Let’s Get Physical: How Joining a Gym can Rebuild Confidence, Community and Health.

We explore how movement, community, and small, brave choices can turn the empty space of retirement into a routine filled with purpose, health, and friends. From paddle and pickleball to Pilates, our guests share practical ways to build strength, confidence, and connection.

• balancing enjoyment with structured activity for health and mood
• accessible sports like paddle and pickleball lowering barriers
• social connection as protection against isolation
• starting from zero and forming new habits in your spare time
• training movements safely with injuries and joint pain
• Pilates for posture, core strength, balance, and mobility
• time–health–wealth triangle as a retirement lens
• mixing solo focus with group energy to stay consistent

If you would like to find out more about David Lloyd, then please follow the link below. 

Thank you for taking the time to listen, and please feel free to leave a review and send a message. 

https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/clubs/york/

Transcript

Why Fitness Beats The Retirement Blues

Derm Tanner 0:00

Hello, welcome to another episode of Grey Matters More, the Antidote to the Retirement Blues. Certainly got rather more time on your hands than you're used to. Not sure how you're going to fill those days effectively. Perhaps you're missing some social interaction. Well, maybe this podcast can help. We spent months talking to charities, companies, and sports clubs who are all after volunteers. I'm Derm Tanner,

Roy Player 0:23

and I'm Roy Player.

Derm Tanner 0:25

and in this episode, it's all about fitness and mental well-being, because we've been to a very well-known fitness centre the David Lloyd Leisure Centres, and in the interest of transparency, it should be pointed out that both you, Roy and our colleague Chris are indeed members.

Roy Player 0:40

Yeah, absolutely and it's I mean I went there, Derm, because you know, it is close to home and it offered a huge range of sporting activities and things and so it, it, it you know it's great, but absolutely, you know, there are lots of gyms around and you don't have to have access to all the things that David Lloyd do. But obviously, because we, Chris and I know each other there and the people there, it was a really good spot for us to go and to get an insight into what it's like to try and improve your mental and physical well-being once you've actually given up work.

Inside A Modern Club’s Philosophy

Kasra Niknam 1:13

My name is Kasra. I am the general manager of the club at in York. I have been with David Lloyd for approximately 16 years altogether, a range of roles, mainly in the activities. I previously was a tennis player.

Chris Wiltshire 1:33

Okay.

Kasra Niknam 1:34

I played all over the world as a junior, played against some big names that turned professional, but for me wasn't quite good enough. Decided to go to university and whilst being at university I became a tennis coach at my local club, which was Hull, and from there I kind of went through the journey of David Lloyd understanding what what the philosophy was about what what we did for members and from there yeah just learnt as much as possible.

Members On Loss, Purpose, And Belonging

Chris Wiltshire 2:10

I retired just over a year ago and went through a little bit of a down period when I left work, social standing and the way that I may be making that transition into retirement. You know, people that seem to be retiring earlier than they used to. What why would what what do you think are the the benefits really not just for physically but but mentally that joining the club can bring sure?

Kasra Niknam 2:40

So the number one thing for me personally would be to have a balanced and varied lifestyle and I think to enjoy everything that you want to enjoy. I know some depending on your, your makeup and how you are some people are very are very strict and they'll cut things out to almost get to an end goal or results, which is absolutely fine if it's done the right way. However, I think to be able to have a balanced approach and to enjoy what you want on certain days or certain evens and to be able to know that you can do that without feeling guilty for yourself is really important. I think the activities is the reduce the risk of ill health, you know, chronic disease for the activity point of view, physically. The release of endorphins when you exercise, the feeling of accomplishment, happiness,, clarity and I think that's great. We have a lot of we have a lot of member, prospective members that come in, we ask them what they do exercise wise, and they often say, Oh, I do I do lots every day, I go walking, and it's like, okay, that's a really good start. Is that, is that vigorous enough, you know, for your heart to be really battling, you know, your you know, your later years? Is that doing enough within your body to ensure you're staying strong and your immune system's good and you know your, your muscles are strong?

