HIIT on Mondays, Pilates on Tuesdays. Upper body on Wednesdays, lower body on Thursdays. Hot yoga on Friday, cold plunges on Fridays, and weights all weekend. Keeping up at the gym can be… a drain. Which is why we love Angela Rippon’s exercise regime.
‘I get out of bed, get a cup of hot water and do between 10 and 15 minutes’ stretching and exercise,’ she’s said. Beyond that: ‘I dance around the house generally, not only in the kitchen. I say, ‘Play me music from the 1970s, Alexa,’ and it’s all very danceable. I love anything by Abba.’
It sounds easy, a lot more affordable than gym classes, and – crucially – rather fun. But does it work?
The science behind stretching
As we age, joints tend to lose range of motion and muscles can become stiffer. Research suggests that regular stretching helps to counter some of this decline.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 29 studies in older adults found that stretching programmes were associated with improvements in walking speed. Another review, focusing specifically on older adults, found that even a single session of static stretching produced a small reduction in muscle-tendon stiffness.
Plus, in a small randomised trial, 30 men aged 55-75 completed 12 stretching sessions over four weeks. The result was an improved range of motion in their knees and better hamstring flexibility.
Muscles, explains physiotherapist Sam Bhide, are like elastic bands: ‘If tight, they need to be stretched to be elongated and you always need to use gentle, controlled movements when stretching them.’
‘Stretching improves muscle length and flexibility,’ she adds, but also ‘reduces joint stiffness, improves blood circulation, can help to manage pain and also improves any compound movements you go on to make, whether that’s walking, climbing, taking the stairs or getting out of a bath or car.’
Here, Sam shares 4 stretches to do every day
The science to support dancing
Queen Camilla (centre left), Patron of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), speaks with Angela Rippon (centre right) while watching a Move to the Musicals dance class during a visit to their global headquarters in September 2026.
And now for the best news of all. Dancing like no one’s watching actually works! A 2024 systematic review of 16 studies of middle-aged and older adults found that many dance programmes improved physical function, balance and postural control.
Meanwhile, a small randomised trial showed that eight weeks of dance classes, three times a week, had a dramatic impact on 30 sedentary women with an average age of 65. By the end of the experiment, participants had improved their peak oxygen uptake, their lower-body muscle power and their balance.
Why? Dancing (if not with the proper wild abandon) involves dynamic, multi-directional movements, actively working your core, improving your balance and toning various muscle groups simultaneously.
It’s also great for your cardiovascular health – elevating your heart rate, and thereby strengthening your heart muscle, increasing your lung capacity and boosting your overall stamina.
A kitchen disco is, in fact, the favourite exercise of Michelle Griffith Robinson, a former Team GB triple jumper and Olympian who’s now a life coach: ‘I just get that music on and I dance,’ she says. ‘It helps me feel great about myself. I’m moving my body. I’m moving my mental wellbeing, on a dial from zero to 10, just by putting on the music. And I’m not even stepping into a gym.’
The ‘but’…
While stretching and dancing are great for your physical and mental health, there’s one crucial component missing… progressive resistance or strength training.
As we age, women naturally lose muscle mass and bone density. While dancing moves your own body-weight, it doesn’t generally provide enough targeted resistance to counter that process.
For that, you need weight training. Last year, the University of Exeter published the first study comparing the effect of resistance, or weight, training on muscle strength and mass before, during and after menopause.
More than 70 women, some pre-menopause, some peri-menopause, others post-menopause, took part in the research. Some simply exercised while others completed a resistance training programme. The researchers found that, regardless of what stage of menopause they were at, participants who consistently engaged in the resistance training programme, compared with a standard exercise routine, experienced:
- 19% increase in hip function and lower-body strength
- 21% increase in full-body flexibility
- 10% increase in dynamic balance, mobility and stability
How does it work? In essence, weight training applyies physical stress to bones, signalling them to rebuild their density, helping to prevent osteoporosis and reducing the high risk of fractures.
How to make it ‘complete’
You can easily round out your daily routine without giving up what you love. Consider these simple adjustments:
- Add resistance to your boogie: Incorporate light wrist/ankle weights or use a resistance band during specific segments of your routine to challenge your muscles further.
- Incorporate strength-based moves: Mix body-weight strength exercises – such as squats, lunges and planks – directly into your dance routine.
- Vary the intensity: Ensure some of your daily dance sessions are high-intensity (fast-paced, high-energy tracks) to challenge your cardiovascular system. Others can be lower-intensity for an active recovery.