167 Pensioner Personal Trainers inspired by Eddie the Eagle

The Retirement Café Podcast

This week’s interview is with three guests from the retirement home specialists, Inspired Villages. Lawrence Cramer is the People and Culture Director and was involved recently in setting up an initiative called Pensioner Personal Trainers with none other than the UK’s most famous ski jumper, Eddie the Eagle.

Eddie is famed for his can-do spirit in the face of hopeless adversity, so was the perfect person to front the initiative aimed at inspiring residents to keep moving and keep fit.

A recent study showed the importance of mature personal trainers, as 37% of Brits are more likely to frequent the gym if there are trainers and customers of a similar age group. With nearly 39% agreeing that their communities don’t have enough wellbeing and fitness facilities for the older generation (aged 65+), Eddie the Eagle came to the rescue to challenge this narrative and led a fitness session at Ledian Gardens, Inspired Village’s scheme in Kent along with fellow PPTs Lynne Thompson (75), and Instepp’s Julie Ford (68).

Julie and Lynne join our conversation and explain how older personal trainers can help make exercise more accessible for us as we get older.