Knowing that strength matters through the menopause is the easy part. Knowing what to actually do on a Tuesday evening at home is harder. Five exercises to begin with, no equipment needed, and a sensible way to build them up.

Stiffer mornings, aches turning up in several places at once, and a niggle that once settled in three days now taking three weeks. What is actually changing in muscle, joint and tendon through the menopause, and why it all arrives together.