How much is enough exercise?

So we hear all the time that exercise is good for you but how much exercise should we aim for? What are the recommendations as we get older for exercising? How much is too much? The World Health Organisation has made some global recommendations for physical activity and it is broken down per age group. It might surprise you that the over-65 age group has the same recommendations as adults in the 18-64 year group with one extra recommendation around balance and fall prevention.

• Around 30 mins per day of exercise that gets you a bit out of breath or gets you breathing deeply - brisk walking is the best example

• Exercises to strengthen main muscles 2 or more times per week

• Reduce the amount of time that you are sitting still

• Aim for activity based on balance and functional activities 3 times per week

This doesn't mean that you have to be on the go every waking minute but the emphasis is on getting creative about how you spend your day. Spending a delicious afternoon pottering in your garden is preferable to watching TV. Going for a walk with a friend and stopping for a coffee trumps a long chat on the phone. If you would like to see more information on the WHO activity guides, press the button below.

Remember, fitting in 30 mins a day of exercise does not have to be all at once. A 10-minute walk around the block in the morning followed by vacuuming your lounge in the afternoon and dancing in your kitchen while you wait for the potatoes to boil all count towards your daily quota. Just commit to making it a habit to keep moving.

Thursday's exercises focus on co-ordination of movement and challenge you to do 2 different tasks at the same time.

Coordination comes in many shapes and forms and racket sports are a great way to work on both balance and coordination. Racket sports come in many shapes and forms for all ages and abilities. It might be table tennis with the grandkids or a more competitive game with your friends at the local leisure centre.

Badminton is the fastest racket sport around but is a wonderful choice for many. It is played indoors so perfect all year round. It is a very social sport and many games are played as doubles. It is a game of skill so even if you are not the fittest on the court you can still give you opponent a run for their money. The game combines coordination with balance and strength. It gives you the opportunity to stretch and move in ways you may not regularly do in the course of your day, so keeps you mobile. I am sure there will be a badminton group near you, ready and waiting for new recruits

Are you active and would like to feature here? We would love to hear from you! Get in touch, preferably with a picture so we can celebrate and promote you living your best life.