Exercise has come a long way since the no pain no gain mantra of the 80s. I remember trying to keep up with Jane Fonda and dancing along to the Green Goddess on breakfast TV. It was hard work.

Many of us have not exercised for years, why would we? We all know that we should be keeping active, but we also know that life gets in the way and the rut sets in as you get older.

It’s been wonderful to start exercising again here at Hazel End. We take part in seated exercises every day. It’s a fantastic way to start the day and it feels fabulous to be using muscles that I’d forgotten that I had.

We don’t push ourselves too hard, but we use stretches and yoga moves to work our muscles and look after our mobility. For those of us who aren’t as mobile as we once were it is fabulous to know that we are looking after bodies and improving our strength.

There is an adage “Use it or lose it” and we are discovering the wisdom behind this. At home I would perpetually promise myself that tomorrow I would do some exercise, that I’d eat better and that I wouldn’t spend all day in my chair, but I’d get up and do the same as I’d done the day before. Here we get up and we get on with it, all in the same boat, all together and all living a more active lifestyle.

I don’t suspect that any of us will be signing up for a marathon any time soon, but we are certainly fitter and more agile than we once were and for that we are eternally grateful.