Sir Muir Gray, former Chief Knowledge Officer to the NHS, has shared his advice on staying fit in later life. He warns that well-meaning family and friends can inadvertently harm your fitness by doing things for you, rather than helping you do them yourself.
“Everyone with a diagnosis needs more exercise because they've got both a disabling disease and the change in attitude of other people,” he said. “They believe that care is doing things for you, instead of helping you do things for yourself.”
Sir Muir recommends brisk walking as a simple and effective form of exercise. “Go for at least 10 minutes, once a day. But try to build that into 10 minutes three times a day,” he advised. For a more enjoyable workout, he suggests Scottish country dancing, which he describes as “the best thing to do” for legs and stamina.
Upper body strength is also important. Sir Muir recommends five minutes of stretching daily and using a resistance band or even a bag of sugar as a weight. “I think weights are very good. We say you can use a pound of sugar, the best thing for sugar is to leave it in the bag and use it as a weight,” he said.
