Doug Taylor, 90, celebrates his birthday with a yoga class in Leicester

At the grand old age of 90, Doug Taylor could be forgiven for celebrating his milestone birthday with a quiet night in at home.

Instead, the flexible pensioner was saluting the sun, embracing the downward dog and testing his strength with some shoulder stands.

Doug, who lives in Braunstone Frith, Leicester, has been practising yoga for about eight years, so it was the perfect way to celebrate turning the big "Nine-O".

He attended a special class at St Ann's Church Hall in Letchworth Road, Western Park, on Saturday evening, ahead of a party with family, friends and yoga classmates.

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Doug, who turned 90 on December 30, said he was determined to keep himself active. "It's no good sitting at home watching telly until your belly gets in the way of it," he said.

"It's no good just sitting in that armchair and getting square-eyed.

"You want to keep your body supple and your joints moving."

Doug attends classes with yoga teacher Nerissa Fields twice a week, but also practises at home and swims regularly.

"I used to work making tyres for Dunlop and then, when I was made redundant, I bought a window cleaning round, so I've always been active.

"When you've worked for years and then you retire, your body's not used to it if you just stop. You've got to do something.

"I like yoga because it's easy movements and it's not too strenuous for me, and you feel better after a class.

"I really enjoy it – I come to classes twice a week if I can, and I even do it at home."

While his knees aren't what they once were, and he has had two hernia operations, Doug is determined to keep up with his yoga.

"I wouldn't say any of the positions are my favourite," he said. "The hardest is salute to the sun, because I have to be careful with my knee, but I still have a go.

"It's not hard. I think everyone should do it."

Nerissa, who runs Yoga with Nerissa classes in the city, said she always enjoyed teaching her oldest student.

"Doug is an inspiration to us all," she said. "He's warm and loving and kind, as well as being great at yoga.

"Anyone who's new to the class, he always welcomes them. His yoga is excellent. He can do the half shoulder stand, he can do absolutely everything.

"He's a great person to have in the class.

"He's my oldest student and for a couple of years now, I've been saying that we'd do some yoga for his 90th birthday, because yoga's a big part of his life."

Doug's daughter, Teresa Sloan, who is also a yoga convert, was among the party-goers on Saturday night.

Teresa, of Market Bosworth, said she enjoyed seeing her dad taking part in his class.

"He's always been a very optimistic person, and yoga is keeping him flexible and his body moving," she said. "He's living proof that you're never too old to start."