Gentle Exercise Classes for Older Adults

Westmorland Homecare’s Lancaster and Morecambe branch has partnered with a boxing and strengthening gym to provide exercise classes for elderly people, funding the weekly sessions at Leo’s Gym at Whitefield Place in Morecambe.

“The sessions involve very gentle exercises and are aimed at an older clientele to maintain or build strength,” said Ashleigh Bird, the branch’s Care Manager.

“We have been doing a lot of work to try to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and a lot of older people who go into hospital do so because of falls so we want to do what we can to prevent that.

“Also, as they get older, a lot of our clients and people we meet report a sense of isolation so by us funding these sessions they can be around like-minded people, having a good chat and enjoying more of a social life.”

The 40-minute sessions, which are held every Tuesday and are free to attend, are open to anyone, including Westmorland Homecare’s clients.

Seven people attended the first class but there is space for 20 in total.

“Two of our office staff went along to the first session and the feedback from them was very positive,” said Ashleigh. “They said everyone was smiling and having fun and the two strength and conditioning coaches running the class – Carrie Bradburn and Emma Mountain – were brilliant.”

Ashleigh approached Leo’s Gym after attending Ladies Night box-fit sessions there. “I chose the gym because it is a really nice environment, they are friendly and not judgmental and it is really fun,” she said.

The new exercise sessions are running on a six-week trial basis and if they prove popular Westmorland Homecare will continue to fund them after that.

“One of the values of Westmorland Homecare is enriching people’s lives so the classes fit in very well with that,” said Ashleigh. “We also want to engage as much as we can with the community so we are keen to put on events which are available to the public as well as our clients.”

Carrie Bradburn said that Leo’s Gym was a community boxing and strengthening gym set up by Emma and Lee Mountain in honour of their son, Leo, a North West Region boxing champion, who sadly died last year. “They wanted to make sure that something good and positive came out of something tragic,” she said.

“The sessions funded by Westmorland Homecare involve gentle exercise work to develop core strength, mobility and movement, are fun and an opportunity for those who attend to meet like-minded people.”