I am over 60 and have not exercised in years. Where do I start?

Start smaller than pride suggests and sooner than doubt allows. Ten minutes of marching in place, sit-to-stands from a sturdy chair, wall push-ups and heel raises is a real workout at any age, and it rebuilds exactly the strength daily life uses.

Muscle responds to training into the nineties; that is one of the best-replicated findings in exercise science. Balance work matters just as much, because it is what prevents the falls that change lives. A single-leg stand next to the counter, a little each day, measurably lowers fall risk.

Check with your doctor first if you have heart disease, get chest pain or serious breathlessness, or have fallen recently. Otherwise the guidance for older adults is the same as for everyone: move most days, push against something twice a week, and start this week rather than perfectly.