Exercise during the LockDown
Any gym bunny will tell you the toll of taking weeks off. Have you ever stopped to imagine how rapidly fitness declines at 93 years of age?!
Community activities have stopped, so people who usually manage their symptoms with routine and activity are suffering.
Fitness levels have dropped considerably. Some people are becoming weaker and far less well as the lockdown continues.  Anxiety can be crippling.
We’re delighted to be working with multitalented teachers who are delivering exercise classes remotely and this comes with massive respect to the dedicated teachers who see it as part of their “service to the health of the nation” to put their classes online at this time! Thank you.
With COVID-19 in particular, lung health and healthy immunity is key.

Combining Visits

We combine essential care visits with exercise and companionship wherever we can.  People living with dementia and other conditions that reduce confidence, are easily put off.  We’ve seen brilliant outcomes when we support people with  trial classes and the regular classes online.
Trusted companions 
What works best is for our carers to join in the classes with our clients. Trusted companions having a go together! Dementia, hearing loss and lack of confidence requires a lot of one to one, so teachers rely on carers to repeat instructions and lead by example. One to one  is tricky in a busy class, especially during a zoom session!
Before COVID-19
We swam, painted, visited museums, visited carefully selected gyms and fitness classes, practised Yoga, practised Feldenkrais, Pilates and were about to embark on Mosaic classes as well as our regular beach, wood and town walks, but that was #BC19 #BeforeCOVID-19
Maximising the positives
We are lucky to have access to so many skilled teachers around Canterbury and Whitstable who were willing to adapt to accommodate our clientele and we are lucky to have carers who are willing to help.
Exercise at home maximises essential care visits 
Our wonderful carers are able to encourage our clients to participate in the comfort of their own home. With their companion to help them ‘muddle through the technology’,  the interaction is as beneficial as the activity.
Today one of our clients attended their third seated yoga class. The class fits around the scheduled care visits for other essential services, so we are not scheduling an extra interaction.
The photo does look bleak but that’s because the class was conducted with chairs at the correct distance!
Anything is possible
Our Carers always want what is best for our clients. So anything is possible. One of the major benefits of same person care and flexible schedules is not having to wrestle with back-to-back scheduling, so our carers can make time to participate in a zoom class, listen to some meditation recording, or watch a video class and participate.
After 8 weeks shielding and a client living with severely increased anxiety, the carer said the session went “Fantastically well.  Muscle memory kicked in so, even though she was sceptical at the beginning, she coped brilliantly.”
The client said it was “A lot of fun and lovely to see the teacher again.”
The value of connecting during Lockdown
Susan Jeffery the yoga teacher said “How lovely it is to see clients able to enjoy yoga moves,  meditation and relaxation in their own homes with support from Seniors Helping Seniors.  The camera image is very good and you really feel you can connect with each other in real time. Great fun, sharing a smile & lots of heart-warming moments!”


To see a photo, check out the original blog on the link below.........
https://canterbury.seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk/exercise-and-lockdown/