A 90-YEAR-OLD supergran who survived a heart attack says twice-weekly workouts are keeping her alive.

Lochwinnoch woman Liz Ramsay had her brush with death 20 years ago and has never forgotten the doctor’s parting words as she left hospital: "Don’t go home and sit in a chair."

The energetic pensioner took that advice by joining the Lochwinnoch Hearties keep-fit group, supported by the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland charity (CHSS).

Two decades on, Liz is still attending the group’s twice-weekly fitness sessions.

She told The Gazette: “I was in hospital after my heart attack and I’d finished the rehab. The doctor said to me ‘don’t go home and just sit in a chair.’

“My niece took me along to the keep-fit and I’ve been going ever since. She introduced me as 'Auntie,' so now everyone calls me that. Going there has kept me going and kept me moving. It’s kept me alive.

“My other name is Supergran. That’s what my great-grandchildren call me. Everyone smiles when I’m in the shop with one of the wee ones and they shout ‘Supergran’.”

Despite being just three months short of her 91st birthday, Liz has no plans to slow down.

Having recovered from Covid-19, which she contracted during a visit to her son in Bournemouth, she is still suffering from fluid on the lungs but even that doesn’t deter her from activities that include driving to those twice-weekly keep-fit classes, stints at the WI (Women's Institute) and helping out at ROAR (Reaching Older Adults in Renfrewshire).

The Gazette:

“I’m not one for moaning and complaining," said Liz. "You make yourself older when you complain, that’s what I think.

"After my heart attack, they used to call me into the hospital every year to check up on me. They don’t bother with that now but that’s because I’m doing all the right things.”

CHSS runs more than 140 peer support groups such as the Lochwinnoch Hearties for people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions, many of which focus on staying active.

Frances Tait, the charity’s physical activity specialist, said: “Accessing the right physical activity advice and support is very important for anyone who has experienced a life-changing health diagnosis or event.

"Physical activity can help us to be functionally fit and mobile, independent and confident. It can also help with recovery from a life-changing event, help to manage your symptoms and reduce the risks of a further event happening.

“Many people feel unsure about which activities they can do, how long they should do them for and which ones are safe for them to do. At CHSS, we can have a chat with individuals and help support them to make the right choices to access safe and effective physical activity options for them.

“Listening to your body and knowing your own limitations is important and this can vary from one person to another. Even small chunks of movement can accumulate throughout the day, so the less we sit and the more we move, the better.

"Make sure to choose an activity or hobby which you enjoy, one which is comfortably challenging, and try to focus more on what you can still do today, rather than perhaps what you used to do.”

For more details of the support on offer through CHSS, send an email to healthdefence@chss.org.uk.