Following alarming new findings that one in four people aged between 50 and 64 are physically inactive, a personal trainer has shared how taking just one minute every day to exercise could make an enormous difference
Although, sadly, none of us can live forever, we can take extra steps now for a better chance of enjoying a longer and happier life.
If you’re already comfortably into middle age with little experience of protein shakes and leg day, then it’s by no means too late to start, as demonstrated by personal trainer Lavina Mehta.
A bestselling author of ‘The Feel Good Fix: Boost Energy, Improve Sleep and Move More Through Menopause and Beyond’, Lavina only got the bug for fitness in her 40s, and managed to completely transform her life. The mum-of-three’s motto is: “It’s never too late to start.”
Once “double the size” and “on the road to type 2 diabetes,” Lavina is now far healthier physically and mentally. Now she’s offered a go-to tip for those in midlife looking to make a change, and it could take you just a minute each day.
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Lavina is a huge believer in the power of “exercise snacking”, focused around “short bursts” of movement that can work wonders, particularly for women navigating the hurdles of perimenopause and menopause.
The exercise expert, who is focused on “breaking down all the barriers to exercise”, told the Mirror that exercise snacking is a “game changer in midlife”.
She explained: “It’s all about the science showing that short bite-sized amounts of movement, even as short as a few seconds to a minute, if we can sprinkle these in regularly through the day, ideally I say every hour at least. Ideally, every half an hour would be even better.
“It’s breaking those long sedentary periods, so the amount of time that we’re sitting, so that we are sitting less, moving more. The science is so incredible, the research is growing, but it’s showing us it’s as effective, if not more effective, than the longer workouts that we often struggle to fit into our busy lives.”
When done “regularly and often”, these ‘snacks’ can help regulate blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and can also help with metabolism, weight management and bone health. All important factors when thinking about longevity and a more vibrant old age.
Elaborating on the sort of exercises that would work here, Lavina suggested: “One of the key ones I always say is balance snacks. So brushing your teeth on one leg is, I think, a brilliant way of incorporating balance because you’ve got the sink as support.”
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As detailed in Lavina’s book, there are different targets, depending on age ranges. However, “even a simple 10-second balance is a key indicator for your longevity”.
Lavina revealed: “It’s quite morbid, but if you’re unable to balance for 10 seconds, you’re twice as likely to have a premature death in the next decade. So, that’s quite an alarming stat that I sometimes mention depending on the audience.
“But there are targets based, and it’s just more practising balance because, also, we start losing our balance in midlife. So brushing your teeth on one leg on both sides, you can do that easily in the morning/ It’s something I do morning and night, and I know I’ve got my balance back in.”
Moving on to another bite-sized exercise that she swears by, Lavina recommends the trusty “sit and stand”, which she promises is “a little bit less daunting than the squat”, but will still help to strengthen the lower body.
According to Lavina: “It’s literally every time that you’re sitting too long, you know, if you’re stuck on virtual meetings or if you’re stuck at your desk or on the sofa, I really encourage people to get up, maybe sprinkling in 10 sit and stands.
“There’s an amazing study that came out quite recently, which found that 10 squats every 45 minutes is as effective as a 30-minute walk on your blood sugar levels. That’s a lot of squats, but I’m just showing that it could be something that you just build in and don’t overdo anything, everything in balance.”
Push-ups also get Lavina’s seal of approval when it comes to building your upper body strength, and, again, this needn’t feel like a formidable task.
Lavina advised: “Upper body would be push-up against the counter, you know, when the kettle’s boiling or when you’re cooking.”
The author has also recommended adding in “a little bit of impact exercise”, which can be “something really short”. She continued: “Even just four seconds of higher intensity, like four seconds of star jumps or I love a little bit of shadow boxing and fast feet.
“You know, you could just do that anywhere, really, right? You could just sprinkle those in, even in your workplace or wherever you are, just adding those little bits in.”
Moving onto mobility, essential for keeping joints “nice and supple”, Lavina recommends trying out some head, neck and shoulder rolls, which can be done even when you’re seated at your desk for work.
She continued: “For stretch, I think stretch is really important because it ties in your breath, and it really helps to lower stress and cortisol levels. So a simple stretch in the evening before bed would also help with your sleep and relaxation, and it’s a form of self-care.
“You could even just do like a little child’s pose, downward dog, a little yoga flow type thing. Like a cat cow, a down dog and a child’s pose. You know, just something really simple, but it can work wonders. Giving ourselves a little minute or two before bed would be lovely.”
This comes as Age UK launches a new campaign, Act Now, Age Better, to encourage people to move more for “a better later life”. Recent research found that one in four people aged 50 to 64 are physically inactive – the equivalent of 2.8 million.
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