I do aqua aerobics with women in their 80s – it’s the most fun I’ve had exercising | Kate Leaver

A joy from start to finish, doing jump-kicks underwater to classic pop hits has taught me never to think of exercise as punishment
At my first class, we sang Barbara “Happy Birthday”. She was turning 80, doing fly-kicks underwater with the rest of us – and I’m almost certain she was not the only Barbara present.
That’s the main demographic for aqua aerobics at the Manly’s Andrew Boy Charlton aquatic centre in Sydney: women born in the era of Barbaras, Margarets and Gladyses, many of them wearing a full face of makeup and gold earrings. They keep their faces immaculate by extending their necks and keeping their heads above water (I’ve asked).
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