Connect & Learn

The Exmouth and District u3a Connect & Learn Group is exciting and radically different in that there's no limit on the number of members. Everyone who belongs to Exmouth & District u3a is now automatically a member and has full access to all of the resources on this website! The direction it will go in will be driven by the wishes and needs of our members. It's a dynamic group which can take full advantage of 21st century technology.

Our aim is to offer all members opportunities to benefit from a very wide variety of online learning, to suit all interests and tastes. We will share and recommend a range of online learning resources which are high quality, free and easily accessible. All you need is to be able to access the internet via a computer, tablet or smartphone.  And this will be very flexible as you can do this from the convenience and comfort of your own home (or from anywhere else in the world) at any time to suit yourself. There are also opportunities to share learning together and to have virtual meetings online.

So the Connect & Learn Group will evolve and grow in whatever way you, its members, wish to see. Flexible learning, with others, at its best - and it's all free! And this website will work on all devices and all operating systems (although it may be preferable to view this on as large a screen as possible, as using this on a smartphone involves a lot of scrolling!)

For further details, see the About us page.

Latest news! From 1st January 2025 I launched two new interest groups within the u3a Connect & Learn Group - the Live Well Longer Group and the Action for Happiness Group. For details of the Live Well Longer Group, just scroll on down. For details of the Action for Happiness Group, click or tap on this link to take you to the Happiness section - Happiness 

Some extras

• Our basic guide to using computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones - to help you with technology

• Our basic guides to videoconferencing and teleconferencing - to keep us all connected

• Our online Astronomy for Beginners Group - open to all members, and 

• Our online Mindfulness & Meditation Group - also open to everyone!

Live Well Longer

This is our latest topic. It offers a range of resources on physical and mental wellbeing tailored to meet your own needs and requirements. 

In January 2025 as an experiment I launched this as a new interest group within the u3a Connect & Learn Group - the Live Well Longer Group. It ran until August 2025. The Live Well Longer Group met monthly online on Zoom. We explored a health-related theme or topic of the month with suggested guided reading and/or a video or piece of audio, and we then had the chance to discuss this together. There was also the opportunity to do a short gentle stretching or flowing exercise known as Qigong (which can be done from a standing or sitting position). We finished our sessions with an optional guided meditation. I have created a separate webpage for the Live Well Longer Group - Live Well Longer

Although this group is now dormant, all the the resources will remain available indefinitely for anyone to look at at any time, and they are listed below and on the separate webpage for the Live Well Longer Group - Live Well Longer

And if anyone is interested in reviving this group and would like to become its group organiser and would like further help with this (it could be on Zoom or face-to-face), please email me at website@exmouthu3a.org.uk. 

Here is a selection of interesting and relevant resources. And if you have any further ideas or suggestions, please let me know by emailing  website@exmouthu3a.org.uk.

From this Connect and Learn website:

• From the Topics section: Reliable health information on the internet 

• From the Topics section: Happiness

• From the main section tabs: Mindfulness & Meditation 

The national u3a's Future Lives Group - https://www.u3a.org.uk/our-impact/future-lives 

• See especially this excellent video from Sir Muir Gray on 'Learning is the Elixir of Healthy Life' - what we know about living longer and the interaction between ageing, loss of fitness, disease and ageism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sabN2Hbf4DI&ab_channel=u3a 

• The Live Longer Better website set up by Sir Muir Gray: https://www.livelongerbetter.uk/

• Video: The Secrets of Ageing Better: Professor Janet Lord, University of Birmingham - what happens when we age, and ways in which we can all "age better" and stay healthier for longer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LymsUn5QzmM&ab_channel=u3a 

• Video: The Future of Ageing - David Sinclair, International Longevity Centre - how the ageing of the world's population will have a major social and economic impact - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwWRFnblq4Y&ab_channel=u3a

• Video: Our Homes for Our Future - Janet Sutherland, Chair of Future Lives - key findings from our housing questionnaire and experiences of members who have made changes to their homes or moved home - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7-fmEX-GXk&ab_channel=u3a 

• More resources:

  • Learning is the real elixir of life - An article by Sir Muir Gray published in Third Age Matters Spring 2023.

  • Re-imagining the Future in Older Age - u3a members in Scotland worked with the University of Stirling to create a 40-minute film that unpicks the way we look at older adults and their relationship with their own future. 

  • Centre for Ageing Better - provides a range of information and publications, events and a free image library.

  • Artificial Intelligence for everyone - a resource library developed by Barry Claydon, u3a AI Subject Advisor.

• Coming up soon: online presentation: Housing options in later life: The role of retirement housing on Tuesday 6 February, 2-3pm: Kathleen Dunmore, Housing Advisor to Retirement Housing Group: What factors should you take in to account when considering a move into retirement housing? What types of retirement housing are available and how much do they cost?

From Active Devon:

• Bringing Together Devon Networks Supporting People to Live, Longer, Better: https://activedevon.org/bringing-together-devon-networks-supporting-people-to-live-longer-better/ 

NHS Better Health website

This NHS website has a great range of exercises and suggestions for better heatlh - https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/ . It includes a 'How to be more active' section and a 'Home workout videos' section. There's also a separate section called 'Every mind matters' - https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/ 

From 'Just One Thing'

The late Dr Michael Mosely created over 80 excellent health-related short radio programmes/podcasts which are highly recommended. They are all on BBC Sounds - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09by3yy/episodes/player 

Pilates

Pilates is a great form of exercise. Rachel Lawrence is a particularly good teacher, and you can see an introduction from her here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ITszzx3E0&ab_channel=TheGirlWithThePilatesMat. 

Her YouTube channel has hundreds of videos - see https://www.youtube.com/@TheGirlWithThePilatesMat/videos  There is a section especially for seniors - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiAecv7YEF5j1Hy1Rf_pbVkeoFM8GLHro . 

And one video I particularly like is all about standing pilates - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3PYS_jsA1c&list=PLiAecv7YEF5j1Hy1Rf_pbVkeoFM8GLHro&index=59&t=2s&ab_channel=TheGirlWithThePilatesMat 

Qigong

Have your tried Qigong exercises for increased energy and fitness? They are suitable for all and involve 'work with our life force energy'. Take a look at this short introductory video from Lee Holden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzwet-C7sRE&ab_channel=HoldenQiGong 

Then if you like the sound of this, try out some of his exercises from his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HoldenQiGong