Whatever your age, it’s important to do some form of physical activity every day, but it’s particularly important as we get older. Physical activity can improve your health and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in later life.
If you haven't been exercising regularly, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor before starting. Start slowly with some light activity and gradually increase your activity as your fitness improves.
What counts as light activity?
Light activity means moving rather than sitting or lying down. At brighterkind, we encourage our residents to do light activity on a daily basis where possible including those residents that struggle with mobility. A gentle stroll in the garden or around the home can be really beneficial or just simple armchair exercises can make all the difference to how a person feels.
What counts as moderate activity?
Moderate-intensity activities are those that raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster, but not so much that you can't talk. A few examples of moderate activities that our residents can take part in as part of our Magic Moments Activity Programme, include chair-based exercises such as armchair yoga and movement classes that are set to music that require playing simple percussion instruments or shaking maracas and pompoms to really bring the sessions to life. We’ve introduced a Walk ‘N Talk Club, helping residents to get out in the fresh air and stay active. Gardening clubs for the more green-fingered are also popular. Many of our residents also enjoy regular day trips to the seaside, shopping or sightseeing. All these clubs not only provide some form of exercise but also the chance to chat and learn from one another.
A range of activities for the Mind, Body and Soul
Our Magic Moments programme of activities encourages physical fitness as well as all-round wellbeing. In equal measure we focus on keeping the mind sharp and agile, the body fit and mobile, and the soul lively and engaged through entertainment, challenges, discoveries and personal interest activity.
Activities range from creative crafts, to a good old sing-a-long or more one to one sessions in the intimacy of a resident’s room. Homes have also connected residents with their local community with Postcard Pals, a lovely initiative where members of the community write to our residents and visa versa, as well as watching live safari waterholes or deepest, darkest spaces. Live online tours to amazing places around the world like Paris or Cocoa Cabana are also available that our residents love to watch together and join in the fun of interacting with the tour guide.
To find out more about our Magic Moments Activity Programme, please visit our website Here: https://www.brighterkind.com/about-us/recreation-and-activity
We hope we have shared some creative ways of keeping fit and healthy – as you can see they don’t always have to be too strenuous – sometimes it’s just about keep the mind active too and feeding the soul with companionship and chat.
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