Keeping fit and healthy in your golden years can be a challenge but there are plenty of wellness and exercise activities for people around Cambridge.
There’s plenty of talk out there about how you need to keep fit and active to make the most of life well into old age, but as joints get creaky and energy dips it can be tricky to find something enjoyable enough to keep you both moving and motivated.
Keep your health and wellness up with some of these great senior-friendly exercise spots in and around the Cambridge area, from a gentle game of bowls to some more energetic aqua-aerobics, there’s plenty to tempt people of all ages and activity levels.
Accessible yoga and movement in the Cambridge countryside. Set in the charming Malthouse on Manor Farm in the village of Bourn, outside of Cambridge, the barn is more than a place to come and move. It’s a space to gather and connect, with yourself and others. Everyone’s welcome at the Barn in Bourn! The classes offered at the barn have been designed to be accessible, approachable, and welcoming for all, and to help you create a space to connect with yourself, to find greater awareness and ease, and to support yourself as you move.
Yoga offers a relaxing way to let go of the tension you’re holding in your body, especially in your shoulders and upper back. It also helps reduce anxiety, lowering your heart rate, blood pressure, and helping you to breathe easier. You may also see an improvement in your balance, flexibility, mobility, and strength after a few weeks of classes.
The slow and measured movements involved with yoga poses can lead to better balance, which can also help to prevent falls, as well as alleviating aches and pains and boosting your mood. The combination of movement, breathing and meditation can create an overall sense of well-being, and being in a class with your peers keeps you socially active as well.
A natural mood-booster, walking outside is something everyone can do, and the best part is you don’t need to walk far or fast to feel its effects on your health and wellbeing. Ramblers Wellbeing Walks in Cambridge City make it easier to start walking and stay active, no matter your fitness level or any mobility limitations, the walks are designed to be achievable for all. Over easy terrain and at a steady pace to suit everyone, walking groups are a great way to get some exercise, and because you will be walking with others, you’ll feel safe and supported and have fun along the way.
The short group walks are led by an experienced Ramblers Wellbeing Walk leader along tried-and-tested routes in your local area. All walks are accessible on foot or by public transport so making walking a healthy habit is easier, there’s at least one planned walk every week, always starting at the same time and place each week.
Forever Active is a registered charity, providing exercise and activity sessions to people over 50 within Cambridgeshire, governed by a volunteer board of directors and trustees. Their sessions range from chair-based exercises, more suited for people with mobility struggles, to activities and sports for the active older people. Forever Active offers a wide range of activities for seniors, with both indoor and outdoor classes, from Beginner’s Yoga to Walking Netball, each class is designed to help you find balance in your body and become more confident in yourself and your strength.
There are dozens of Flat Green Lawn Bowls Clubs around Cambridge. Approved by the NHS, Lawn Bowls is a low impact therapeutic exercise which can increase fitness and coordination and build confidence. Bowling in the fresh air on a nice green lawn provides heart and lung activity, improves circulation, and helps to reduce the impact of various diseases, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure and the risk of stroke. Find a club and get started today!
From keeping fit to exercising mindfulness or just getting a bit of mental stimulation, these kinds of exercises and wellness activities in and around Cambridge are a great way to get seniors out and about with a goal in mind. Even the smallest amounts of physical activity are invaluable in keeping brains and bodies fit and healthy, so don’t assume you need to force a senior citizen into some kind of aerobics class just to get them moving; there are plenty of opportunities to get active without getting sweaty!