Till now, you may have believed that training with free weights - dumb bells and bar bells - is best kept for younger people. Well, think again. Bruce Craig, of the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University, says that men and women well past retirement age have much to gain from resistance training.

Weight work increases your mobility and improves reaction time - both of which will help you avoid falls and injuries. The workouts will make you look and feel better. You can use the same routine as younger people, only you will probably need to work more slowly to allow your body to recover. To gain maximum benefit, the workout should be hard - intense even - with you aiming to add weight and repetitions as you progress. Craig recommends the free weights over machines, too, because they make your body work that bit harder. Needless to say, whatever your age, your resistance training should only be done under the guidance of a well-qualified instructor.