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Elliot Gardens residents complete England’s Coast to Coast Walk

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

After walking more than 315km across England, Alan Gulliver is helping fellow residents of Elliot Gardens to keep fit and healthy, too.

It took 17 days, 315 km, and 413,000 steps for Alan Gulliver and his wife Jan to walk from coast to coast across England. Alan’s been active his whole life, and since retiring, he and Jan have conquered many things together. But completing the epic Coast to Coast Walk at the age of 62 is something they’re both particularly proud of.

‘It was a great thing to do together. It was quite demanding, so I’m glad we got a chance to do it while we were still able to,’ he said. ‘We walked for 17 days with a couple of rest days to check out the local area. About half of that was in the rain, but it was fantastic,’ said Alan.

Back home in Elliot Gardens, Alan and Jan are still keeping active by going for walks, cycling and playing tennis.

Village fitness for everyone

About a year after Alan and Jan moved to Elliot Gardens, the gym instructor finished her scheduled sessions in the village. Taking up the torch, Alan and Jan started running a weekly circuit in the village gym for themselves and their mates to enjoy. Now the sessions run two mornings a week and have received a lot of interest from the other residents of Elliot Gardens.

‘I’m always looking to improve things to keep life interesting.’

‘I’ve put together a circuit of activities, spending about 2 minutes on each. It takes an hour to complete all up. It’s a great bit of exercise because you’re doing strengthening exercises as well as using the other equipment too,’ Alan said.

Having always been active, Alan is very familiar with gym equipment and how to use it. Now he’s helping friends and other residents by giving them a hand and offering to act as a spotter, even outside the scheduled sessions.

‘Living in a community like this, the success of it comes down to the people who contribute and volunteer to do stuff. I wanted to do my bit to contribute to village life, and I’m always looking to improve things to keep life interesting,’ he said.

In recognition of his hard work and commitment to the village, Alan received 6 nominations for the Good Sports Awards.

Improve your health in 20 minutes a day

Staying active like Alan isn’t about being the fittest for your age or being particularly coordinated or strong. Studies show walking for 20 to 25 minutes each day can improve your health, increase your energy and even reduce the risk of degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.

It’s as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, just like Alan and Jan did for 315 km on the Coast to Coast Walk.

Learn more about Elliot Gardens, SA.

For more information about the lifestyle and support offered at our retirement villages, call our customer service team on 1800 550 550.

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Elliot Gardens residents complete England’s Coast to Coast Walk

After walking more than 315km across England, Alan Gulliver is helping fellow residents of Elliot Gardens to keep fit and healthy, too.

Village fitness for everyone

Improve your health in 20 minutes a day

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