• Contents - 3 minute read:

• Inform - Re evaluate your walking

• Motivate -Meet the world’s oldest female body builder

• Celebrate - Introducing Calisthetics

Today is national giraffe day. Here we have an animal who knows how to walk tall. We don’t pay too much attention to our walking. We walk the same way we always have - don’t we ? Well when was the last time, you re-evaluated your gait? It can reveal some hidden facts about your physical well being and give you some hints on where you should focus your attention.

• How fast are you walking? - Research points to walking speed as a good measure of physical function. A speed of < 1.3 miles per hour is indicative of poor health and function , with >2.2 miles per hour indicative of healthier aging. The faster you can walk, is indicative of your cardiovascular fitness. Has your speed declined recently , perhaps a regular walk is in order to boost your wellbeing.

• How erect is your posture? - Do you still stand tall when you walk with your shoulders back and head up? Take the opportunity when you are out walking to stand tall and breathe deeply into the base of your lungs. It helps relax the shoulder muscles and can the ease aches and pains of sitting too long. Be mindful of carrying heavy handbags always on the same shoulder, try switching sides or do a spring clean of the contents to make it lighter

• Do you swing your arms ? - We naturally swing our arms during walking, this is thought to make walking more efficient and help with balance. Just consider the speed walkers, they really emphasise their arms during their sport. As we age we can become more rigid and then have a tendency to reduce the arm swing. This can lead to an increased falls risk. Are you still swinging your arms? Have you become more stiff in your trunk? Perhaps some stretching or yoga might be in order ?

• Do you stride out ? - If your muscles , particularly your calf muscles get weaker, you may compensate for this by reducing your stride length. This in turn can make you alter your walking pattern and affect your balance . Increasing your walking will help build up the calf, so if you get your trainers on and get going, you can address this weakness and restore your speed .

Don’t forget that walking is a fabulous way to keep your heart and lungs healthy, keep bones and muscles strong, reduce stress and help maintain weight. Oh, and did I mention IT IS ABSOLUTELY FREE

Wednesday's exercises focus on balance reactions to help keep your balance tip top. We practice striding and using our arms during movement . What are you waiting for ?

We are heading to the longest day of the year this week so with Summer in full swing, what better sport to feature than surfing? Did you know that surfing is an olympic sport? It combines balance, strength and physical fitness to get up on that board and ride those waves. Many people are considering their summer breaks over the next few weeks and the UK has plenty of waves to keep even the strongest surfers happy. If you don’t think you are up to surfing yet , then grab a body board and experience the waves carrying you into shore Exercise has never been so much fun .

Meet Seiichi Sano, who has recently been crowned the Guiness Book of Records’ oldest male surfer. He only took up surfing at the age of 80 after conquering Mount Fuji. He is now age 89 years and is truly an advert for challenging yourself whatever your age .

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. Just reply to this newsletter