Strictly over-55s only for these games please
For the last couple of years, the focus on television has appeared to be about sports. But not just sports - celebrities doing sports. Various sports, from athletics in the Games to Dancing on Ice, arduous tasks in I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! to prancing about during Strictly Come Dancing. The bar is constantly raised by producers looking to outwit their rivals, always searching for ratings winners. Whether it's Natasha Kaplinsky strutting her stuff or Andi Peters skidding along on the ice, viewers just love to see famous faces getting up to things that are a little odd. All of these people that compete, though, have one thing in common; they are usually young, fresh-faced and at their peak. For the most part, with the exception of those such as Gloria Hunniford and Brian Capron, youthful, glamorous figures wrestle for coverage among the many reality outlets.
But the over 55s are not getting left behind, with sporting events popping up with them involved all over the country, it would seem. One such example of this is at Farnworth care home in Bolton, where residents have been indulging in a variety of moves as they learn to line dance and do the samba, reports the Bolton News. In fact, one of the pensioners at the home is 90 years old and that doesn't put her off, while those who can't move freely sit back and watch the action. The activities give those living there a sense of importance and a degree of fun. "It helps to keep them fit and healthy, but it's also a great social event and keeps them active. It helps them because it makes them feel as though there's something out there for them," the deputy manager of the care home, Lenore Keohane, told the paper. Such classes are being offered to the energy-bound over-55s by a local teacher, Tracey Gunn, who stated that while ballroom dancing was first on the agenda, the pensioners are lapping up most styles offered.
And it seems the over-55s are not stopping their participation on the ground. To prove the notion that youth is just a state of mind, one pensioner from Scotland celebrated her 100th year of living with a spectacular paraglide in Cyprus. Peggy McAlpine hails from Stirling and claimed and the high-octane adventure was among the most thrilling she had ever been involved in. "It was the most wonderful, pleasant experience and I'm ready to do it again anytime," she told the Scotsman. With a seemingly unbeatable quench for adventure, she added that she wants to do the same again in five years. As she landed, the plucky pensioner was met with a piper striking out some traditional Scottish tunes.
While the excitement factor is good enough reason for the over-55s to fight out against age and feel vibrant once more, there is another positive to the growing trends and that is the impact on health. An advocate of this is the active communities development officer from Suffolk coastal council, Richard Baldwin, who runs a series of fitness sessions for over-50s in the area. Mr Baldwin argued that people in that age bracket ought to partake in exercise at all points of the year and this is something that does not need to be done outside, the Evening Star commented.
So, the trend is clear - over-55s love to get amongst the action and dabble in sports, both laid back exercises and those a bit more extreme. But with the interest in sporting activity rife, homes will in time become filled with all manner of items. From everything to exercise bikes and sneakers to rowing machines, these need to be protected against damage or at worst, theft. Luckily, there are
over-55s home insurance policies available on the market, to ensure that this issue is catered for. Once such
home insurance deals are in the bag, then that stride towards the playing field is lighter, worry-free.
As the examples have shown, it's not just the likes of Natasha Kaplinsky and Kelly Brook who can strut their stuff and make the moves, dazzling the cameras with their beauty, being young is all about how you feel. It's only a matter of time before Strictly Young at Heart Dancing hits the screens.