The local councils around most towns have thir work cut out when it comes to making sure all the older folk can get to their gyms and health centres to satisfy the push towards moving the older ones into a class or two rather than let them clog up the doctors surgeries. It has been absolutely amazing over the last 3 years, watching what used to be a small number of classes being put on for a few senior citizens, has mushroomed into an absolutely massive operation. The local gym now has 2 instructors who take 3 classes each day for five days a week, and yet they still run out of places. The doctors’ surgeries are diverting their immobile and infirm patients from the pain clinics to the gym.
This in itself is a brilliant idea but there are times when frustration does come into play. There are many members who would really benefit from that regular spot of exercise – many of them have not ‘exercised’ since school days, which to be fair are many a year gone by. There are classes to improve stretching so everyone start the term on level pegging and by the end of the academic year, they should be able to lift their arms above their head; hinge forward from the waist; stretch one leg at a time out in front with the foot flexed uand then the toes are pointed downwards to stretch the front muscles. I used to struggle to do the figure four leg stretch but after months and months of regular attendance and then by changing routines at home, I can do fantastic ‘figure fours’. The classes used to be limited to 13 people but now they are 22, which means rather a lot of heaving and breathing in one studio fortunately they do have very good air conditioning.
There is the problem though of folk not really getting into the spirit of it. There are many who go there as a social activity to get out of the house. It used to drive me potty to go regulary and be fired up to try and improve my balance and mobility and really know i was making progress, but found most of the other ladies hadn’t done any exercising or stretching at home between gym sessions. Of course, classes can only go at the pace of the slowest contender and as many of them just enjoyed their couple of hours, they saw it as just doing a little of what the doctor ordered, but no more!
There are all the equipment studios too and the weights room. These are quite daunting and can be dangerous if someone without knowledge goes in and a uses something the wrong way. Its a bit difficult to get one of the instructors to come and show how to use machines so appointments need to be made in advance. That rather takes the sponteniaity out of a decision to pop down the gym. The membership is excellent value for oldies too – we can use our card to access the local gym and associated swimming pool associated with it and also in the next big town some 10 miles away, their gym and pool are included also.