Britain's oldest yoga teacher is a 90-year-old Scotsman with 'no intentions of retiring'

Super-fit pensioner Tom Allan, who began his yoga in Glasgow, only picked up the pastime at the age of 55 as he did not fancy jogging in the rain.

Wanted: ‘Green Man’ for one of Scotland’s most unusual jobs

But more than than 30 years later, he is still passing on his vast experience of the ancient art with his bendy joints and flexibility defying his advancing years.

Tom Allan at one of his classes. Picture: SWNS

He teaches twice a week and after celebrating his 90th birthday with friends and family said he had no plans to stop any time soon.

Tom, who now lives in Plymouth, said: "I think I will still be doing it at 100 and have no intentions of retiring in the foreseeable future.

"The oldest yoga teacher in the world is a lady in America who is 101 and I definitely have her record in my sights.

"I can still do most of the postures. There are a few I am no longer able to do that I could when I was younger, but I use models to do some of the postures I can no longer do.

At 90, the yoga instructor has no intentions of stopping. Picture: SWNS

"That's to do with balancing as I have an on-going eye problem. But most of it I can still do as well as I could when I was a lot younger."

Tom, who has been married to Gwen for 67 years, was born and grew up in Scotland, and at his busiest taught six classes a week in Glasgow, including to university students.

He started his yoga journey by attending classes before he was offered a place on yoga teaching course - and he has now been running lessons for over 30 years.

He added: "I was looking for some form of exercise, I was looking at people in all sorts of weathers racing around trying to get fit and that didn't appeal to me at all.

"Somebody mentioned the word yoga so I made inquires about it and started going to classes. I was a student then and I went to several classes a week for two and a half years until I was invited to take the teacher training course.

"This all happened in Glasgow, the course was based partly Glasgow partly Edinburgh. After that, when I retired at 60 from my work, I started my own classes in Glasgow.

"I had six classes including one at the university and another one I had that was very interesting was one for people with learning difficulties. I also had one for the partially sighted and those with partial hearing - they were very interesting to work with."

Taking early retirement from working at a pharmaceutical company at 60, and moving to Devon 20 years ago, Tom said he wanted to keep busy and keep teaching yoga - and says that's what has kept him fit and healthy all these years.

He said: "I just teach the two classes a week now and they are almost always full.

"I still enjoy it very much. Who would not enjoy being in the company of a dozen lovely ladies.

"It has very much kept me in the shape I am now. I follow the yoga lifestyle and do everything in moderation so have kept my weight very constant."