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On 1 October, we mark International Day of Older People, and this year’s UK theme asks a simple question:

What’s on your doorstep?

It is a question about the places, facilities and services around us, but for me there is another question that matters just as much:

Do people actually feel those places are for them?

One of the best things we can have on our doorstep is somewhere we can move, laugh, meet people and feel good.

Staying active is not about your age. It is not about Lycra, lifting the heaviest weight or being the fittest person in the room. It is about finding a way of moving that works for you and makes you want to come back.

Whether that is seated or standing, supported or independent, everybody deserves the opportunity to move, build confidence and feel connected.

Our local leisure centres and community hubs can play a huge part in that. They are already in our neighbourhoods, often within the communities they serve, and they have the potential to become places where people don’t just exercise, but belong.

For some older people, though, the traditional gym environment simply doesn’t work.

Equipment can feel intimidating. People may be living with mobility difficulties, frailty or long-term health conditions. Others may not have exercised for years and worry that everybody else will know what they are doing while they won’t.

The answer isn’t to tell people they need to try harder.

We need to make it easier for them to say yes.

That means creating spaces that feel welcoming from the moment somebody walks through the door. It means recognising that movement can look completely different from one person to the next. And it means giving people choices.

Power-assisted exercise is one way local leisure centres and community spaces can offer that choice. It can provide an accessible alternative for people who may find conventional exercise difficult, giving them opportunities to move at a pace that suits them while supporting strength, mobility, confidence and independence. 

But movement is only part of the story.

There is enormous value in simply having somewhere to go.

A class or activity session can be the reason somebody gets out of the house that morning. It can mean seeing familiar faces, having a laugh, meeting somebody new and feeling part of something.

That connection matters.

Being active and socially connected are both closely associated with living well in later life, and welcoming community spaces can support both physical and mental wellbeing. 

This also reflects what is happening more widely across health and care, with greater emphasis being placed on prevention and supporting people closer to home rather than waiting until they become unwell. 

And if the buildings, facilities and people are already in our communities, we should be asking how we can make better use of them.

So this International Day of Older People, I don’t think we should simply ask:

What’s on your doorstep?

Let’s ask whether people know it is there.

Can they get to it?

Can they afford it?

Can they take part in a way that works for their body and their circumstances?

And, most importantly, when they walk through the door, do they feel that they belong?

Because healthy ageing should not be about telling people what they can no longer do.

It should be about giving people more opportunities to keep doing the things they love, maintaining their confidence and independence, meeting people and enjoying life.

Movement should be welcoming. It should be enjoyable. And it should be accessible to everybody.

So have a look at what’s on your doorstep.

And if what is there isn’t working for everybody yet, let’s work together to change it.

Let’s keep moving.

Let’s stay connected. 

And let’s make healthy ageing something every community can support.