Bowls program helping older participants Roll Back the Clock
A Bowls Australia program kick-started by an ASC Better Ageing Grant is continuing to help older Australians realise the life-changing benefits of getting active.
10 May 2023
A Bowls Australia program is continuing to help older Australians realise the life-changing benefits of getting active by combining bowls, light exercise, and education.
Dandenong Club members talk about the Bowls Australia Roll Back the Clock program.
Roll Back the Clock, opens in a new tab aims to boost physical activity rates among Australians aged 65 and over and has delivered sessions in WA, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, NSW, Queensland, with new dates being added around the country.
The program was kick-started with a $1.2 million grant from the Australian Sports Commission’s Better Ageing program.
Bowls Australia has already conducted 68 sessions this year, attracting an average of 10 people to each session, and has helped about 3000 participants since it began in 2019.
At $80 per program ($10 per session), the program offers a low-cost opportunity for older Australians to take part in accessible activities and provides opportunities for those socially isolated to engage with new people and education.
The sessions include a two-part activity for the body and mind that incorporates bowls, functional training, fitness and wellness education and socialisation. They are adapted for individuals and enable participants to perform everyday activities of daily life more easily, prevent and recover from injuries, and improve confidence.
The program hopes to help more than 8,000 older Australians when inactivity, isolation and loneliness are key concerns for the increasingly ageing population.
Building on the success of the in-person program, Bowls Australia has developed ‘Roll Back The Clock at Home’ a new video series that can be completed at home, to help Australians find their 30 minutes of daily exercise.
For more information, or to find a Roll Back the Clock session near you, head to https://www.bowls.com.au/get-involved/rollbacktheclock/, opens in a new tab
Roll Back the Clock has helped about 3,000 participants since 2019. Photo: Bowls Australia
