Active Retirement Ireland promotes active lifestyles for over-55s. Mags Gargan looks at their drive to promote healthy living in older age.
''I was at a loose end and looking for something to do or something to join,'' explains Phyl Lee of how she first got involved in the Active Retirement Association. ''I had been working in the hotel industry until I retired at 65. After a couple of years I was fed up of having nothing to do and no set pattern to my life. I wanted to be with other people of my own age but while I had lots of friends, a lot of them had their partners while I am a widow for 30 years. There wasn't many in the same circumstances as myself.''
This all changed for Phyl when she joined the Association four years ago and she is now one of about 120 members aged from 55 to over 80 in her local branch in Clontarf, Dublin. This is one of over 480 associations nationwide where older people themselves organise activities, exercises and excursions to get members active and involved in their community.
The Clontarf members go for walks on Mondays, play games like scrabble and bridge on Tuesdays, while Wednesdays are for the book club, Thursdays are for singing or poetry, and on Friday the strollers come out to take a slower pace to the walkers.
''I have really benefitted from the companionship and the laughs,'' says Phyl. ''It gives you a reason to get up in the morning and gives you a better outlook on life.''
Last week the Clontarf branch was the location for the launch of 'Eat Well and Keep Fit', a promotion that gives tips on healthy eating and easy exercises from Active Retirement Ireland, the national representative body for the Active Retirement Associations.
Chief Executive Officer, Maureen Kavanagh says the drive came from a concern that bad diet and a sedentary lifestyle will cause problems as our population grows older. ''Recent research has shown that Ireland has one of the fastest-growing populations of the elderly in Europe, and that the proportion of our population aged over 65 will increase by nearly 60 per cent in the next 10 years,'' she says.
''We believe that we should embrace the fact that we are all likely to live longer than ever before. Thanks to advances in research, technology and medical expertise, it's possible not only to live to a much older age but also to remain healthy and active into your later years. Therefore, instead of viewing our ageing population as a burden, we should look on it as a resource.
Simple changes
''If we can convince older generations of the benefits of healthy diets and exercise regimes - and show them they can achieve healthy lifestyles through some small, simple changes - the country overall will benefit. Older people will maintain active, independent lifestyles longer and we will see decreased demands on our healthcare and support services,'' Maureen says.
Active Retirement Ireland is calling on those engaged in health promotion to get the healthy living message across to older people. ''We would love to see shopkeepers and supermarkets offering special deals on nutritious foods for older customers; sports clubs and leisure centres encouraging more over-55s to sign up; chefs and nutritionists coming up with recipe options that suit older people's needs. Making sure that older people stay healthier longer will be of benefit to us all.''
Maureen says it can be particularly difficult for older people to motivate themselves to keep healthy and stay fit. ''Many live by themselves, for example, so they might take the view that it's not worth their while cooking a nutritious meal for one or buying lots of fruit and veg.
Bad weather in Ireland also proves a deterrent for older people when it comes to exercise and social activities; during the recent cold spell, many older people were literally too afraid to venture outside the door.''
Phyl Lee says she has never looked back since joining the Association and getting more active. ''You don't appreciate things until you start to lose them - I certainly didn't. I didn't appreciate that my back and my feet would give out on me. You never think it will happen to you. We all appreciate what good health we have, because even with these physical problems, to have a clear brain is so great.''
