Gabby Logan has opened up about how exercise helped her cope with brain fog and mild anxiety caused by menopause  — as she urged the nation to try the “magic pill”. The former athlete and broadcaster, 51, said she experienced several “low-level” symptoms before realising they were linked. She told the Express: “I can’t speak highly enough of exercise as almost a magic pill.

“The benefits of exercise, if you were to put them in a pill and give them to people…it would be the most widely taken drug on the market. In the menopause, your  immune system can feel quite suppressed. There are a lot of changes that go on in terms of your bone density, and exercise and weights will help improve that and keep your bone density at a good level.”

She added: “In mid-life and menopause, exercise and being consistent with it is even more important.”

Welsh TV host Gabby is passionate about looking after her body now to remain healthy for as long as possible in later life. Her current fitness routine includes pilates, weight training and running.

But for those who struggle to find the time or motivation to be active, she says walking could be “the start of everything”.

“If you’re doing nothing then it’s much better to do something,” Gabby said. “And if that something is walking, it can lead you to all kinds of different ways of exercising.

“Once you get into being fitter, you can try other things. I know a lot of people who started walking and then ended up running, doing parkruns and half marathons."

Parkrun is a charity that leads free 5km community events at more than 1,300 locations across the UK every Saturday morning. It is launching a “Talk in the Park” campaign with Vitality Health Insurance to encourage more people to join in at a slower pace.

Gabby, who is backing the scheme, said: “You have always been able to walk [during a parkrun], it’s just that people don’t associate it with that.

“The mental benefits of walking with somebody and talking are huge. When you’re walking with somebody you tend to walk quicker and longer.

“And of course you can walk on your own. When I’m just running in nature without headphones, I really love feeling grounded and hearing what’s going on around me.”

Mum-of-two Gabby said she enjoys walking with friends and their dogs, as well as her twins — Reuben and Lois Maya, 19.

She explained: “When they were younger it would be a good way of getting out and having a chat. Even though we’re quite open, we would have conversations [while walking] that you might not have when you’re sat down at the table.

“When my son had his first heartbreak, he couldn’t mobilise himself to do anything because he was so heartbroken. He was about 15. 

“I said, ‘come on, let’s go for a walk’, and had a lovely chat, trying to get him to see the light again. It kind of worked. There’s something special about walking and talking. When you’re walking, the energy is taking you forwards.”

Parkrun and Vitality are inviting the nation to join a parkwalk on April 26, when Gabby will be wrapping up coverage of the rugby Women’s Six Nations Championship and preparing to cover the London Marathon.

The former gymnast added: “It would be amazing to get as many people as possible starting then so we can break the record for the most people in mass participation walking events and hopefully spark some good healthy habits.

“Even if you’re quite a shy person, there will be somebody like you who is in that boat and hasn’t done anything like this before. It sounds more daunting than it is. There is something for everyone there.”

More than five million Britons are registered with parkrun and around 200,000 join events every week.

Parkrun founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt, said: “Parkrun has always been about being active and connecting with the community around you.

"Joining in at parkrun, whether that be walking, running, volunteering or just coming down to be outdoors with others, is a great way for people to connect to others, and start to make improvements to their physical and mental health.

“The average time for completing a parkrun keeps getting slower as more people discover that walking is not only possible at parkrun, but that we positively encourage it! Come join us for a walk this Saturday and every Saturday, for free."