TWO fat ladies? Not anymore now that Bingo is being used in Scotland to help older women stay healthy.

Before the serious business of ‘eyes down’ begins, exercise and dancing sessions are now being held to encourage bingo players – particularly older women - to become fit.

Researchers say it encourages woman to exercise in a familiar place with friends.

The plan is now to extend a pilot project, at Carlton Bingo Club in Stirling, to other venues across the country.

Dr Josie Evans, a reader in public health at Stirling University’s School of Health Sciences, said the decision to target women from a range of different backgrounds was a key element when deciding on the unusual setting.

She said: “A lot of health intervention work goes on in schools and workplaces, which aren’t really representative of the wider population.

“We knew that women from lots of backgrounds go and play bingo, so it is quite a diverse range of women, including those from less affluent backgrounds.”

The 'Well!Bingo' classes, which run in 12-week sessions, involve chair-based exercises, line dancing and ‘dancercise’ sessions.

Evans said another important factor was the participants helped design their own fitness regime, adding: “We had an idea that we would have walking groups from the bingo club, but we now know that wouldn’t have worked at all. They just didn’t want that. It has been very much participatory from the beginning.”

Evans said the project, which was carried out in conjunction with researchers from Glasgow and Edinburgh universities, had yet to be formally evaluated but initial findings suggest it has been a success.

“The (health) intervention involves short, structured exercise sessions,” she said. “The instructor stays after the exercise session and they have a little social time.

“So the difference between this and exercise classes in the community is that there is a definite focus on socialising.”

She added: “It is an environment the women are comfortable with, they know how to get there, it is familiar to them and they are with other people they have got something in common with. We are looking to roll it out to other bingo clubs, but obviously that depends on funding.”

Anne Marie Green, one of the instructors, said it was one of the most unusual settings she had taught in but it “worked well”.

“It is about getting people to engage and be more physically active – encouraging people above the age of 65 to not just be sitting at home and watching telly,” she said.

Charlotte Stewart, 63, from Stirling, who usually goes to bingo twice a week, signed up for the classes, and also got her two sisters involved.

She said: “It's good fun. I did no exercise before, there is nothing really for folk our age – whereas this is something for us to do.

“I feel more energised. You feel better after it. It is making me want to do more, it is sort of addictive.

“You used to go to the bingo and you knew a face and said hello. Now some of those faces have got names because you are meeting them at the exercise group beforehand. So you are also meeting new people.

“It is ideal, there should definitely be more of these classes.”

Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said: “The current advice is half an hour of exercise for an adult a day. If you are 85 and infirm and single, that can be quite a difficult thing.

"But you can get yourself to the bingo club, find your mates down there and do it together. I think it is splendid idea and good luck to them.”