Sharon Horgan relies on this simple cardio workout to stay fit at 56 - and it's not walking

When trying to improve your health with regular exercise, it's important to do something you actually enjoy. There's little point in signing up for a month of Pilates if the thought of core exercises makes you shiver.

Actress, writer, director, and producer Sharon Horgan started running about six years ago. Since then, she has "pushed it up to two or three times a week" and says it's one of the "only things exercise-wise that I actually like", so now she takes her running shoes all over the world, whether for work or play.

"I pack my stinky trainers and my running bra, and I'm off!" she told Talkhouse. "It gives me the greatest pleasure, and it's also so unexpected."

The star ran cross-country at school and enjoyed it, but it still surprised her when she started again and found that she continued to "love it".

Running is "the best way" to get to know a new city - and Sharon counts spots in Norway, Spain, and Rome among her standouts, she told Television Academy. It's also helped her physically and mentally in the last few years.

After dealing with challenging menopause symptoms (including a "frozen f**king shoulder", per The i Paper), Sharon decided to swap GPs and "stop drinking, get fit, [and] sort [her] hormones out", which is when she started running more.

"I will go through phases of not doing it, but I generally feel better when I get out and do it," she said.

The star told Talkhouse her chosen distance is 5km - just enough to reap the benefits, but not so long that her "knees start shouting" or her hips become uncomfortable. If she's running with someone else, she may go a little further.

"But what running really does, even though I'm either listening to music or a podcast, is take me somewhere else mentally," she told the outlet. "It's not always about taking the most interesting routes; sometimes when you have to do something that takes you off on a tangent, it's exciting."

How to start running as a beginner

• Find comfortable kit: Good shoes, a comfortable sports bra, and some workout leggings that don't fall down are all you need to get started.
• Entertain yourself: One of the most common complaints from new runners is that it's "boring". Create a playlist, download an audiobook or new episodes of your favourite podcasts to play through your exercise headphones before you head out the door.
• Go slow: Most people run too fast. The key to running as a beginner is to go very, very slowly. Run comfortably enough to keep up a conversation. Known as zone 2, this builds your aerobic fitness.
• Run with others: Being accountable to head out the door helps, too. If you know you're meeting a friend in 20 minutes, you're less likely to cancel because it's early, raining, or you just don't fancy it.