GPs to prescribe walking and cycling in bid to ease burden on NHS

Suggestion of activities to help improve mental and physical health part of wider movement of ‘social prescribing’

School sport was a hellscape for me. At 41 I’m hooked on exercise for the first time

I felt self-conscious in PE class from the age of five because I was slower than everyone else. So I checked myself out of an active lifestyle until well into adulthood

‘Vacuuming is actually very healthy’: how to stay active in a wet Covid winter

From blitzing your chores to wearing your entire wardrobe to the gym, Guardian Australia readers and experts tell us how they’re exercising when it’s cold, wet and miserable

A new start after 60: ‘I didn’t want to be an invisible old lady – so I became a yoga teacher’

After decades in hairdressing, 65-year-old Sharon McAllister was ready for a change rather than a rest. And her yoga classes are just the beginning

Three-quarters of UK adults can’t read a map – here’s how to get better

A study by Ordnance Survey to coincide with National Map Reading Week paints a sorry picture of our navigation skills. But there are ways to improve …

A new start after 60: ‘I risked my house to launch a chain of 24-hour gyms’

Bob Cheek was in his 60s and worrying about his future. Then he hit on a scheme that would make him millions

‘We didn’t feel it was for us’: the UK’s minority ethnic walking groups tearing down barriers

Hiking groups set up by and for ethnic minorities, often during lockdowns, are gaining in popularity

Here they come, the forlorn teens with backpacks. It’s Duke of Edinburgh season

The countryside is suddenly full of exhausted youngsters. Even my cheery sympathy can’t lift their spirits, writes Adrian Chiles

Move yourself happy! How to exercise to boost your mood – whatever your fitness level

There are plenty of workouts to improve your physical health – but what if you are exercising to improve your mental health? Experts offer their tips

Growing pains?: How to stop yourself getting injured while gardening – from essential exercises to the perfect posture

Bending to dig, twisting to prune and carrying heavy loads can all mean gardeners end up with unnecessary aches. Here are some expert tips to keep you healthy as your garden blooms

My generation is obsessed with the cult of wellness – but all that striving to be your best self can be dangerous

People have become transfixed with the idea that being well is the most impressive thing you can do – and as someone who is permanently unwell I will always be considered lesser writes Ione Gamble

‘I call it sauna head – your ego disappears’: how the UK got hooked on heat

From a hut by a Welsh river to a converted horsebox on the beach, saunas are appearing in unlikely spots all over the country

Hot baths, ice lollies, Vaseline: 10 ways to keep exercising in a heatwave

You don’t have to stop working out just because summer has arrived. Here are some expert tips to keep moving – and avoid heatstroke

Wild swimming with a backpack? Welcome to cross country swimming

With the help of some innovative kit, these adventurers can easily negotiate both land and waterways

The people making a difference: the football coach bringing generations together

Niyah Campbell started a walking football team to get older players back on the ball. Seven years on, it’s still the social highlight of their week