The benefits of staying active as we get older are numerous. However the challenges in staying active as we get older and our bodies begin to hurt more may also seem just as numerous.

With our back to life programme the aim is to remove the barriers you may be facing in staying active so you can enjoy the life you want to live. We aim to do this by:

Helping you with the incorporation of an accessible exercise routine into your daily life. Exercise, especially resistance training, has been shown to

• Decrease symptoms of osteoarthritis.
• Improve blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Increase independence.
• Prevent the development or progression of osteoporosis.
• Improve mental health.

Along with many other benefits.

We know that joining a gym is not for everybody, and that is OK. We are able to help you with strengthening exercises without the need of a gym if that is what you choose.

However, sometimes working out, even in a gym, is more enjoyable when you have a small group of people who are taking the same journey as you. This is why our programme will include physio lead exercise classes in a small group environment.

 We will be using common gym exercises, Pilates, yoga and actions of your daily life. This way you can get the individuality you need to improve in the areas that matter to you, guided by one of our skilled and experienced physios, whilst being able to share your journey with new people.

Having this peer support network is often essential to a health journey, not only does it help to hear other stories, it helps to be able to share our own. Being able to develop friendships with people in a new environment working towards a common goal of remaining healthy, active, and enjoying life will motivate you to keep working towards the life you want to live.

As we get older the trips to the doctors, and the prescriptions, we come away with become numerous. Often leading us to be on multiple medications in order to keep ourselves moving forward. Resistance training and cardiovascular exercise has been shown to have many benefits in improving quality of life even when living with chronic health conditions. The best part of that news is that if you adapt and stick to a healthy lifestyle early on, we may be able to prevent at least some of those doctors’ visits, and lower the amount of medication that you need to take.