The actress, who is turning 70 this year, said her exercise regime changed during the Covid-19 lockdown and it’s now ‘so much better’ for her
Glynis Barber has opened up about her journey to better health, claiming that ‘nothing can beat’ one form of exercise. The EastEnders Glenda Mitchell actress, who is turning 70 this year, switched up her life during the pandemic and claimed she’s now very fit for her age.
“Exercise is the closest thing there is to an anti-ageing pill, because it is so good for you,” she said in a conversation with Lorraine Kelly on ITV. “A sedentary lifestyle, as we all know, is terrible. But the thing that I’ve discovered in the last few years, and it happened in the pandemic, is that I’ve completely changed how I exercise.”
While Glynis described her former self as a ‘real gym bunny’, she insisted that everything changed during the Covid-19 lockdown. Instead, she now does ‘more gentle exercise’, which encompasses frequent walks and home workouts.
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Glynis continued: “I started to do more gentle exercise and to work out at home and sort of do a lot more walking. And, I find it is so much better for me at this stage of my life.
“So, I’m still very, very active, I think I am fit for my age, but I now exercise very differently.” Later, she added: “Nothing can beat a good walk.”
Glynis certainly isn’t alone in her perspective either. Numerous studies and longevity researchers also recommend frequent walks and low-intensity exercise to anyone keen to stave off the risk of several age-related illnesses, such as heart disease and dementia.
This includes Claire Steves, a professor of ageing and health at King’s College London, who previously told the ZOE Podcast that a 45-minute walk three times a week could be enough to strengthen cognitive function.
“So, to improve your cognitive health, you need to do more exercise than you’re doing now – up to a point – unless you’re an Olympic athlete,” she said at the time. “That’s the key thing. If we look at really big population studies, we can see effects, even with minimal levels of exercise, and it’s fairly linear.
“…So, whatever you’re doing, if you go up by a third, you’ll be improving yourself.” Besides this, a recent study from the University of Bristol also found that mice engaging in consistent aerobic exercise experienced a notable reduction in Alzheimer’s disease markers.
Aerobic exercise is any activity that increases your heart rate and the amount of oxygen the body uses to produce energy. This encompasses everything from running and swimming, to cycling and walking.
While the project only used mice as its subjects, scientists believe similar trends will be noticeable among humans. They are now expanding clinical trials to verify this.
Dr Augusto Coppi, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Bristol and one of the study’s senior authors, said: “Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure, impacting millions worldwide.
“While physical exercise is known to reduce cognitive decline, the cellular mechanisms behind its neuroprotective effects have remained elusive—until now. This research highlights the potential for aerobic exercise to serve as a cornerstone in preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s.”
What is dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe several conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, related to the ongoing decline of the brain. Symptoms during its onset may include:
- Memory loss
- Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- Being confused about time and place
- Mood changes
- Difficulty concentrating
- Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
The NHS urges anyone experiencing these symptoms to visit a GP for further guidance.
