Outdoor Personal Training
It's not just for trendy young things in spandex! The latest trend among over 55s is to hire a personal trainer, particularly one who works outdoors.

Mary Jennings of Revive Fitness in Dublin says: “Older people are used to getting fresh air; many get out and walk anyway. So, I say: ‘let’s add to that and do a little jogging’, an impact exercise which can help with osteopoenia, or early onset of osteoporosis.” She adds exercises that can be done while walking outdoors, including movements for the lower back and to help with balance.

“Older people have often been shocked into exercise by a health scare,” says Jennings, “but they don’t know what to do and, more specifically, don’t have the confidence to begin. That’s where a personal trainer comes in.”

She says that her older clients are among her most committed. “People over 55 tend to stick with it because they often to have a more stable routine than people in their 30s.”

They are also often fitter than they imagined. “When I teach mothers and daughters together, daughters sometimes struggle to keep up with their mothers,” she says.

Jennings teaches on Sandymount Strand, Herbert Park, Clontarf Coast Road and Phoenix Park, and follows up with personally tailored emails. From there, you can go it alone. “I don’t think that anyone needs a personal trainer for life,” she says. “You just need the confidence and motivation to know you can do it.”

There are personal trainers all over the country. Always ask about their experience of working with over 55s. Jennings can be found at www.revivefitness.ie or tel: 086 2391987.

Aqua Aerobics
The ancient Greeks knew exercising in water was good for you and Niamh Dennis, swim co-ordinator at Whitford House Hotel in Wexford, agrees. “Aqua aerobics is recommended for older people, particularly for their joints, because you are supported in the water,” she says. The massaging effect of the water also increases blood circulation and promotes relaxation.

All are welcome at the hotel’s regular Over 55s Day, which includes a one-hour aqua aerobics class, followed by a chat over complimentary tea and homemade scones.

You pay per session, with no booking necessary, although numbers are growing. While the aqua class promises a good workout, there’s no pressure to join. “We have some over 70s, especially with the active retirement groups,” says Dennis. “They might just swim around themselves… and then stay for the tea and scones.”

Look for aqua aerobics classes aimed at over 55s at your local swimming pool or leisure centre. See www.whitford.ie or call Dennis on 053 9140404.

Conductorcise
US conductor David Dworkin’s live Conductorcise tours have yet to reach Ireland but you can begin in the comfort of your own home – perhaps the best place to be found waving a baton!

Forty-five minute DVD workouts promise “an adventure in symphonic aerobics” and cast you as a conductor in front of your own televised orchestra. The movements stimulate circulation, raise the pulse and work upper-body muscles as musical masterpieces help relieve stress.

One online fan wrote: “I’m recovering from shoulder surgery and a neck problem, and this video is just the thing to help me get my arms moving. The joy of the music and the energy of the conductor are precisely the right thing to get me focusing on healthy, gentle movement rather than pain.”

See www.conductorcise.com or buy online at www.amazon.com or other reputable sellers.