A 90-year-old grandmother who struts her stuff at twice-weekly Zumba classes has encouraged others to follow in her expertly-choreographed footsteps.
Music and dancing have played a large role throughout Isobel Stuart’s life and she says, despite her age, she has no intention of slowing down.
The nonagenarian, who celebrated the milestone birthday earlier this month, first tried the dance-fitness programme in January 2011 when a flyer dropped through her letterbox.
She said: “I thought it sounded interesting so I went along.
“It was really good and within three weeks I decided that I was hooked and was going to take it up.
“The following month there was a Thursday class as well as the Tuesday session, and ever since I have been doing it twice a week.”
Mrs Stuart, of Aberdeen, met her late husband, Bill, at a dance when she was 16.
The pair both shared a passion for the art, and regularly ballroom danced with each other for more than two decades.
Despite Zumba involving a little more intensity, the 90-year-old says the activity – and its accompanying Latin rhythms – is immensely enjoyable.
“I go because I like to be kept active and I like the music, and the girls and their company are first-class,” she said.
“I think if I stopped going to the classes I would just stagnate and that’s no use.
“So I can’t make it, I go upstairs to the computer and find the workouts online.”
While trying a new class for the first time can be intimidating, Mrs Stuart says her Zumba group in Airyhall is always full of friendly faces.
She said: “If there’s somebody new at a class, then a few of us will go and introduce ourselves.”
Several of the group often meet up outside of the sessions to have a coffee and a chat.
While the Zumba music picked might not be to everyone’s tastes, Mrs Stuart added that she isn’t afraid to make suggestions.
“My favourite song was Neil Sedaka’s Calendar Girl and we used it in every class.
“Then one day I said ‘Calendar Girl is past its sell-by-date, we should do away with it and replace it with Glenn Miller’s In the Mood,’ and I think the majority of the class enjoys that.”
