I am now 89 and have been training with Neil weekly for just two years. A spinal injury prevents me from walking far, but I have been swimming regularly for some years. Neil began by coaxing me to do gentle exercises to work all my muscles and I have come to respect his good judgement of things I can nearly do. I responded to his encouragement and optimism and have steadily grown stronger and more flexible.

Elderly people often lose some of their natural balance, which makes them liable to falls and injury. When I started with Neil, my balance was very bad, though I had not realised it. Now it is very much better and I can, for example, stand securely on one foot for 30 seconds or more. Training with Neil has become a regular part of my weekly activities and I very much look forward to our encounters because I now feel much younger (!) and that my quality of life has improved a great deal.