We keep hearing about all the things we're supposed to do to stay healthy as we get older: strength training for our muscles, impact for our bones, cardio for our heart, balance for later life and mobility to keep moving well.

How much do we actually need, and is all of it really necessary?

We tend to think that exercising properly means finding at least an hour, then there's the travel time to a gym, the cost, and everything else that comes with it.

I've been wondering: rather than adding a separate workout to tick every box, could we make the exercise we already do work smarter, so that it covers as many of those needs as possible at once?

The research around strength training gives us an interesting place to start. It suggests that you don't require huge amounts of training to get stronger, and that even relatively small amounts of challenging resistance exercise can lead to improvements in strength.

What’s actually enough depends on what you're trying to achieve and the type of exercise you're doing. But the research challenges the idea that we have to spend hours exercising to see a benefit.

There is an important catch, though: intensity. Doing fewer exercises can still be effective, but they have to be hard enough that the last few squats, presses or rows feel genuinely difficult. So it's not simply about spending less time exercising, it's about making sure the exercise you do is challenging enough.

That's encouraging, but it doesn't answer whether one exercise can cover several jobs at once and still be enough. The reason I like Pilates is that you're not just working on one thing, a single session can involve strength, balance, mobility, coordination and core control. But, as we explored last time, how much strength you get from Pilates depends on the amount of resistance you're working against, and we know it doesn't provide enough of the impact that bones respond to. If your goal is to maximise muscle or bone strength, dedicated resistance training and impact still have an important role.

The same is true in the other direction. Strength training is excellent for building and maintaining muscle, but it doesn't automatically cover everything else your body benefits from either, such as cardio, mobility and balance.

So, the honest answer? Probably not - no single exercise does it all. But you can get a lot closer than you'd expect by considering what benefits you already get from the exercise you're doing, making it progressively more challenging where you can, and then looking at what's missing. This is something I've started exploring myself, rather than trying to fit multiple different workouts into my week.

There are simple ways to make one session cover more ground too: choose exercises that work several muscles and joints at once, add a balance challenge by exercising on one leg, or add a few minutes of jogging or stair climbing to a walk. Small tweaks like these can add extra benefits without adding time to your week.

Some practical ideas:

If you're not exercising at all, start with what fits into your life. A gym or an hour of uninterrupted time isn't required. For many people, a couple of short strength sessions each week, combined with the movement you're already getting through daily life, can be a reasonable place to begin. Your everyday movement counts too, so build on it where you can.

If Pilates is your main exercise, keep it, especially if you enjoy it. Rather than assuming you need something else entirely, look at whether you're getting enough resistance to truly challenge your muscles, heavier springs, added weights, or holding positions longer, the way we just talked about.

If strength training is already part of your routine, keep that foundation, then look at whether your existing exercises could do more for you, before reaching for a completely separate session for cardio, balance or mobility.

If you're managing an injury or health condition, your starting point may look different, so it's worth getting advice on what type and level of exercise is appropriate for you.

One small thing to try this week: start where you are, even if that's nothing yet - take one small step. Or if you already have a routine you enjoy, look at what you're already doing and find one way to get more out of it - a heavier weight, a balance challenge, a bit more impact, whatever fits. Something is better than nothing, and that's really the whole point.

More soon.

Next time: why exercising regularly isn't necessarily the same as being active throughout the day.