Third Age: Get in shape for time of your life

EILEEN CONNOLLY, 65, is a strong believer in ageing positively.

She has just completed a Go For Life Workshop that encouraged her to maintain a physically active life and stressed the importance of a good attitude for her wellbeing.

“It was great. We learned exercises that we could do at home, the importance of getting off your backside, taking part, having a laugh and just enjoying it all. I came home and I was as high as a kite — it was that good,’’ she laughs.

To celebrate Positive Ageing Week 2013, Eileen and her Active Retirement group from Skibbereen, Co Cork, decided to host a Go For Life Workshop. They contacted the Age and Opportunity charity and a volunteer activity leader came to run the three-hour event.

“There were more than 60 people at the workshop. We honestly didn’t expect that many people to come, but they did. And we learnt so much, there were so many activities and every one could partake.

“I think older people now are understanding that you have to get up, get out, get physical, be active. Use it or you lose it,’’ she says.

The Go For Life programme is available across the country and the workshops are run in partnership with local sports groups, the Health Service Executive and Age and Opportunity, to encourage older people to get exercising.

There more than 1,200 volunteer ‘physical activity leaders’, who host the workshops and are specially trained to demonstrate short exercise routines, fun games, simple dances and sports like pitch and toss. All of the exercises are designed to improve balance, strength and muscle tone. And are suitable for any age.

“When you get to a certain age, you must try to remain mobile. Even people sitting in a chair can do some exercise, we were shown how to use our arms and hands, to use the top part of our body, to do stretches and how not to strain your back. I would recommend the Go For Life programme to anyone,’’ says Eileen.

For anyone who may prefer to work on their own, Age and Opportunity has also created the Go For Life FitLine, which is a free telephone advice offering exercise tips and advice for the over 50s. The service currently operates in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Meath and Wicklow.

The aim is to roll out the service in other counties as soon as possible.

The Go For Life Fitline is modelled on the very successful Active Choices telephone support project developed by Stanford University, USA, and specially trained volunteer mentors will ring every few weeks to ensure the participants are happy with their exercise routine, and to encourage them to continue being active.

A major factor in staying active is to establish a routine. The Fitline mentors have great advice and tips on creating regular exercise pattern, which people can either do alone or with friends and family, whatever suits them.

“What’s new and exciting about the Go For Life Fitline is that the volunteer mentors making the calls are ordinary older adults from the local area who have themselves been through the ups and downs of trying to be active,’’ explains Mary Harkin, Go For Life’s programme manager.

Charlie Bowles from Dublin, joined his local Go For Life Fitline last year. “I find Fitline great for motivating me when I start to slack off from my exercising. It gives me a shot in the arm to get going again,’’ he says.

www.ageandopportunity.ie and the FitLine 1800 303 545