Exercising as you get older can be viewed as a new start to a new stage in life but, unfortunately, sometimes carries a taboo with it.

The benefits of exercise for both men and women in their middle and later years can open up a whole new side of life, especially if it is something that has been neglected in the past.

The omission of any kind of exercise can lead to the aggravation of conditions such as osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone density is greatly reduced, leading to bones becoming fragile and more likely to break.

The fractures which often result occur typically in the hip, spine and wrist.

Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, though men also suffer from osteporosis.

There are more than five million sufferers in the UK and one-in-four women over 60 and one in 12 men over 70 have osteoporosis.

A healthy lifestyle can be critically important for keeping bones strong and providing stimulus to the skeletal system can help prevent the development of the disease.

It is well known that mechanical force is important in helping to maintain bone mass and strength. If the body is immoboilised or not put under sufficient physical stress, a reduction in bone density may be seen over time.

For this reason, it is very important that immobilisation of the body (ie, sitting down all day) is minimised and weight-bearing activity is promoted.

Older people who lead a more sedentary life are recommended to take regular walks at a normal walking pace to maintain bone strength.

For fairly active people, walking alone may not be sufficient. They should increase the level of walking intensity while, for those who exercise regularly, a class that involves weight- bearing activity would be a good option.

As you get older, the aim should be to maintain or slightly improve current bone-density levels. Research has shown that post-menopausal women who performed weight-bearing exercise regularly over seven months made modest gains of between one and two per cent in bone density.

If you are not yet performing any exercise but have been thinking about it, now is the time to get into action.

Paul's Top Tip: If you are unused to taking regular exercise, consult your GP before starting any new programme.

For personal training or conditioning, contact Paul Simmons at Frontier Fitness on 07970 686054 or 01273 5959539.