Thirty sessions.
Twelve minutes each.
Steady on your feet.

Before you start

Call emergency services for sudden weakness or numbness on one side, facial droop, slurred speech or sudden confusion; for chest pain or breathlessness; or for a fall with a head injury, particularly if you take blood-thinning medication. See a doctor before continuing with blackouts or fainting, falls where you lost consciousness, dizziness on standing up, a fall with hip or wrist pain and inability to put weight on it, or unexplained weight loss or night pain.

Set up safely. Every session is done within arm's reach of something solid — a kitchen counter, a sturdy chair or a wall. Never a chair on wheels and never a table on castors. Wear firm fastened shoes, not socks or loose slippers.

Challenge is the ingredient. Balance only improves when it feels slightly unsteady. Have the support within reach and try not to use it — the near-miss is the training.

Dizziness on standing up is common, fixable and often caused by medication. It is worth a review with your doctor or pharmacist; so is taking four or more regular medicines.

Four numbers, measured monthly: chair stands in thirty seconds, single-leg balance time, walking speed and grip. They are taken at sessions 6, 12, 18 and 30.

It is never too late. Strength, balance and confidence have all been shown to improve in people starting in their eighties and nineties.

Kit: a sturdy chair, a kitchen counter or wall, a step or staircase, a cushion, a towel and a loaded bag or two water jugs.