The long-running story of Death Valley Jack... continues with a magnificent 12th finish
By Tony Watts - Editor - 15/07/2010
Feeling a bit warm lately with the unseasonally (unseasonal in Britain anyway) warm weather? Then spare a thought for part time school caretaker Jack Denness from Kent, who will be making history as the oldest runner ever to compete in the Badwater Death Valley Ultra Marathon on 12 July.
More Stories
Age Concern help older people to get back in the saddle
They say that you never forget how to ride a bike - which is just as well, as Alan Slade has got back in the saddle – 50 years after last riding a bike. Alan is among residents at two Stoke-on-Trent retirement villages who are enjoying regular cycle rides, thanks to an Age Concern North Staffordshire initiative.
Swimmingly good for the over-60s...?
In a flurry of publicity, the government has announced that those over 60 are to be given free admission to public swimming pools in an £80m 'first stage' initiative to encourage greater participation in sport - ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Keeping in good shape in old age is harder for women
Women aged 65-plus find it harder than men of the same age to preserve muscle — which probably impacts on their ability to stay as strong and fit, according to new research.
If you want to stay young - exercise!
A new survey shows that those people who keep fit are up to nine years biologically younger than those who do not - and are less likely to develop serious conditions.
Get out your trainers for the RNID
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People is urging people to sign-up for the charity’s 10 remaining places at the Bath Half Marathon.
Exercise regime launched in Wales
A scheme giving patients throughout Wales the opportunity to exercise
their way to good health has been launched by First Minister Rhodri
Morgan. The 'Exercise Referral Scheme' enables GPs and other health
professionals to refer patients at risk of chronic disease to a
structured exercise programme that will help them to improve their
health.
Them bones, them bones....!
There was a popular trick at primary school whereby we would press the ends of straws. If you got the pressure just right the straw didn’t bend or crumple but became stronger. Bones are like that. The idea of exercising a bone may seem strange, but they are not the solid material that many people believe but are in fact being broken down and replaced constantly.
Specialist yoga classes for older people
Whether we actually practice it or not, most of us know that yoga is beneficial for both mind and body. But you'd be mistaken if you thought it applied just to the young or the super-fit, because it is older people who really stand to reap the greatest rewards - knee replacements not withstanding! We spoke to one yoga teacher who specialises in catering for the needs of older people to find out why.
Mature runners urged not to "die from ignorance"
You're in your 50s or 60s or even your 70s, you’ve been training hard for your next marathon, and looked forward to this day for weeks. Donning your shorts and clutching your trusty water bottle to your side, you are ready to hit the tarmac. But have you considered the risk to your health if you let your sodium levels drop too low whilst running the marathon?
Race is on to be screened for prostate cancer
Former Olympic athlete, Nick Rose, is asking men to get on track and get themselves checked by their GPs for prostate cancer. Nick – now in his mid 50s and still a formidable runner – is also asking for people to support the forthcoming Run for the Future, which is being held over 5km on the Downs in Bristol on Sunday, 16 September, to raise money for the Bristol Urological Institute’s Prostate Cancer Appeal, to fund vital research.
The joys - and benefits - of bellydancing!
Can you really belly dance your way to better health and self-esteem? You'd better believe it!
Keep running, stay well
People who maintain a vigorously active lifestyle as they age gain less weight than people who exercise at more moderate levels, according to a first-of-its-kind study that tracked a large group of runners who kept the same exercise regimen as they grew older.
Dance in worship
May I mention a form of dance that I've become involved with in the second half of my life? I'm a member of The Christian Dance Fellowship of Britain (CDFB) which has over 600 members of all ages, both men and women.
Need to exercise but hate gyms? Then go green!
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How can you find an enjoyable exercise routine that doesn't involve going to a gym? Well, you can, by joining a local "Green Gym" - physical activity through gardening and local environment improvement.
