Picture a dance studio and you're likely to imagine a room full of lithe-bodied ballerinas or super-toned stage stars practising their performances – but a visit to Claudia Evans' Body2TheBeat dance classes is quite the opposite.
As well as teaching at boutique studios KXU and Paola's Body Barre, Claudia, 47, hosts dance classes for the over seventies, using the skills she learned dancing on Top of the Pops and in iconic music videos such as 'Call On Me', to whip her older clients into shape – including 74-year-old Gill Simmonds.
"Some of my friends can't even get up from the floor, but I don't want that to be me," Gill says of her passion for Claudia's classes.
"I want to be able to keep active as I get older," Gill continues, sharing that she works out at least three times a week with sessions in Pilates, reformer Cadillac classes, walking and her dance class with Claudia.
"I was at a family party recently and joined the 30-year-olds on the dancefloor, they were a lot more fun than the people my age.
"My grandkids have come down to my class with Claudia and got involved too. I want to be active for them. When a five-year-old asks to race with me, I don't want to say I can't do it."
Exercising in later life
Gill hasn't always been a gym bunny, telling HELLO!: "I didn't start exercising until I was in my 40s. I worked full time in banking and had two kids and always thought I was too busy," she says, echoing the sentiments of many full-time working parents who put themselves at the bottom of the pile.
Making time to exercise is crucial, though. Harvard Medical School reports that there is a science behind the cognitive and physical benefits of exercise for our bodies as we age.
Moving the body, listening to music and learning choreography are thought to help stave off the likes of Alzheimer's and dementia, for example.
"It definitely keeps you sharp," says Claudia. "When we come up with the choreography, there needs to be a connection between your brain and moving your body.
"This can be as energetic as your legs bouncing to the beat, or as gentle as sitting in a chair and circling your arms and legs to the beat," she says.
On keeping her clients engaged, Claudia adds: "Each week I do something different to keep things interesting.
"We start with a 10-minute warm up then choose a song and get into some choreography and finish off with a stretch. I work a lot on balance and gently building strength which is useful for when you are getting older, but mostly it's about having a lot of fun."
The fun side is definitely something Gill can attest to, sharing: "Dancing is such fun and Claudia is amazing. It's impossible not to feel happy after one of her classes. I really believe it is never too late to start and I would tell anyone in their 60s or 70s who had never exercised before to just try it."
For online and private bookings go to body2thebeat.com
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