It’s time to pop the kettle on and enjoy a nice hot tea or coffee, because according to recent research, a cuppa a day really could keep the doctor away.

According to a University of Queensland study, you don’t have to feel guilty about that daily tea or coffee as drinking one a day actually promotes exercise.

Researchers from the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences have found women who drink one to two cups of tea or coffee per day are more likely to meet the recommended levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity than those who consumed less.

While it’s probably not surprising that the two drinks help to increase energy levels, Dr Tina Skinner said tea and coffee have a variety of health benefits for middle-aged people.

“Physical activity is important for healthy ageing, but fatigue and tiredness often prevent middle-to-late age women undertaking the necessary amount of exercise,” she said.

“Consuming caffeine, the naturally occurring alkaloid widely found in coffee and tea, has already been associated with several health benefits, including decreased exertion and increased self-selected intensity of exercise.”

In fact, according to the study of 7580 women, those who consumed one to two cups of coffee per day were 17 per cent more likely to meet the recommended levels MVPA, and those who reported drinking one or more cups of tea per day were 13 to 26 per cent more likely to meet the guidelines, compared to non-coffee and tea drinkers.

Read more: Quick and easy chair exercises for over-60s

As an added bonus, caffeine is also associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia and even some cancers.

“Promoting physical activity and exercise is important in all life stages, but it is particularly critical in middle-age to maintain functionality, independence, and reduce the risk of frailty later in life,” Skinner explained.

Unfortunately, as you age sometimes exercise can become a bit of a struggle due to pre-existing medical conditions. Thankfully, there are still exercises that can be done from home that give the body a proper workout. The best part is that you don’t need to splash out on expensive exercise machines to get active.

There are actually many exercises that can be done with the assistance of a seat or a chair that has armrests. One exercise is known as the “sit to stand”. This exercise requires you to sit on the edge of your chair with your toes directly in line with your knees. The aim of the exercise is to push yourself off the chair without actually using your arms to do so.

Are you a tea or coffee drinker? Do you think it effects how often you exercise?