OLWEN Radburn, 69, from Witney, has been teaching two classes for Age UK Oxfordshire in Freeland and Eynsham for more than 10 years and says she has seen people regain their strength and independence.

She said: “I have had people turn up and been literally helped in by family. But within a few weeks those same people are walking up the stairs unaided.

“There are people who have come religiously for eight years, a lot longer than people stick at the gym.

“My Eynsham group has seen numbers drop dramatically, as people have become ill, and it would be great to attract some new people in 2014.

“They will find a fun group, where they will quickly feel the benefit in their movement and they will probably make some new friends too.

“I’m 69 but am constantly bowled over by what people much older than me can achieve. It would be nice to show others what they can achieve too.”

Former soldier John Rapson, 87, is now one of Age UK’s exercise class conscripts and said it had helped him “pull his socks up”, literally.

After serving with the 8th King’s Royal Hussars – the Desert Rats – and working later as a delivery driver, Mr Rapson had to give up work due to illness at 62.

He spent 15 years nursing his wife Violet until her death two years ago. But he then made a conscious decision to get out meet people and now attends Olwen Radburn’s class in Freeland.

He said: “Once my wife died I could have decided to sit down in front of the TV and become bored very easily, but I chose to live and become active.

“Before I started, as a result of caring for my wife and doing lots of lifting, I had very painful shoulders and limited movement, and even found pulling my socks up difficult.

“But as a result of going to the class and now doing Age UK’s DVD too, I’m in a better shape now at 88 than I have been for the past 20 years.

“It’s given me the freedom to live.

“The atmosphere in the class is very good, the tutor places just the right impetus on encouraging us to try exercises. I’ve made friends by going there.”

And last year Age UK Oxfordshire, in partnership with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, launched Generation Games, a three-year, not-for-profit service to inspire the 50-plus age group to participate in more regular physical activity and stay ‘Stronger for Longer’.

The website, generationgames.org.uk, offers a list of all physical activity classes in Oxfordshire that are partnered with the service.

You can sign up to become a member of the service free, which enables you to access a bespoke activity prescription based on your state of health and lifestyle.

And for those not using the Internet, the same prescription and signposting service is available by calling 01235 849403.

Last summer, Generation Games launched a free exercise DVD, Generation Games: At Home with almost 600 sent out so far.

The first exercise DVD for older people produced in Oxfordshire, it features 30 minutes of carefully-selected seated and standing exercises suitable for the over-50s.

Husband and wife Norman and Mary Serle, from North Leigh, have been using the DVD for a month.

Mr Serle, 82, said: “My wife is 83 and has rheumatoid arthritis and I had a stroke four years ago.

“We like to walk regularly, but saw this DVD and thought it was an ideal way to get us moving more."

Paul Cann, the chief executive of Age UK Oxfordshire, said: “There are good sound reasons for getting out and exercising more. Take the 25 per cent reduction in cancer risk for example.

“With the world summit on dementia we also know that what’s good for the heart is good for the head.

“But the reason Generation Games is so popular is that it’s about pleasure: that feel good factor after going for a walk or a jog, or the buzz of meeting people out there.

“Yes, we’re living longer and life expectancy is soaring at present, but what’s also getting longer is the period of older age spent in ill-health. Generation Games can do something about that.”

  • For more information about exercise classes and other Age UK Oxfordshire services, see ageuk.org.uk/oxfordshire/ or call 0844 887 0005.