Roy Player 4:07

That's the corporate take then on fitness and how clubs can help and it seems that there is indeed a lot in, in what Kaz has said there and he's very passionate about what he believes actually, and he and he really is a terrific guy. Helen, who I play a bit of paddle with, she's a club member, and she recognised that joining a fitness club could be beneficial in many ways.

Helen 4:30

So I was made redundant after lockdown and COVID happened, and I didn't know at the time that that might be my last paid employment, but I just wanted somewhere where I could combine fitness classes, racket sports, swimming if I wanted it, a bit of everything really, and I find found it here.

Derm Tanner 4:53

Well, that empty feeling is becoming something of a common thread in our research and chats, and and it was certainly something that you Roy picked up when speaking to another club member, Diane.

Roy Player 5:03

Exactly the same as Helen. I I got made redundant. I hadn't really planned ahead, and I got really low periods of waking up in the morning and thinking, Well, I've got nothing planned for today. This this has made a huge difference knowing that you're going to come in and and have something to do and also to be sociable.

Diane 5:19

Yeah, I mean I've been a member here since I started the club about 20 years ago, and sort of uh through being a mum, doing the school run stuff, working, and now maybe not working quite as much. It's great, it gives you a sense of purpose, it makes you feel it makes me feel great. I feel positive, it's all the endorphins that activity gives you. But it's great to have the social interaction and probably people that have worked full-time and then that comes to an end. It's important being with people, speaking to people, having that social connection. We need we all need it. It it's part of it's an essential part of life. It's not just a a bonus, oh if you can find it, we should all be looking for it because it gives us a sense of mental well-being.

Paddle And Pickleball Open Doors

Roy Player 6:04

A clear message as well, I think, that's been sort of we're trying to put across in in these podcasts and and hopefully succeeding Derm is that you know, trying things, fear of failure, and just but even if there are sort of sports that I mean I when I went to David Lloyd's. T hey were pickaball, paddle, I'd never even heard of them, and I thought, well, you know, we'll give it a go. If I'm any good at it, great. If not, it doesn't matter and it it's certainly it is certainly a place, and that's obviously there are a lot of these centres now opening up around the country. So to get fit in retirement, it's worth trying these things and paddle, that sort of tennis-like hybrid sport, and pickleball, which is sort of badminton tennis, it's a weird combination, but they are brilliant sports and, and Helen and Diane, we're we're here for them again in a moment. But first, here's K as.

Kasra Niknam 6:53

What's been really positive with especially with our rackets program is the introduction of pickleball and paddle, you know, tennis. With the courts being smaller, the rackets being smaller, it's a much, it's a much easier game to pick up if you are not of a rackets background originally. Tennis is very difficult to walk on a tennis court and play a game of singles, play doubles. Paddle and pickle, you're able to after a short time understand how to hit it, how to play it, and that's really that's made a huge difference to members that would probably never have tried that and would have gone for the gym, maybe not lasted it out for a very long time, whilst now they're able to join in, have matches, play competition from a cognitive point of view, you know, to be able to concentrate whilst exercising. You know, you're you're also mentally developing, you know, and maintaining your body and your mind, which is really important.

Diane 7:54

I've met some really amazing people in the last year or so through Paddle that I would never have met in the 20 years I've been here playing tennis. I don't know what it is about paddle, it just seems to attract a certain type of person that's just got the same values that I really appreciate. Yeah.

Helen 8:11

and we just love to share and take part.

Diane 8:14

You know, you feel like it gives you a sense of purpose. You know, you're not just messy about on a paddle court, you're actually there's a real sense of, oh that's a good game, or I'm gonna work on that. You know, I find myself googling paddle rules and paddle whatever. I didn't do that with tennis ever.

Roy Player 8:32

This is something I could relate to. I mean, it was I mean I was very lucky. I've always enjoyed sport, and even when working full-time, we try to go do five-aside football and go to the gym. But for some people, it that is just not practical, and it's kind of that another rechange, a complete look at a different routine in life when retiring, because it's very easy just to sit there and eat. So I chatted to Derm to to one of our mates called Paul, who's a amazing guy and has taken up paddle and is brilliant at it now. But he has to say that when he was actually at work and the pressure he was under at work, he had not got any time at all to be sporty.

