Maureen Cotton, from Stradbroke, has been exercising at Stradbroke Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre for more than three decades.

She is able to perform a two-minute plank, burpees, squats, crunches and a range of other bodyweight exercises.

For context, our news team tried the two-minute plank and half of us failed, proving just how difficult this really is.

Now 91, she attends two group fitness classes every week – Shred & Tone and Legs, Bums, Tums – and has no intention of slowing down.

Mrs Cotton says her secret is to stay as positive about exercise as possible by “laughing through the difficult moments” and “not taking things too seriously”.

“To me, 91 is just a number”, she said.

“I get an awful lot of pleasure from going to the centre and when I come home, I’m on a high, I just love it.

“Exercise helps your immune system, it keeps your lungs healthy, your kidneys, and your lungs.

“I think it keeps me young.

“If more people could go to classes like this, I think they would feel a lot better about life.”

Cllr Tim Weller, Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet member for environment, culture and wellbeing, said: “Maureen is an absolute inspiration to us all.

“We know how crucial it is for residents to have access to facilities to improve their health and fitness, and how important it is to keep active in later life – but the social aspect can have a massive impact on quality of life too.”

Maureen Cotton, from Stradbroke, can do a two-minute plank at the age of 91. (Image: Lucy Taylor/ Newsquest)

Personal trainer at Stradbroke Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre, David Mercer, added that Maureen is an “amazing inspiration”.

He said: “She shows that exercise is so fundamentally important.

“Strength training and cardiovascular training strengthen your bones and improves your pulmonary process.

“The old cliche of if you don’t use it, you lose it is so true.”