Wanna be fit as a fiddle, do more than walking

Walking 10,000 steps a day is not enough exercise and adults also need to do activities which make them stronger and improve their balance, health officials warn.

Men and women are being advised to take up strength- bearing exercises particularly during pregnancy, the menopause or retirement.

Examples include Nordic walking with poles, tai chi, tennis, cricket, weights training in the gym or ballroom dancing. And carrying heavy shopping bags can help, too.

The advice has been issued by Public Health England ( PHE) over concerns that the majority of adults do not do enough strength work.

Government guidelines state that men and women should do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week as well as two sessions of strength training.

But only a quarter of women and a third of men claim they achieve this — and this is probably an overestimation.

Public Health England says adults of all ages should do more strength training such as walking with poles to reduce their risk of falls in old age.

PHE is urging adults to pay particular attention to exercises to improve strength and balance in light of new evidence into its benefits in old age.

The government agency carried out a joint review of existing research alongside the charity the Centre for Ageing Better.

This found that muscle and bone strength — and having good balance — greatly reduce the risk of falls, fractures, back pain and early death.

One study found that having a poor muscle strength increases the risk of a fall by as much as 76 per cent.

All adults should do strengthening activities twice a week'.

Dr Alison Tedstone, head of diet, obesity and physical activity at PHE, said: “Alongside aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, all adults should be aiming to do strengthening and balancing activities twice per week.

“On average we're all living longer and this mixture of physical activities will help us stay well in our youth and remain independent as we age.”

As part of the NHS's advice on healthy living — it recommends adults do 150 minutes of exercise per week — the health service suggests short workouts to stay in shape.

Here is a starter for working the legs. Squats: Two sets of 15 to 24 repetitions. Forward lunges: One set of 15 to 24 repetitions for each leg. Calf raises: Push onto your tiptoes then lower your heels slowly back to the ground. Bridges: Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground, then push you pelvis into the air, before lowering it.