As an elderly man I kept falling asleep while watching television. Determined to stop dropping off, I prised myself off the settee and began to perform gentle stretching exercises, reaching up, out and sideways as far as I could and holding each extreme position for half a minute, then relaxing and doing a different stretch including gentle twists and bends and rotating shoulders in both directions.
I now follow this routine from 1900 to 2200 continuously each evening, managing to stay wide awake for TV. Other benefits: deeper and more relaxed sleep every night and feeling on top of the world all day. Now I know why Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is so keen on yoga. It's a great way to get more out of life.
Rudy Otter
By email