Starting From Zero: Building New Habits

Paul 9:13

For me, it's been a completely new start, sort of post this semi-retirement, because throughout my working life I've done almost no sport to my shame. Probably too much drinking and eating and not looking after myself, all those classic sort of businessmen traits. Basically, I think at the time of deciding that I'd be considering retirement, I realised hey, I needed to watch my weight, eat start eating a little better, but start predominantly start exercising. So that was the driver to actually think about the next couple of decades, hopefully, where you can have a relatively fruitful retirement.

Roy Player 9:50

That's impressive to to appreciate that and I think it's also something that's quite courageous to appreciate that that is the issue, and I mean I'm the same, I, I carry I carry weight, I mean there's nothing I can do about it. Well, probably is, I suspect, but maybe not drinking the beer or eating those cakes. But we'll put that aside for a moment. But I think it is a really good decision to make, and it is a brave decision to make to say, right, I am going to do something about this. So, what we're trying to do as well is encourage people that in your position, because I was always enthusiastic about sport, but in your position who hadn't played a lot of sport, what advice would you give to someone who was sitting there thinking, Oh, I can't do this, I don't I can't be competitive, I can't get out and do it. Well, I mean, what advice and and what benefits have you discovered so far far over the year that well the year I'd known you?

Paul 10:34

Well, I think it starts that first step, isn't it, of recognising that you should or want to do something about say weight or fitness and so on, and then actually looking for the opportunity to find like-minded people. I think for me, I've never been an individual sport person, even as a child, let's say. I like I've always enjoyed team sports, but of course, when you come to retirement or even just you're a man or woman of a certain age, it's it's difficult to find a team of people. So, actually, an introduction through taster sessions at a local club obviously helped to bring that to life, and then actually as you make those contacts and friendships, it's actually then being able to initiate as well, not just follow a, a schedule, but actually make a schedule of your own that involves your friends and who you enjoy playing with and actually having a laugh with. So I but I think it starts with that one step of thinking it it's probably gonna be difficult, you're probably gonna feel a bit shy, which even you know, even though we spent our whole lives talking to people often, you still feel a little inhibited, I think, when you take that first step. But going anywhere new and you I think there's that also you know a little bit sort of imposter syndrome, isn't there? About you know should you be here because it's full of people who are actually fit and healthy, and actually you get here and you see that there's a blend of everything. So that's the motivation, I think, Roy

Roy Player 12:01

I, I couldn't agree with you more actually, and I think it is a great step coming through the door, but once you've done it, it it it feels fantastic, and it's not then just the thing about actually competing in a sport or playing in a sport, and not just in a sport, but I mean doing things like yoga and pilates and, and I do aqua aerobics as well, which I'd never heard of before, and things, and it has been a tremendous benefit sort of physically, and but the other thing as well, which I don't know whether you agree with this or not, but the other thing as well is that from a from a mental health point of view and a wellness point of view, it has, it has made such a difference, especially when it gets to the those dark winter mornings, and you're thinking, Well, what am I gonna do today? What, what am I this actually doing something like this gives you an incentive, I think, to get out of bed.

Paul 12:44

I think you're right, Roy. I think the key thing for me is that I if it's a day where I've now not got sport in it, I'm a little bit disappointed if you know we haven't got a match arrangement. I mean, luckily it often is three or four times a week and sometimes more over the summer, summer months. But I think it becomes a new habit that is obviously it's replaced work, hasn't it? It's it but it's, it's something that you need routines, I think, and routines help you obviously improve, get the discipline. But as you say, that sort of mental health perspective where I think uh retirement could be a very dark time because we've all been led to believe our work's so important, and at the end, actually, when you come to a retirement you realise actually much of it wasn't that important, even the links that you had which may have lasted many, many years, they're readily broken, I think, whether it's with them fellow employees or employers and so on, and some of that's geographic and all sorts of other reasons in play, but you realise that if you're not careful, you could end up just being on your own or in a very small family-oriented situation without a friendship group, let's say. So I think that's what this helps deliver is the friendship opportunity as well that you know, camaraderie, people going through the same things, and from a mental health perspective, people are all feeling about getting older and aging, and that's a concern for a lot of people, I think.

