Exercise classes are fun!

Remaining active as we get older helps us to stay healthy

Remaining active as we get older helps us to stay healthy and retain our independence and so here at Fairfield physical activity classes are a regular feature on our busy Activity Calendar.

According to the NHS, many adults aged 65 and over spend on average 10 hours of more each day sitting or lying down. This lack of activity and more sedentary life style can lead to an increased rate of falls, stokes, diabetes and heart disease. They advise older people to keep moving if they want to stay pain-free, reduce their risk of mental illness and be able to go out and stay independent.

We encourage our residents to be active as part of their daily routines by walking around or going out into the garden on sunny days. In addition we always include a physical activity of some sort in our daily programme of activities. Some days this is a yoga class, other days it is armchair aerobics.

One of the most popular classes we’ve enjoyed recently is called “Move it don’t lose it” which is run by Jane Read. Jane leads the residents as they perform exercises to music sitting in their chairs but using cheerleader-style pom-poms to encourage movement in their arms and legs. One of our residents, Kathleen who took part in the class said, “What a wonderful time we had, it made me feel young all over again!” and Irene another resident added that the class, “Certainly ironed out the kinks, it was great fun.”

One of our management committee members, Wendy Robinson was visiting whilst the class was going on and ended up having a go herself. Wendy said “What a joy to watch! I joined in for a bit and it was hard work but great fun.”

The more exercise older people do, the greater the health benefits but in order to be more active residents must enjoy doing the classes and the ‘Move it don’t lose it’ class certainly went down a storm with Fairfield residents.

To see our latest Activity Calendar click here.