Older generation encouraged to get active
Now in its fifth year, the campaign celebrates the senior demographic by showcasing their fitness stories and proving what can be achieved by staying active into later life.
It launched on Sunday 5 October – also known as Silver Sunday, the national day dedicated to celebrating older people – and will run until Monday 17 November.
Stradbroke Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre and Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre in Stowmarket, run by award-winning operator Everyone Active in partnership with Mid Suffolk District Council, are encouraging the older generation to visit their local centre and enjoy the wide range of activities on offer.
Everyone Active supports older people to exercise across the country throughout the year, with regular dedicated senior activity sessions already seeing more than 20,000 attendances each month.
To help older people to get active, Everyone Active spoke to some local senior members and heard just how transformative exercise can be. Whether it’s for weight loss, recovery from injury, improved mobility, fitness or social reasons, there’s so much that exercise can do to improve quality of life.
Maureen Cotton, from Stradbroke, has been exercising at Stradbroke Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre for more than three decades.
Now 91, she attends two group fitness classes every week – 'Shred & Tone' and 'Legs, Bums, Tums' – and has no intention of slowing down.
Such is her high level of fitness that Maureen can perform a two-minute plank, a core-strengthening, weight-bearing exercise where the body is held in a straight line from head to heels, supported by the forearms and toes.
“If I could do it five times a week, I would. I like the music, it’s sociable, you have a laugh and it keeps you fit. I look forward to it, I really do.
“You meet your buddies there and have a laugh and a joke, and we have a lovely instructor, Polly, who is absolutely fantastic. Stradbroke is a great centre for everyone and I would love more people to use it.”
Paul Robson, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “We are proud to offer our members a friendly and welcoming environment that motivates people of all ages to get active.
“Maintaining physical activity and keeping socially active is vitally important for older people in the local community.
“This campaign aims to inspire people to try a new activity or engage in simple exercises each week at home, helping people of all abilities discover the different ways they can enjoy exercise.”
Cllr Tim Weller, Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet member for environment, culture and wellbeing, said: “Maureen is an absolute inspiration to us all! We know how crucial it is for residents to have access to facilities to improve their health and fitness, and how important it is to keep active in later life – but the social aspect can have a massive impact on quality of life too.”
With more than 230 centres across the country, Everyone Active offers activities for all ages, as well as specialised classes designed to appeal to older people.
By signing up, people can find out more about local senior sessions and receive inspirational videos from our fantastic senior members, as well as being in with a chance to win a six-month adult membership.
Proving that gyms, swimming pools and other activities are perfect for people of all ages to use and enjoy, watch Everyone Active's inspirational stories from older members across the country.