Pro Sport To Everyday Wellness

Derm Tanner 14:08

But what about the complete reverse of that? What if your life and career had been in professional sport? Let's hear now from the former Yorkshire cricket player and coach Steve Oldham.

Steve Oldham 14:19

After I finished playing, I, I became a coach, which it still was an everyday involvement, so I guess it were the next substitute. But once that finishes, it is tough, there's no doubt. I was just I've always been high up fairly strong mentally. So I think I just tried to keep myself busy all the time in different hobbies I had played football, I love watching football still. I still like watching cricket and a little bit of coaching, and then one of my hobbies were playing a guitar and, and singing. So I you know I can, I can do that at home for an hour when I want, I can watch football when I want, I watch cricket, I play golf. I just think it's a case of keeping busy, keeping your mind active and young, really.

Training Smart With Aches And Injuries

Roy Player 15:13

But what about specifics? What does someone of a certain age need to concentrate on if they want to improve their fitness safely?

Kasra Niknam 15:22

Any movements, so squat movement, push, hinge, pull, rotation, there's certain movements that you want to be, you know, performing daily. People may have issues with joints, knees are obviously a common one. Things like swimming will always be able to assist you with that. Uh there's often a preconception of if you have a knee injury you can't partake in certain activity. But how many people have been to see a sports mass have been for a sports massage, been to see a physio, actually had a diagnosis to say, yeah, you can't do that, or one of the issues is perhaps you're not strong enough. T herefore you really should strengthen your knee, strengthen your lower body, which would then allow you to do more. And I think that's really important. There's a lot of very quick presumptions of my knee hurts, I can't partake in this activity.

Chris Wiltshire 16:14

Absolutely. I I've come into this. I was I was playing walking football about a year ago, and I loved it, but my my feet took an age to recover I was uh then diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in both my big toes, which has been a bit of a hindrance, but does not stop me from playing games like paddle and pickleball and swimming and doing some gym work. So I think I gotta take your point that having that early diagnosis and being able to deal with it and using the the experience of people who have done that and not does help you average those bridge those gaps.

Kasra Niknam 16:48

In my opinion, the more varied your activity is throughout the week, the better reward you will always have for yourself and for your body.

Planning Retirement: Time, Health, Wealth

Dave Rowland 16:57

I'm Dave Rowland, ex Heineken employee, which was a business development manager with Heineken for the last five years and 20 years in the pub trade, Roy, prior to this.

Roy Player 17:06

And David, that's a very, very, I would have thought very intense industry to be in. I mean I, I dabbled for about five weekends, I think, working in a pub, and I have never worked so hard in my life, and obviously, very antisocial hours as well and things. It must have been all-time consuming and what happened therefore when you actually then took retirement or thought about taking retirement, that must have been quite a drastic change.

Dave Rowland 17:34

Do you know, Roy? I I put a lot of thought, probably 18 months, two years, thinking about the financial implications of retirement, and not a lot of time making my retirement plan about what Dave was going to do on the 1st of September 2023 when I retired. Looking back, that's probably something I should have put more thought into. it isn't just about the you know, can I afford to retire question? It is a little bit about people talking about having a reason and what are you what are you gonna do on a cover, what are you gonna do on a wet Tuesday in February? and that's where I made a real commitment on that September day with me and my wife, and I said, We're gonna join David Lloyd. I've heard about this new sport called pickleball, quite fancy that, and I want to learn to play tennis and get fit, and I said I'm not messing around with three-month trials, I want to invest 12 months, we're doing it, and and and we'll take that cost on board, never look back, Roy.

