Health expert Michael Mosley says he tries to do press-ups and squats every day to stay fit.
Speaking on an episode of his BBC Radio 4 podcast Just One Thing, the former doctor explained the importance of combining aerobic and resistance exercises as part of a healthy routine.
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While some resistance exercises – such as weightlifting – require equipment to build muscle strength, Mosley said the benefit of doing press-ups and squats is that they simply use an individual's body weight to provide resistance against gravity. As reported by North Wales Live, this helps to tone muscle, improve heart health and may boost brain function, according to research.
He said: "I do love walking and cycling, and I also make myself do the occasional run. But just one thing I would recommend you try fitting into your daily life are press-ups and squats.
"I do them first thing when I get out of bed because I know if I don't do them then I'll probably forget to do them later in the day. They give you a full-body workout, help your heart and may even boost your brainpower – amazing."
Mosley said it is important to build strength gradually to avoid injury and suggested starting out by doing press-ups against a wall or with the knees on the ground before progressing. People with pre-existing back conditions should speak to their GP before adding resistance exercises into their routines, he added.
Research conducted in the United States shows the potential benefits of doing regular press-ups, Mosley told his listeners.
Analysing the fitness of a group of firefighters, the study found that if a person is able to do 40 or more press-ups in one go when in their late 30s they are far less likely to have a heart attack in the next decade than those who could manage fewer than 10.
Speaking on the podcast, Professor Damian Bailey from the University of South Wales explained why squats could improve brain function, saying: "We've evolved needing gravity, so when you start to play around with gravity it's not that the brain doesn't like it but it works jolly hard to try to defend blood flow.
"This is the stimulus, we think, which is fundamental to optimising the brain to exercise."
Guidance on how to do press-ups and squats correctly can be found on the NHS website. It recommends doing muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups at least twice a week.
Just One Thing is available to listen to on BBC Sounds. The episode on resistance training was first broadcast in May 2021.
