How many cups of tea and coffee do you make every day?

How about using the 2 minutes it takes for the kettle to boil to do four simple exercises that can make a difference to your strength and balance.

Not only are the exercises easy to do, the act of switching on the kettle acts as a trigger to remind you to do this simple routine. It’s often the little things that can really add up to make a big difference.

There’s four simple exercises to do which are illustrated below:

• Leg raises to strengthen the hips and bottom muscles which are vital for balance
• Chair raises to strengthen the thigh muscles to help with stair climbing and walking
• Arm raises strengthen the arms and shoulders to help with everyday tasks such as housework and gardening
• Heel raises strengthen the ankles and calf muscles to improve balance and walking

If you make four cuppas a day, you will have done 40 chair raises by the end of the day! This is one of the best exercises you can do for leg strength and can offset muscle loss as we age. Who would have thought the kitchen could double as a home-gym!

So why is it important to do resistance exercises as we age?

Keeping our muscles strong can help us to turn back the clock by up to 20 years. Not only does this allow us to do the things we want to do for longer, it also helps us to ward off illness and remain independent.

Muscle loss creeps up on us unnoticed especially after the age of 50. By the time we’re in our 80s we can have lost up to half our muscle mass, so even getting out of a chair takes a concerted effort. This loss of muscle mass and strength associated with age is known as sarcopenia.

But it’s never too late to build muscle, in fact research has shown that people in their 90s can improve their strength, power and muscle mass after just 12 weeks of resistance training. National guidelines state that people over 65 should do strengthening exercises at least twice a week along with 150 minutes of moderate exercise or activity. So even if you walk every day, you still need to do exercises that work the muscles and bones by pushing or pulling against a load or using your own body weight to create resistance.

That’s why the our Cuppa Routine is a great way to build strength training into everyday and keep your muscles strong, keeping you independent.

As they say, you have to Move it or Lose it! So what are you waiting for, put the kettle on and let’s get moving!

Download the handout to print and send to anyone who is not online – MIOLI The Cuppa Routine Handout

If you want to show someone you’re thinking of them, why not send them our ‘cuppa routine’ card – it’s a little reminder to stay strong at home and a lovely gesture at the same time!