What a response to last week’s column. I got so many messages on Instagram from you all, trying out the exercises and feeling empowered to do them on a regular basis. People are so afraid of strength training, but when it is broken down and explained simply, you realise suddenly that it isn’t that scary after all.

This week, I want to focus on the lower body. One of the fastest accelerators of ageing is falling. When we fall, we lose confidence, lose muscle mass, become more sedentary and sit more, which accelerates everything about ageing.

To be independent as we age, to be confident with every step, to live better, you need adequate lower body strength. To get in and out of the car, chairs, trains and buses, you need a strong lower body too.

Your glutes, or bum muscles, the muscles at the front and back of the leg, the muscles of the calf and foot are all what will help you stay stable and confident. Just like the upper body, it is a use it or lose it situation. Sitting more as we age will accelerate this process of muscle waste.

To paraphrase Professor Rose Anne Kenny, from Trinity College Dublin’s TILDA ageing study, we need to move more as we get older, not less.

With that in mind and to build on last week’s five upper body exercises, here are five lower body exercises to add into the routine. As with any exercise routine, if you have any concerns about the exercises do seek in-person advice and only work to your own ability.

Try one set of the exercises and see how you feel, repeating each exercise 15 times. Take it at your own pace and see how you find it. Aim for three to five sets as you get stronger. Here are five effective exercises to keep you active:

1. Knee raises: stand with your feet shoulder width apart, back straight. Raise your knee up towards your chest and return to the floor. Remember to repeat 15 times on each leg. You can hold onto a chair or a wall if needs be for extra support.

2. Calf raises: start with your feet together and hands on a wall or chair. Simply stand up on your tippy toes and return your heels to the floor. Repeat and if your toes begin to cramp up, stop and don’t push through it.

3. Standing side leg raises: a great exercise for the bum muscles. Dtand beside a wall or a chair for support. Simply raise your leg out to the side and bring it back to centre. Don’t forget to swap legs. If you have any back pain stop straight away.

4. Wall squats: another of my favourites. Stand with your back against the wall, feet out in front, around two feet from the wall. Simply slide down the wall until you’re at 90 degrees with your legs parallel to the ground. Hold here for as long as you can and return to standing.

5. Sit to stands: possibly my favourite lower body exercise. Start by sitting on a chair, back straight and shoulder width on the feet. Simply stand up off the chair and return back down to the chair. Take your time with it, and aim to do it unassisted as you get stronger.

Between last week and this week’s exercises, you now have a complete set of ageing health movements. Check out my Instagram(@karlhenrypt).

Next week: Why people use saunas for relaxation, stress relief, pain reduction, and overall wellness.