Strictly active

Anyone settling down to watch Strictly on a Saturday night cannot fail to have noticed 78-year-old contestant, Angela Rippon, and her impressive dancefloor skills. The journalist and presenter has spoken frequently about her belief that fitness is essential for a healthy older life; something that we very much support too.

With the trend towards people living longer it is a sad fact that the additional years we gain aren’t always healthy years. Increasingly complex health needs and socio-economic challenges take their toll. With this in mind, it’s crucial we focus on supporting people not just to live longer, but to age well - which is what our activity groups are designed to do.

While not every person aged 75 and over can achieve perfect 10s for fitness, our groups are proven to have a positive impact on the older people who attend, as we found out recently when we asked them.

We surveyed two thirds of the older people who accessed one of our activity groups, to discover more about the impact of attending. More than a third of respondents were widowed (38%) and more than half reported having a long-term physical or mental health condition (54%).

We discovered:

• 69% of older people felt the groups gave them something to look forward to.

• 62% agreed the activities had a positive impact on their lives.

• 54% felt happier since attending the groups; the same percentage reported being more physically active since joining and felt their general wellbeing had improved.

Our activity groups programme is designed to be inclusive, accessible and enjoyable, while recognising the link between poor physical health and loneliness. We know the groups open the door to a more active lifestyle for the older people who use them. As one person surveyed told us: ‘Please do keep the clubs going, they really are making such a difference...it keeps us all out of hospitals and having to see doctors and things as well, doesn't it?’