Being active is not the preserve of the young. There are plenty of fitness opportunities for the older (wannabe) athlete, discovers Fiona Adams
Ready, steady Eddie!
Silverfit was set up by Eddie Brocklesby – Britain’s oldest Ironwoman – to inspire older people, particularly senior citizens, to get active. Founded in 2014 with just five attendees at a Hyde Park session, Silverfit now runs classes all over London and activities include cheerleading, Nordic walking, pilates, yoga, badminton, Bollywood dancing, indoor cycling, walking football and T’ai Chi. Eddie herself only started jogging aged 50 and was motivated to get fit after the death of her husband from cancer. She has since gone on to inspire countless Londoners and was nominated in theSky Sportswoman of the YearCommunity Award.
- Check out silverfit.org.uk for a class near you. Already a fit older person? There are two Aquathlons in Hyde Park on Aug 2 and 30, including a 500m swim in the Serpentine and a 5km run around the park.
Dance away
Rachel Cherry
In 2010 the English National Ballet introduced a pilot project of dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease. The company also commissioned Roehampton University to research the benefits of dance and the results of this investigative study (made in two parts) were astonishing. It was found that dance could help people with Parkinson’s both physically and socially, that it encouraged ‘a feeling of capability, aiding fluency of movement, postural stability, and decreased amount of freezing temporarily, despite progression of disease’. It is also a challenging workout yet participants take part in a very supportive environment.
The programme has gone from strength to strength and the ENB has extended the classes from London to four other national centres (Oxford, Liverpool, Cardiff and Ipswich).
The model has also been adopted by the community dance foundation, Dance for Parkinson’s, and there are sessions now running all over the country with more being added every month. None in your area? Email: parkinsonsdance@communitydance.org.uk for updates on future locations.
- ballet.org.uk (ENB) and communitydance.org.uk
A sense of history
Andrew Youngson
Days out visiting historic attractions can be fun for all the family but if a loved one has dementia, Alzheimer’s or a learning disability, a simple excursion can become much more challenging. At Historic Royal Palaces (which includes Hampton Court, the Tower of London, Kew Palace, Kensington Palace and the Banqueting House of Whitehall), the Learning and Engagement team (members of the Pan-London Dementia Alliance) has been trialling Sensory Palaces, a programme designed to make heritage locations more dementia friendly. The team has worked with health experts to put together workshops, which focus on stimulating senses – for example, the kitchens at Hampton Court might stimulate taste, while the Rubens ceiling in the Banqueting House might also be an inspiration. The programme is still in its infancy but there are hopes it will evolve to provide training for carers and greater opportunities for a wider audience.
- To find out more or to book a Sensory Palace experience at Hampton Court Palace on Aug 1 and 22 (the impact of Mary II on the Palace through movement and dance), or on Sept 5 and 19 (Tudor symbolism from painting to planting through artwork), email: sensorypalaces@hrp.org.uk
Walk your way healthy
Walkfit is low-impact, outdoor fitness and the walking version of British Military Fitness. It promises to be a fun workout involving bodyweight exercises mixed with brisk walking to burn calories and keep your heart healthy. Walkfit classes are one hour long and are particularly good for more mature exercisers or if you would like to try BMF but don’t feel your fitness levels are high enough yet.
- At the moment, there are classes in Bushy Park, Finsbury Park, Dulwich Park, Priory Park, Reigate and Nonsuch Park, Cheam with more planned around the UK. Walkfit.co.uk
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