Walk this Way! New Fitness Ideas for the Later Years
They said 60 was the new 30, and it looks like 70 will be soon be going the same way.
Many of our parents' generation are not so much like our grandparents but more like us - so the traditional suggestions of retirement hobbies and interests like bingo might be met with some opposition!
Luckily, to reflect the tastes of "the new elderly", there are many new fitness and social activity trends to explore, which we will do over the coming months. To start with, here are three unusual variations on good old walking.
Walking Games
It seems that where you once ran you can learn to walk. Walking football is very popular right now, as is walking netball and basketball, which is very good news for those whose love of the game is still strong but whose bodies are getting tired! The rules are more or less the same except for one new addition: Don't run - you'll get booked! Walking games offer the same rewards of camaraderie, competition and opportunities for goal-scoring, but at a gentler pace, while still providing a healthy workout.
- Lifeline24 - A Closer Look at Walking Football
- England Netball - Walking Netball
- SAGA - Different types of walking sports
Nordic Walking
Enthusiasts claim that Nordic Walking is the fastest growing fitness activity in the world, and that it burns up to 46% more calories than "normal" walking. The key is the addition of two poles which, correctly used, help to propel the walker along at an increased rate, protecting knees and joints, using 90% of the skeletal muscles and providing a healthy workout for the heart and lungs. There are instructors and groups around the country, and you can Nordic walk for fun or in competitive races.
Geocaching - a walk to find "treasure"
Of our three walking ideas this is perhaps our "wild card" suggestion. Geocaching is a form of outdoor treasure hunt using clues which you find via an app on your smartphone. The "treasure" is a geocache (some small interesting items of no monetary value and a logbook), hidden by a fellow geocacher. The idea is that when you find a geocache you record your success in the logbook and add to the items in the box, taking away one in exchange if you wish. Of the 5 million keen geocachers world-wide many are children and young people - so this new hobby could be one for the whole family!
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