I'd Tried All Sorts of Exercise. Nothing Quite Hit the Spot. I was in my 40s when I first discovered Zumba, and it certainly wasn't because I hadn't tried other ways of keeping fit. I'd done legs, bums and tums. I'd tried yoga. I'd even given running a go — and quickly discovered that running and I were never going to have a particularly happy relationship! There was nothing necessarily wrong with any of these activities. They just weren't quite what I was looking for.

As we age, changes take place throughout the body. We may lose some muscle mass and strength, our tissues can become less flexible, and some joints may not move through quite the same range they once did. Previous injuries can make a difference too, as can conditions such as arthritis. But there's another factor that I think is particularly important because we can actually do something about it. We often move less. Not necessarily because we've made a conscious decision t

Whether you're preparing for a hip replacement, knee surgery, cancer treatment, cardiac procedure or another planned medical intervention, staying as active as your healthcare team allows can make a real difference.