Ask Dr Miriam

Q I’m getting on a bit and I’d like to know about the kind of exercise that’s safe for me to do. Have you any suggestions? A The first thing I’d advise is to take up yoga as flexibility naturally decreases with age. Exercises that stretch and bend your body help you retain flexibility and may even improve it.

Ideally you should do yoga and stretching every day as it will ease aches and pains and prevent injuries. Another important rule is not to exercise every day because working out too much will do more harm than good. Personally I can’t exercise for more than an hour a day on a regular basis. As you get older your risk of injury gets greater as muscles take longer to recover. So, for instance, I can only do high-intensity exercises twice a week. Your muscles also lose elasticity as you age, increasing the likelihood of injury, so have at least two rest days per week.