Hal proves age no barrier to exercise

September 18, 2013

Seventy-three-year-old Alexandra Headland local Hal Conway is giving new meaning to the term ‘young at heart,’ fulfilling his vow to hit the gym at least three times a week after having survived life-threatening heart surgery to repair two failed heart valves in late 2011.

With figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing just 50 per cent of persons aged 65 years and over are involved in sport and physical recreation — the lowest participation rate of all age groups from 15 upwards — Mr Conway has called for more of the Sunshine Coast’s ­65-plus demographic to get active.

“I hear so many people claiming their lives are too busy or exercise is too hard; the reality is physical activity should be an important part of everyone’s lifestyle, regardless of whether it involves high-intensity work-outs or low-impact weights or recreational activities,” Mr Conway said.

“It’s never too late to start and implement a program that suits your needs and level of ability.”

A former adventure activity instructor, Mr Conway can be found at Goodlife Health Club in the Maroochydore Homemaker Centre multiple times each week, riding an exercise bike, putting the rowing equipment through its paces and testing out the step machine.

“I usually spend about 25-30 minutes doing cardio activities and then progress to resistance work later in the session,” Mr Conway said.

“I’m conscious that I’m a lot less flexible than I used to be and I’m never going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but there are still plenty of exercises I can participate in.”

“I like to focus on weight-bearing exercises to assist with preventing osteoporosis, and Goodlife is great because I never have to line up and wait to use the equipment; there are always plenty of machines available.”

Goodlife Health Club Maroochydore General Manager Frankie Winter joked that while Mr Conway didn’t fit the bill of the stereotypical protein-obsessed gym junkie, he could certainly give the gym’s younger members a run for their money.

“Hal is an incredibly spritely, fit and committed club member; he’s here at least three times a week if not more,” Ms Winter said.

“We have quite a few members here in the over-65 age group; most people tend to think health clubs are only frequented by young people, but our members cover the full spectrum of age groups.”

Ms Winter said with exercise participation rates in Australia shown to fall with age, Goodlife Health Clubs was running the annual Goodlife Wellness Festival between 18 and 20 September to increase awareness of the importance of living a more balanced and active lifestyle at all stages of life.

“Statistics show 78 per cent of 15-17-year-olds are involved in physical activities for recreation, exercise or sport, but this figure drops to 62.6 per cent when people reach the 55-64 age bracket, and further again for the 65 years-plus demographic,” Ms Winter said.

“Interestingly, participation rates amongst females also tend to be lower than that of males in most age groups.”

“Young or old, male or female, it’s important that all Australians are educated about the benefits of structured exercise and encouraged to participate in some form.”

Ms Winter said Goodlife Maroochydore currently serviced 3,500 members on the Sunshine Coast and was offering local residents and visitors free entry into the venue throughout the Goodlife Wellness Festival.

“We’ll be providing free health and fitness information to visitors, launching some exciting new classes, showcasing our facilities and also giving away a number of prizes at the Maroochydore Homemaker Centre club,” Ms Winter said.

“We pride ourselves on catering to a wide variety of ages and ability levels and want to assure people that regardless of their age, sex and fitness level, there are classes, programs and pieces of equipment available to suit their needs.”

Goodlife Maroochydore’s Wellness Festival celebrations will run between 18 and 20 September at the Maroochydore Homemaker Centre, located at 11-55 Maroochy Boulevard Maroochydore.  The centre offers 900 undercover car parks for ease of access. For more information, visit www.maroochydorehomemakercentre.com.au or contact Goodlife Health Club directly on 5370 4555.

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Media contact: Kristen Roder – Fresh PR & Marketing
P: 0406 546 461 E: kristen@freshprm.com.au

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