EDWINA’S TOP TIPS FOR KEEPING FIT OVER 50

1 DITCH THE LYCRA

All you need to get active is a comfortable, flat pair of shoes and whatever you feel happy wearing. You don’t need a full Lycra sports outfit and you don’t even need ‘proper’ trainers – I use Primark for their wide fittings! The important thing is for you to feel comfortable.

2 KEEP IT SIMPLE

It’s about getting active, not running a marathon on the first day. What you do doesn’t even have to be ‘sporty’ – you could just walk to the shops rather than drive; do some stretches in your chair; or stand in a bus queue on one leg. Walk around with some tins of baked beans for strength training, or just do some light gardening. Even a small amount of effort will make you feel good.

3 DON’T SWEAT IT

Aim to get a little bit out of breath, but don’t push yourself too hard. You want to feel as if you’ve made an effort and raised your heart rate, but you don’t want to end up feeling so exhausted that you’ll never do anything again. You should be enjoying yourself.

4 TAKE IT STEP BY STEP

It’s important to have something to aim for to stay motivated. Time yourself walking around the lake in the park and aim to do it quicker in six months’ time. Buy a simple step-counter (or you may already have one on your smartphone) and compete with friends or relatives to see who can walk the furthest in a day.

5 PHONE A FRIEND

Rope in a friend, or join in local group activities such as Nordic walking (walking with poles), Pilates or swimming classes. Whatever it is, make sure you pick something you enjoy doing or you may not keep it up. At my charity Silverfit, we find the social side is what keeps people coming along, and it’s important for mental health too.