more resistance. Here's one for your throat: push your tongue against your front teeth and try to swallow. Look upwards while you do it to increase the stretch in your neck. Finally, stick your tongue out and push it downwards. Hold for 5 seconds.

Reasons to talk a walk:
1. Walking briskly for more than 10 minutes a day significantly cuts your risk of dying in the near future, especially from heart disease and/or cancer. It's good for muscles, heart, lungs, blood sugar management – pretty much everything
2. Daily walks minimise arthritic damage to the knees, reduce pain if you've got it already and ease back pain
3. Talking while walking enables you to get more off your chest than sitting opposite someone – you're more likely to let it all out if you're not looking at another person (maybe it's less embarrassing)
4. It's an easy way to boost mood and fend off anxiety, especially if you're surrounded by greenery or near water, both of which relieve stress. Feel-good hormones released by movement do the rest
5. Exercise sharpens your brain, making you more creative and quicker-thinking. Listen to a podcast and you'll also absorb more information than you would lying back in an armchair

• Relevant studies/research references available on request

Eat cheese and don't feel guilty – it's good for you. Far from clogging your arteries and raising cholesterol levels, recent research shows that eating a moderate amount can actually prevent these problems. Plus it doesn't spike blood sugar, leaves you feeling full for longer (so helps with weight management), is great for building stronger bones and supports thyroid function.
Different cheeses have specific benefits:
– Jarlsberg is specially good for healthy bones. It may even help to prevent bone loss
– Parmesan is a bonus for gut health
– Rocquefort helps to fight infection, thanks to the penicillin in its blue veins
– Cottage cheese eaten nearish to bedtime improves sleep
– Mozarella supports immunity. It contains bacteria that are also associated with gut and brain health
– Cheddar can protect your teeth. Eat a small chunk after anything sugary or acid and it helps to neutralise erosion of tooth enamel (chew thoroughly for the best effect)
– Quark is great for muscle growth, especially when eaten after exercise
Pass the cheeseboard!

One of the biggest barriers to keeping fit and well is having let your routine lapse, whether because of illness, work or simple mid-winter lethargy. There can be a fear that you'll never get back to where you were, that you're too old to play catch-up, that you'll injure yourself or that you'll make a fool of yourself in a class or at the gym.
Don't fret: if you've ever been a regular exerciser, your body will remember and snap back relatively quickly. You can actually reclaim about half of the fitness you enjoyed before your break in 10-14 days of moderate workouts – which means moving for at least 30 minutes every day (swim, cycle, walk, whatever) and doing some form of strength training (Pilates counts) at least twice a week. One study found that, although 20-somethings regain lost strength and aerobic capacity most quickly (no surprises there), older adults can make it back to their previous fitness levels with just 8 weeks of regular exercise.
Rules for returners are simple: start with shorter/gentler workouts and build up gradually. Use lower weights for the first few weeks and give your body a chance to adapt. Take shorter walks (or whatever) and increase time and distance once you can manage them comfortably. Swap to a gentler class than your previous normal, or take more rests. A 10% increase in time/distance/weight/effort every week might be a reasonable aim but be guided by how you feel and never worry about taking things slowly. Better to rebuild from a firm foundation. And remember: you did it before and you can do it again.

You probably know that sitting for hours at a time does you no good at all. Even if you exercise regularly, prolonged sitting can result in anything from weight gain and diabetes to higher blood pressure, DVTs/varicose veins, a bad back and even early death. The good news is that you can offset some of the worst effects with 5 minutes of walking every half hour. Scientists from Columbia University tested 5 different exercise options: 1 minute of walking after every 30 minutes of sitting; 1 minute after 60 minutes; 5 minutes every 30; 5 minutes every 60; and no walking.. The results showed that the optimal amount is 5 minutes every 30 minutes. So set a timer, get up every 30 minutes to walk around the house or office, up and down the stairs, or take a quick lap around the block. Bonus: you'll think more sharply as well as feeling better physically.

Balance is a crucial skill that, left to its own devices, deteriorates with age. Many of you will have read that you should be able to stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds but might find that scary or simply too challenging, unless you're holding on to something. But for the tandem stance you don't have to lift a foot from the ground. Simply stand heel to toes, one foot in front of the other. Soften your knees slightly, squeeze your bottom (the back leg works especially hard), scoop your belly button back towards your spine, lift your chest and look straight ahead. Keep breathing and hold for 30 seconds. You may find that you're more stable when barefoot – spread your toes and roll your heel down to prepare. It's OK to have a finger against the wall or on a counter top at first, if only because it makes you feel safer. After a few breaths, try without it. Then switch sides. I've been trying this in Pilates classes, adding in a side bend or rotation when people feel they need more challenge. Or you can try shutting your eyes. Do this a few times a day and your risk of wobbles and falls will reduce.

My manifesto – and that of many clients. Whether you're 30 with a difficult condition or 80 and want to keep being fabulous, movement works

How I got into the best shape of my life at 70 – and you can too Joan MacDonald transformed her life with strength training, good nutrition and a positive mental attitude – now she wants to help others

Of course you want to get/stay fit this year. But how? The simple answer is: find something you enjoy. Do it. And keep on doing it. No amount of self-discipline (which is limited, in any case) can match genuine pleasure taken in an activity or sport.
If you don't know where to start, think about what you want to achieve. For example, if you want not to puff and pant when you climb the stairs – try walking fast enough to breathe more quickly and get warm. 20 minutes a day should do it. If you'd like to be able to do up your shoe laces and reach high shelves more easily, have a go at yoga or Pilates.Need to be able to lift stuff in everyday life? Maybe weights, maybe a body weight class, maybe more Pilates. Become more cheerful, Improve your memory and coordination with dance classes – pick a form of music and a style you like and go for it. Persaude a friend to join you and sign up for a course: the wish not to let your friend down will help to get you to the studio.
When you find whatever it is that is fun, makes you feel better and helps you towards your goals, do it regularly for around three months (put sessions in your diary and stick to them). By then, you'll have created a habit – and, as anyone who's made and broke a new year's resolution knows, habits are hard to break.

Dodge the new year, new you trap. Forget resolutions and aspirations. Instead, focus on the things that, to quote Marie Kondo, spark joy – or at least, stuff you like. Take exercise: there's no point shelling out on a gym membership if you know from experience that you'll struggle to turn up. Better to go swimming, if that's your thing, or walk with a friend, or drop in to a table tennis club. Food? Plan meals you know you'll love, batch cook so you always have something in the freezer and don't freak out if croissants/chocolate cake/ice cream are your weekend treat. Try something creative – posting favourite photos on social media, writing letters, knitting, whatever. Accentuate the positive and deal with the rest as briskly and efficiently as possible. Happy 2023!