Roy Player 18:30

When you kind of though took that decision to retire, I think you're absolutely right. It was certainly the first thing that went through my mind. I mean, I'm hopeless with money, so I didn't really consider it too much. But I realised that, that was probably the crucial aspect of retirement, and then like you, thinking about well, actually, I was sat there on that wet Friday in February and and thinking, this is horrible, this is terrible. What though made you decide to do something, David, about it? And and if if there are people who are sat at home at the moment thinking, yeah, I'd like to do that, but oh god, can I make the effort? I mean, it what advice can you give people about getting back into into a social network but also off the couch and doing something, not just physically active but mentally active as well.

Dave Rowland 19:17

Yeah, I and I was the proverbial couch potato at age 59 when I retired Roy, you know, couch to 5k seemed a distant dream to me then. But I've spoken to a lot of people about potential retirement, and I caught there's a triangle, I call it, of time, health, and wealth, and you know, wealth, you'll never know the answer to the question how much money do I need to retire? You'll never know the answer to that question. Too many variables, but you do know that your time's limited, and health is the most important thing that dictates that quality of life. So I decided to, you know, I wasn't gonna pay for private medical care, I made that decision but I was gonna invest in myself by joining and getting fit again and, and you're quite right, Roy, if I hadn't found David Lloyd with its sort of mental health benefits, its physical attributes, but more than anything else, a social interaction.

Roy Player 20:11

What kind of key benefits could you suggest to people if they not necessarily able to have that commitment to coming to a club, but also maybe the financial aspect as well. It is an investment. Do you think that investment is is worthwhile, or have you got advice for other people that would sort of go, actually, I can't afford to do that, but I would like to get involved in various ways?

Dave Rowland 20:33

Yeah, I, I would recognise that you know that the club that we we've joined is expensive, and I challenge myself to make it worthwhile by saying there's a I don't know a minimum number of visits per month that I, I think justifies the cost. But if you don't want to join a club and do a multitude of activities, there are now popping up all over York and Yorkshire, you know, paddle clubs, pickleball courts. There are always going to be golf clubs and squash clubs, etc. So pick your sport. I mean, my brother's just suddenly disc rediscovered cycling, you know, not for me, but he's rediscovered cycling. Other people it might be as simple as a rambling club or a walking club, but it's the the socialisation is well to be frank, Roy, I would be part-time working if I hadn't had the social interaction that the club's given me. But I didn't want to do that, but I thought I might do that to to find people to talk to and colleagues. The club's kind of solved that problem for me.

Discovering Pilates And Low-Impact Strength

Roy Player 21:32

So one of the great things about fitness clubs is that if you if you look, you know, they offer a a wide range of facilities, but also exercise regimes. Now I had never done this before Derm, and this particular thing that we're gonna tee up here and mention because I always thought, well it's not for me, this is not for this is something, you know, just stretching and doing this, that, and the other and I'd always wanted to play competitive sport. However, the knees don't quite allow that all the time, but I still want to go to the gym. And go and be a part of something. So I did sign up for a Pilates course. Oh fair play. And it was great. And it was I thought this is gonna be quite an easy bit of stretching. It is absolutely exhausting, but you can take it at your own pace, and that is the crucial thing. You know, it's soft on the knees, it's soft on all the other bits that you you could fear going, and that's really important, I think, and now, thankfully, and thanks for the excellent coaching as well, it's part of my routine.

Louise Cooper 22:28

My name is Louise Cooper, I'm known as Lou Cooper Fitness, and I teach Pilates at the local gyms and privately in the area.

Roy Player 22:39

I think Louise, what we've we've discovered here and is that one of the aspects of going to a gym is the desire to get your heart rate going, to get the blood pumping around, to maybe have competition and do all these sorts of things, and it that can be quite intimidating for some people. But also not everyone wants to be out or or is able to play active sports. You're doing and offering something very different, which I think is very important for people who have not just in their 50s and 60s, but is a really important aspect about getting out but doing something active, but not necessarily with the same demands that having a picking up a racket or kicking a football. Could you maybe just describe a little bit what Pilates is and and what it can do to help people?

