NEVER TOO LATE TO GET FIT

WHAT TO DO IN YOUR 60s

WOMEN: You are never too old to learn to swim and there are particular benefits of aqua activity for this age group. Not only is swimming kind to ageing joints and those affected by arthritis, because the water acts as a giant cushion to protect knees and hips, but it also boosts overall body strength.

A study of post-menopausal women in the European Journal of Applied Physiology showed that after swimming twice a week for 24 weeks, they were able to complete an average 28 more abdominal crunches than when they started. They also experienced a 15 per cent reduction in body fat and an 8 per cent drop in blood pressure.

MEN: There is no need to bust a gut to improve your health — t’ai chi, the ancient martial art that combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements, can help people aged 65 and over to reduce stress, improve balance and general mobility, and increase muscle strength, particularly in the legs.

Last year, researchers at the University of Leeds urged older people to take up t’ai chi after reviewing 35 papers on the activity and finding 20 of them concluded that it ‘might be effective’.

Of four studies that looked at fall prevention, a key concern for the elderly, three showed that t’ai chi had positive effects. A number of other studies showed that the martial art was good at ‘improving psychological health’.