Exercise: questions and Band 8 answers

To be honest, not as much as I'd like. I try to squeeze in a brisk walk around the local park three or four mornings a week before work, but my schedule can be quite hectic. If I manage about thirty minutes a day, I'm fairly satisfied.

I'm really keen on swimming. It's a fantastic full-body workout and it doesn't put any strain on my joints. There's a public leisure centre just down the road from my flat, so I usually go there on Saturday mornings to do a few lengths.

Yes, loads actually. At primary school, we played football during almost every break, rain or shine. My parents also enrolled me in gymnastics lessons for a couple of years, which kept me pretty active, though I wasn't particularly gifted at it.

I definitely lean towards working out by myself. When I'm on my own, I can pop my headphones in, listen to an upbeat playlist, and just set my own pace. Having said that, playing team sports is great fun occasionally for the social aspect.

I suppose rock climbing is something I'd love to have a go at. A colleague of mine regularly goes to an indoor bouldering centre and keeps raving about it. It looks like a brilliant way to build upper-body strength and test your mental focus.