Louise Cooper 23:26

So I think the beauty of Pilates is you can you can take it to a level that suits you and you can focus on different areas and it's quite easy to adapt things for someone who may be injured or maybe does have a condition that prevents them from doing other sports. It's very beneficial for the whole body in terms of posture, which most people have some postural issues, particularly if they have been sat at a desk for a lot of their lives, and a lot of people develop muscle imbalances without even realizing it, and of course, that then leads on to problems with backs, hips, knees. So a lot of people actually don't use their body correctly, and then it just makes those problems worse. So with Pilates, we look at a line in the body, we work everything in a very balanced way, and we try to make sure that the body is working correctly and very efficiently, and using the correct muscles, so that when you're in everyday life, hopefully, you then utilize those muscles as well. So, for example, someone who maybe doesn't use their glutes, so that's their backside basically, they that may lead to more strain on their back, which then we end up with a back problem. So that's where Pilates can often help not only fix that problem or at least try to fix it to a certain extent, but also prevent it in the first place.

Roy Player 25:07

I mean, I think that's really important because I mean I'm a certain build as well, and I carry weight around, I've got dotty knees, I try and play sport, but I get injured and other things. But it's nice to be able to do something else as well, apart from the sports, and doing Pilates is a different challenge, and I think that that that's really useful as well, having a different challenge in learning. Do people, when they come and do Pilates, do they have to have experience and know what you're doing, or is it something that people can just take up?

Louise Cooper 25:38

No, not at all. You can start at any point, and I think that's the beauty of it. You can start at any age. I've got clients from sort of 16, 17 right up to I think my eldest client is 91. So that doesn't matter at all. You can also do conditions don't make a difference, don't don't matter either, because I've got clients who maybe struggle with Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis, and we can adapt things and make the exercises beneficial for them. So everyone's individual requirements can be quite different in Pilates, and that's why it's quite easy to change things around so that it actually is beneficial for that individual.

Social When You Want, Solo When You Need

Roy Player 26:26

I mean if if someone was saying sort of I I mean I I'm taking retirement and I'm going to sort of try and do different sorts of things, is is Pilates something that would go because it maybe not be on the first person's, you know, choice of things to do, mainly because perhaps people don't know about I didn't really know about what Pilates was until I joined your class actually, and I just wonder whether people think really what actually I mean, actually today I can give you a perfect example. Today we did something about being balanced, okay? and I was going to ask you there, but I thought I'd save it for now actually, and go, why is that important, for example? What difference is that gonna make to my my life if I can actually stand on one leg and and hold a ball?

Louise Cooper 27:08

So balance is it, it declines quite quickly from quite a young age, and there are lots of things that take a part in balance. So, for example, even if you're having sinus problems, that can affect your balance. Obviously, eyesight can affect your balance. So when you close your eyes, when you're trying to balance, it becomes more difficult. Hearing all the senses can affect balance, including core strength as well, and strength in other parts of your body. So it is important to maintain our balance in skills because obviously, as we become older, even if you're a long way away from getting to the point where falls become a risk, you're better addressing the problem in your 50s as opposed to in your 70s. So it's quite important to work on balance throughout. I think I mentioned in the class today that you only ever become good at the balance that you're practicing. So it's quite important to practice different balances, but that's where Pilates helps in terms of the core strength as well, because if you've got a strong core, that helps with stabilization. And I think often with Pilates, people they don't realise how hard it is. If you just see someone doing some Pilates exercises, it can just look as though they're lying on their back and waving their arms around. So you do, but actually they're often working quite hard. So their abdominals work hard, the back is can be working hard if we're doing a back exercise, and as I mentioned earlier, the glutes, working your backside is quite important. It's all about mobility as well.

