British Gymnastics Foundation Releases Seated Activity Programme For Free To Encourage Elderly Activity During COVID-19

The British Gymnastics Foundation’s popular seated activity programme, Love to Move, has been made available online for free and expanded to help older people stay physically and mentally active at home.

The programme is designed to get older people moving and functioning better, integrating the use of gymnastic foundation skills, cognitive stimulation therapy and social interaction activities. The majority of the programme is based on movement patterns which work the left and right sides of the brain separately, benefiting older people and particularly those living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

The Foundation, partner charity of national governing body, British Gymnastics, has published the first session online and will be making additional sessions available on a regular basis. With those likely to benefit most currently isolating at home the programme, which has also been adapted to allow for social interaction ‘to screen’, can now benefit more lives than ever before.

Patrick Bonner, Head of the British Gymnastics Foundation, said:

“We have seen the positive impact Love to Move can have on the physical and cognitive aspects of older people in the last few years and we want to get the programme out to as many of those self-isolating as possible. This will mean that more people can feel the benefits and keep moving. We have already released the video of Kim Hall, our lead deliverer, so people can take part in sessions from their own home and will continue sharing resources online in the coming months.”

Love to Move started as a pilot project in 2015 and was trialled in care homes and community settings across the UK. The programme uses seated activities to help older people with their memory, balance, flexibility and finger dexterity, and it has already seen a marked improvement in many of its regular participants. It has since been rolled out across the UK but due to the current situation and requirement for the vulnerable and older people to remain in their homes, British Gymnastics Foundation made the decision to release the resource for free online. Former British Olympic gymnasts Kristian Thomas and Craig Heap are ambassadors for the programme.

Steve McFadyen, Sport and Leisure Programme Partnerships Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said:

“We welcome the British Gymnastics Foundation’s decision to find creative ways to reach even more people affected by dementia, to encourage them to move a little bit more and feel the benefits of being active at home. Around 95% of people with dementia are over 65, and as an ‘increased risk’ group they are being advised to be particularly careful of the ‘stay at home’ rules.

“We know that people with dementia are finding it tough in these unprecedented times, with 80% of calls to our Dementia Connect support line around issues related to coronavirus. Keeping active at home both physically and mentally with fun and engaging seated activities can have a big impact on the health and wellbeing of people with dementia as well as their families or carers. It can help them connect with others through a shared experience, maintain or improve balance and put a much-needed smile on people’s faces. It’s free and accessible programmes like Love to Move that will be hugely beneficial to people living with dementia wherever they are.”

Kim Hall, the Lead Deliverer of the programme, added:

“The best thing about delivering Love to Move is seeing people’s quality of life improve. To see someone moving again, feeding themselves and re-engaging with their loved ones, and to see them visibly appear younger, brighter, more confident and happier is such a privilege.”