Active ageing is not just a buzzword for the group of elderly women who make their way to the Mellieħa day centre clad in sportswear.

Putting the ‘active’ into active ageing, the group members enthusiastically swing their arms and bend their legs under the careful guidance of Hungarian instructor Krisztian Olschleger.

The free keep-fit sessions, funded by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Active Ageing and the Mellieħa council, are held twice a week.

Doris Grima described the keep-fit class as one she would go to bearing aches and pains all over her body but leaving feeling smart and having a good posture.

“It’s of great benefit,” the 60-year-old said. “After just a few lessons, you realise that your balance has improved. If you’re about to trip and fall down, you are quick to get up.

“You also meet new friends and get to socialise, which is lovely.”

Mary Cutajar, 67, added she was always active and was not planning on throwing in the towel now that the years have crept up on her.

Elderly people tend to underestimate how valuable they can be to society

“My shoulders used to ache and, since I’ve taken up exercising, I feel much better. I definitely encourage other elderly people to take up keep-fit classes. I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits reaped by physical activity. The instructor tailors the exercises to our needs. My only wish is that the sessions are continued in summer.”

Active Ageing Parliamentary Secretary Justyne Caruana said the government was aiming to transform day centres into learning hubs where a variety of courses would be offered to equip elderly people with different skills.

“We will also be offering pre-retirement courses for people aged 55 to 60, preparing people for retirement by informing them of how they can involve themselves through voluntary work, part-time jobs and lifelong learning.

“Elderly people tend to underestimate how valuable they can be to society. We will also be targeting women mostly.

“Women live longer but seem to find less avenues through which they can keep active and make use of their time.”

Or, as 66-year-old Rita Vella, who has tried her hand at computer skills, put it: “We advance in age but we also advance in other things too”.

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