Gymnastics: it’s the bees’ knees

“Definitely well past all of that,” you say.

But think again. An innovative program is bringing gymnastics to seniors – and it’s taking off with all of the energy of an Olympic floor exercise, all thanks to a NSW gymnastics teacher.

Doreen Wilson began her relationship with gymnastics years ago as a PE teacher at a girls school.

Now 84, she teaches gymnastics to people in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, and travels throughout NSW, Victoria and Queensland teaching younger gym coaches the secrets of bringing the sport of fitness and flexibility to seniors.

At a loss after retiring, Doreen developed a gymnastics class for seniors in her home town of Forster on the North Coast. This led to an invitation from Gymnastics NSW to develop the program further.

This in turn led her to devise lesson plans that could be used for active seniors, those not so active and those in nursing homes.

The coaches Doreen trains often work with physios and other health professionals. “There’s a lot involved in understanding where these people are in life,” she said. “Some may have shoulder, knee or hip replacements.

“We’re talking about gentle exercise. Light weights, resistance bands, juggling, ball skills – all of these things help to create new tracks in the brain and help people rediscover skills from their youth.”

Doreen’s oldest student in Forster is 94 and is a member of her “grandly mature” class, which has students aged 84 onwards.

“I avoid the word ‘old’ and always say mature,” Doreen said. “They come once or twice a week and it’s a real social gathering.

“I have people who come in with a walking frame and they can do their exercises sitting down on a chair, which they can then use as a support when they stand up.”

Doreen said that as people aged their muscle mass and bone strength declined, but exercise helped reverse the process as well as pumping good dietary nutrients to the brain. Some participants have experienced a stroke or Parkinson’s disease.