Roy Player 28:56

So in it's it's a long, it seems to me as though it's like a it's a long-term process. It's something that you're not going to go in and sort of go immediately get like you want to go and get fit and healthy by going, you know, doing weights in a gym or something. It seems to have a sort of a long-term benefit. It's looking ahead for people like myself, you know, who have been lucky physically active but do have ailments and I carry a bit of weight. I mean, does that does that have a difference as well? Does that affect when you're doing something Pilates? If someone comes to you who's who is overweight, does that make a difference?

Louise Cooper 29:28

It can affect mobility quite a lot. I wouldn't say I would always say someone I mean to be fair, someone who's overweight would probably do well starting with Pilates because it's low impact. But they kind of they would need to carry on with Pilates even if they did start doing additional exercise as well, as in you know, sort of higher impact exercises. What it it can often help them sort of bridge that gap between a Pilates class and say a higher intensity class with a lot more impact, the Pilates can sort of help ease them into it.

Roy Player 30:09

I think also Louise, one of the things that we discovered by sort of coming to a club here like David Lloyd, but also going to other gyms again, is that it's a it's a it's a very social activity and a lot of people sort of enjoy that side of it. Going to your Pilates class, although there are a lot of people in them and there were 25 in the class ., But you don't have to talk to people if you don't want to. And I think it's quite nice to have a that contrast that great, we've gone on about being social and everything, but sometimes it's quite nice doing your own thing, and I think that seems to be quite nice as well about Pilates.

Louise Cooper 30:44

Everyone works individually in Pilates, that's the thing. It's not you don't actually have to be well coordinated to do it. It helps because some of the exercises obviously they do require a little bit of coordination, but equally some of the simpler exercises don't require coordination. You're not required to move around a room at the same time as everyone else. You can be in your individual zone. And obviously, when I am walking around the class, that is when I can speak to people and make sure that they are doing it correctly and make sure that they are comfortable with the exercise, but that's just a one-to-one basis, that's not then they're not dealing with lots of people.

Roy Player 31:28

So you haven't got that feeling you're competing with someone else.

Louise Cooper 31:30

No, not at all.

Roy Player 31:30

Which which I mean it which is great in some aspects, you know, with paddle and pickleball we've talked about before here, but actually it's quite nice sometimes, isn't it? Coming to a a gym or a facility, a club or whatever, and but actually just being able to do your own thing, but within a group of other people, because I find that is motivating. I struggle at home. If I was sat at home, I wouldn't do be able to do Pilates, I wouldn't be able to do weights. I need that environment.

Louise Cooper 31:53

I think having someone stood in front of you telling you what to do and looking over you slightly can help to push you to actually do it. Whereas I in terms but in terms of the you being in a class environment, there isn't a competition element because and I do say this to everyone: do not worry about what the person next to you is doing because they might be a completely different shape to you, their strengths will be different to you, and I think you can get away with doing working at your own pace a little bit easier in a Pilates class.

Final Reflections And Encouragement

Roy Player 32:29

Derm it's it's really interesting to hear what Louise said there, but I, I have to emphasise that Louise is an exceptional talent, she's got an amazing personality, she brings that Pilates class alive, she involves you in every single way, doesn't push you too far. So, you know, and if you are there's no competitiveness there. If you're doing something and your knee hurts, then just back off a little bit. It's no she's not looking at you and going, You've got to do it this way. And I think that's that's really important. Make sure if you are doing something that you've got a really good teacher there that you feel comfortable with, and we've now then covered a lot of areas in this podcast. And perhaps a final word to go back to lovely Helen, who I play as I play paddle with. Now she underlines the importance of what it's like facing the immediate effects of retirement on your well-being, and it's full on because it's some advice that she's taking but also she's giving to her husband.

Helen 33:23

Whilst he still has a senior position within the business, he's not needed as much, and I think it's kind of losing that self-worth as you get older and thinking, well, what is the future going to hold? You know, where do I go from here? And I think that's quite hard to come to terms with, and you've got to find different avenues and different interests and try lots of new things.

Derm Tanner 33:48

Well, hopefully, we've given you a few pointers and some insights. Exercise is good for the body, it's also good for the brain and with that, I'm off the bike in just a few moments.