Lytham retirees keep a spring in their step with new fitness routine

The fitness enthusiasts, who are mostly in their 70s and 80s, regularly take part in weekly exercise classes, and many are also members of the retirement community’s walking group, gardening club and petanque teams, as well as ‘getting their steps in’ around the gardens.

Anne, aged 86, a homeowner at The Sidings said: “There’s an exercise class that Dot runs. I go to that once a week. It’s chair-based rhythmic exercises but those who want to also do a bit standing up. It’s good. There’s such a lot going on really.”

Ann, aged 81, who lives at The Sidings with her husband Harry, enjoys dancing and goes to the weekly class too. Ann said: “It’s good having it in the same building because in winter, the bad weather can put you off but here you’ve only got to pop downstairs.

“We’re having such a wonderful time. We’re busy, but busy doing things that we like. We have a gardening group, take-away nights, pétanque, a book club, and there’s a local, historical interest group. We have film nights and games nights. You’re never short of somebody to talk to. I’ve never laughed so much since I came here.”

Trevor, aged 83, a retired doctor who moved to The Sidings last year, said: “I think one of the big benefits of moving to a retirement community is the stimulus of other people at this time of life. If somebody has been on their own, as I know very well, you can sink into not wanting to do anything. You lose your ability to think properly, and to converse properly, and you start to go downhill.

“Looking back now, I didn’t realise at the time, that’s exactly what happened to me. The stimulus of moving into a place like this can be of great benefit.

“Physically it helps too. One of the homeowners, Dorothy, leads an exercise class every Wednesday morning which I join sometimes, and I make sure that if I can’t get out into Lytham, I do two laps of The Sidings in the morning and two laps in the afternoon. I think four laps is not much short of a mile so that’s the least that I do and when I think about it, I try to use the stairs as much as I can.

“I am so, so pleased I came. I’ve got back to my normal self. I’m not so insular. I enjoy meeting people and talking to them. There’s a good sense of community here. I’ve made some good friends.”

According to a recent peer-reviewed study from the University of Cambridge, an active lifestyle has a direct correlation to the overall quality of life for adults over the age of 60 as well as reducing the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

The study of close to 1,500 adults over a period of six years says that older people who maintain an active routine and engage in regular physical activity experience greater benefits in terms of their quality of life than those who do not.

Alexandra Johnson, Sales and Marketing Director for Adlington Retirement Living said: “Getting active is not just about adding years to your life, it’s about improving your quality of life too. The Cambridge study suggested that more physical activity reduces pain in common conditions such as osteoarthritis, and that being more physically active improves muscle strength which allows older adults to remain independent for longer. It also highlighted how depression and anxiety are linked to quality of life, and that they can be improved by being more active and less sedentary too.”

ARCO, the independent body that sets standards for retirement communities has also shared research findings that show homeowners experience a 75% increase in the amount of exercise they do when they move to a retirement community, and their mental health and wellbeing improves with a 24% decrease in anxiety symptoms.

Alexandra Johnson adds: “The benefits of exercise are wide ranging physically and mentally and it’s never too late to start. When you combine that with the new friendships you can make and the fantastic community spirit in our retirement communities, it’s the perfect recipe for healthy ageing.”