Devi Sridhar’s recommendation for people of all ages to exercise is absolutely on the ball (I’m an expert in public health. Which is why, aged 38, I’ve qualified as a personal trainer, 1 January). For years, up to my late 50s, I trained in and taught aikido. Now I have eight acres of field, wood and garden to manage, so every summer I cut, split and stack a couple of tons of logs for our winter fires.
But when my long-term cancer, under remission for 20 years, started to play up again, my medication pushed my blood pressure way up. I was prescribed pills to bring it back down again, but they only do so marginally. So, as I still lead a pretty active life, I needed to find a way to keep mobile while dealing with that potentially life-threatening condition.
