“Bungalow Legs, 30-Minute Alarms, and the Stairs We Choose to Avoid”

Ever heard of “bungalow legs”? Neither had I—until a man at the social club shared a story over a cuppa and biscuits that stopped me in my tracks. It turns out, the easy option can quietly steal your strength, and the tough, healthy elders in our lives have a lot to teach us about ageing responsibly.

Let me share four stories that might just change the way you think about movement, effort, and ageing.

What Are Bungalow Legs?

A while back, I was playing table tennis at a social club when the organiser stopped the game for tea and biscuits and I ended up chatting with a man in his late 70s or early 80s.

He told me about his years of playing, his wife he cared for, and—unexpectedly—why his game had deteriorated.

“Bungalow legs,” he said.

“What?”

He explained that after moving into a bungalow, his legs had lost their strength, power, and speed. Without stairs to climb daily, his leg muscles weakened, and his cardiovascular fitness suffered.

It seemed like the right move at the time, but it had quietly robbed him of his physical resilience.

Meanwhile, my 91-year-old mother-in-law, who lives with us, climbs the stairs ten times a day. She refuses to use the downstairs loo and takes regular breaks upstairs.

Our stairs have 13 risers, so she’s effectively doing 130 bodyweight step-ups every day. The step-up is an exercise personal trainers swear by for building leg strength—and she’s doing it naturally. My mother-in-law is tough, she will never take the easy option, which is why she lives a full life at 91 years old She is ageing responsibly and nearly forgot to mention, she never complains. I mean never.

Question: Are you taking the easy option?

The 30-Minute Alarm

A friend once told me about his 96-year-old mother. She cooks, cleans, and lives independently.

“What’s her secret?” I asked.

After some thought, he replied, “Maybe it’s the 30-minute alarm.”

Turns out, she sets an alarm every half hour, gets up, and moves around the house.

Brilliant. Humans aren’t designed to sit in comfy chairs for hours. We’re built to move. But society tells us to “relax”, “take it easy” and “put your feet up” as we age.

Wrong.

Same Question: Are you taking the easy option?

 Escalators vs. Stairs

Ever noticed what happens when people are presented with a choice between an escalator and a flight of stairs? At airports or supermarkets, or other public places 90% of us instinctively take the escalator—for reasons convenience and to minimise effort apparently.

But is that ageing responsibly? Or is it another easy option quietly chipping away at your strength and resilience?

Every day, we have choices:

• Move or stay still.
• Take the stairs or the lift.
• Embrace effort or avoid it.

Every time we choose convenience, we miss an opportunity to stay strong, healthy, and capable.

The Seduction of Comfort & Convenience

Modern life is full of labour-saving gadgets—robotic vacs and lawnmowers, anything to save us a bit of effort. It’s tempting, isn’t it?

But here’s the thing: every time you let a gadget do the work, you’re choosing weakness over strength.

Sorry if I’m offending you here, but it’s the truth. We all get sucked into our cosy lives, only to wonder years later why we’re weak, stiff, and tired.

If you want to age responsibly, take a page from the book of our tough, healthy elders. They never take the easy option—and they never complain.

Call to Action

So, here’s the challenge:

What’s one easy option you’ll choose to avoid today? Will you take the stairs, move every 30 minutes, or ditch the gadgets?

Share your thoughts in the comments or email me your story—I’d love to hear how you’re stepping up.

Next week, How you prioritise those 16 hours per day  Don’t miss it!

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