Older Shepparton people are taking part in new sessions in a bid to turn back the clock mentally and physically.
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Roll Back the Clock is an initiative run by Bowls Australia which aims to teach older Australians how to remain fit or how they can get their fitness back.
The statewide program is currently being run across a series of weeks at Shepparton Park Bowls Club.
Session instructor Bron Williams said the eight one-hour sessions were based on balance and were easy to take part in.
“Everything we do is designed to help people get back balance and to strengthen the muscles they need strengthened in order for them not to fall over,” Ms Williams said.
“In order to get it back you need to start retraining your brain to do all the things that it doesn’t want to do,” she said.
Each session consists of 30 minutes of light exercises using chairs and bouncy balls and 30 minutes of learning about wellness.
Ms Williams has worked in the fitness industry for 37 years and has seen how older people often leave mainstream fitness activities because it no longer caters for their abilities.
“This program gives people somewhere to go when they are finished with mainstream fitness. This is somewhere they fit in and the focus is different,” Ms Williams said.
“This prevention is paramount. Don’t wait until you fall over; get in and get doing these exercises so you don’t fall over.
“It’s all very simple, there’s nothing complicated, we're not here to work up a sweat, it's about getting back things you may have lost or preventing from losing those things,” she said.
Benefits from taking part in the sessions include improved fitness and flexibility, reduced stress, increased muscular strength and a general overall sense of wellbeing.
Shepparton's Bill Gullick was a participant in the first session and said he had already learnt a range of new things and was hooked on the program.
“I’ve learnt how to stand up safely without feeling like I’m going forward, and also a few tips on preventing going forward when I’m playing bowls,” Mr Gullick said.
“People should come along, it's an hour out of their day twice a week and it's low impact.
“If I can do it, then I know anyone can,” he said.
The program runs twice a week at Shepparton Park Bowls Club and costs a total of $20 for the eight sessions. People can register online or turn up at the next session, which will be at noon on Wednesday, August 28, then on Monday, September 2.
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