Veteran Canadian athlete Olga Kotelko was still competing in track and field events at age 95, she was quoted as saying “exercise is not a luxury, it is the key to healthy aging” – at High Life Highland we couldn’t agree more!
While not everyone is going to be like Olga, it’s well proven that being active daily is crucial for a person’s health and wellbeing, regardless of age.
We spoke to some of our own High Life Highland staff and volunteers to find out how they are ‘aging well through sport’, which is our partner sportscotland’s monthly theme for April.
High Life Highland’s Leadership Programme Development Officer, Elizabeth MacDonald (61) has always been passionate about sport but had almost given up on physical activity when she entered a period of her life which was dominated by constant pain.
She took up cold water swimming and found that the more she swam off the sandy beaches at Nairn, the stronger she became, the less pain she suffered and the less medication she had to take. “I now swim five times a week if time and tide allows and I owe my return to sport to cold water swimming,” she said. 
“Sport was my life and when I couldn’t do it anymore it was a dark period for me but swimming helps me manage my pain and in turn it means I am active again, I feel so much better for it, it has given me my life back.”
Feeling better and stronger and looking for that sports team camaraderie, Elizabeth decided to give walking football a try and is now a stalwart defender with Nairn St Ninians Ladies.
“Playing walking football with Nairn St Ninian Ladies is fantastic. Some members had never played football before – I hadn’t played much either – but we’ve all fallen in love with the sport and look forward to our sessions, with the social aspect being every bit as important as the physical exercise.
“I have also recently taken up pickleball and as someone who absolutely loves racket sports – I used to play a lot of squash – it is just wonderful to have a racket in my hand again.
“The secret is to find something that works for you and with so many sports being adapted all the time there are more and more options for people to age well through sport.”
Sports like walking football and pickleball are extremely popular and High Life Highland offers access to both. Pickleball is a low-impact sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities and can help improve hand-eye coordination and cardiovascular health. Meanwhile, walking football is designed to help people get fit or maintain an active lifestyle no matter what their age and fitness, as well as support people getting back into football if they have given it up due to age or injury. There’s highlife walking football sessions in Ullapool and Lochaber.
In Fort William Leisure Manager Gary Davidson (55) leads their weekly walking football sessions.
“I started the walking football sessions about eight or nine years ago and they’ve proved really popular. We have travelled to take part in tournaments and have welcomed visiting teams here for games. It’s an incredibly fun and sociable way to keep active, with a great sense of camaraderie among the players. It is so important to keep active, not just for our physical health but also for our mental health. My team mates all agree it makes us feel young again!”
When it comes to aging well through sport, volunteering can be just as beneficial. Take Merv Riley – a member of the Active Schools family – he volunteers at Milbank Primary School in Nairn coaching football, athletics and cross country.
“I’m 72 now and don’t have any plans to stop coaching yet,” said Merv.
“Every year the Head Teacher at the school thanks me for my contribution to school life and I always thank her in return for helping to keep me fit.
“If I can keep going for another three years, until I’m 75, that would be an achievement. I’ll then have been a sports volunteer for 21 years. You don’t stop because you get old – you get old because you stop is my motto!”
For people who are not in a position to be as physically active as they would like, another great way to age well through sport is by getting involved with a sporting memories group. Inverness Caledonian Thistle in partnership with High Life Highland’s Archive Service host monthly sessions and archive staff in Wick have just started a Caithness Football Memories group, which is set to meet quarterly.
Jamie Gaukroger, Am Baile Co-ordinator with High Life Highland commented: “We have a wealth of photographic materials and records in our archives covering various sporting activities and teams, particularly football and shinty memorabilia. Bringing people together to reminisce over these old images is a powerful tool, helping them to reconnect through their passion for sport. It is a great way of improving the mental and physical wellbeing of those people who come along.”
For more information on how High Life Highland can help you ‘age well through sport’ – whether it’s a group class, personalised training programmes for the gym, sports or health and wellbeing activities such as Fit Plus or Dynamic Wellbeing please visit the High Life Highland website or contact your local leisure facility.
#SportForLife
