Retired? Why not become a fitness coach?
Campaigners to recruit older people as personal trainers to tackle inactivity epidemic among over-55s
PENSIONERS and middle-aged people will be asked to train as fitness instructors in an attempt to help over-55s feel less self-conscious in the gym.
Health officials said the measures to tackle the inactivity epidemic could help extend life expectancy and lift mounting pressures on the NHS.
Older adults will be encouraged to retrain as personal trainers, in the hope that it will inspire others approaching middle age to attend gyms or join a local running or walking club.
Prof Sir Muir Gray, an adviser to Public Health England, said too many people assumed that old age automatically led to frailty, when in fact an active lifestyle could protect mobility for decades.
He urged over-55s to consider retraining in the fitness industry – to boost their own health and encourage more to follow suit.
“Older age doesn’t have to mean ill health and we know physical inactivity is one of the main contributors to developing dementia and frailty,” he said. “We need an army of older fitness instructors to lead the way, showing their peers how you can live not just longer but better, by being more physically active.”
The recommendation from ukactive, a not-for-profit fitness body, comes as research suggests the NHS and wider health system could save almost £8billion over a decade, if one third of inactive over-55s were persuaded to take regular exercise.
Steven Ward, its chief executive, called on ministers to support the drive, by subsidising schemes that help older people to retrain.
“We need to reimagine ageing so we grow older actively and set an example to others,” he said.
“Having older instructors join the workforce can make it easier for people to relate to their trainer and demonstrate that physical activity works for all ages, shapes and sizes.”
The report, called Reimagining Ageing, to be released at ukactive’s national summit in London tomorrow, warns that the costs of not tackling inactivity could threaten the future of the NHS.
It follows warnings from health officials that NHS trusts will need 50 per cent more staff in the next decade if current lifestyle trends continue, and the health service does not embrace new technology.
Prof Martin Vernon, NHS England national clinical director for older people, said: “Getting people of all generations more active can improve our chances of ageing well together and living life independently and productively into our later years.
“Ukactive’s report makes an essential contribution toward delivering this ambition, and explores how we can begin to support people to increase their personal activity.”
Previous research suggests that one in four people over the age of 65 said they felt self-conscious in gyms, with just as many saying they would be more likely to go if there were more people their own age attending sessions.