Later Life Training are offering daily activities on YouTube that are ideal for older people. These are live sessions so you can join in with the instructor each day (but are also available to watch as videos if you miss the time slot).
Each session includes a range of easy, low impact exercises that you can do in your own home. They are gentle and especially designed for those who are older and/or less mobile.
Click here to view the range of videos available on YouTube. Below is an example - the first few minutes are to allow those joining in live to connect, but if you wish you can just fast-forward to about 6 minutes to give you a taster of the exercises offered.
The British Gymnastics Foundation have made their seated activity programme, Love to Move, available online. This porgramme is designed to get older people moving and functioning better.
You can now take part in the very first full session alongside Lead Deliverer Kim Hall, in the comfort of your own home. The programme is chair-based and helps to improve memory, balance, flexibility and co-ordination. It’s perfect for older relatives or loved ones that may be self-isolating at home during this difficult time.
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 in order for them to feel the benefits and keep moving. We have released the video of Kim Hall, our lead deliverer so people can take part in sessions from their own home.”
The programme integrates the use of gymnastic foundation skills, cognitive stimulation therapy and social interaction activities. The majority of the programme is based on bilaterally asymmetrical movement patterns, essentially working the left and right sides of the brain separately, which benefits older people and those living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.
You can read more about Love to Move here, where you can also find a downloadable booklet that includes some of the exercises that make the programme so unique.
Arthritis Action have been working in collaboration with the wellbeing organisation Oomph! to develop a seated exericse programme which can encourage people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions to become more active.
The activities are intended to be gentle and should be practised at a comfortable pace. However, if you have any concerns about whether they are suitable for you, please consult a healthcare professional before taking part.
As well as the programmes shown below, there is a menu of individual exercises herewhich you can mix and match to suit your needs.
It goes without saying that we must all do whatever we can to minimise our risk, prevent the spread of the virus and save lives. Now we must turn our attention to how we can help the millions of older people who face loneliness and poor health from lack of activity and the opportunity to socialise.
We all have a responsibility to keep our older generation active even if they are stuck at home. We know 10 days in bed equates to 10 years of muscle loss so staying at home for four months will have considerable consequences for future health.
Move It or Lose It have some fantastic ways to support older people in keeping active at home. These include:
Live Facebook classes every weekday at 2.30pm, including both seated and standing exercises
The Cuppa Routine is a set of four simple exercises you can do in the kitchen in the time it takes to boil the kettle
A free Get Up and Go app with simple exercises for frailer people that can be done in a bed or chair
you can also purchase DVDs and books directly from their website
This is a great challenge to keep you active and healthy during the lockdown with different exercises for each letter of the alphabet. It has been designed for those who are less mobile and can all be done whilst sitting down.
The idea is simple - you find the letters that spell out your name and then do the exercise associated with them. You can change the length of time you are active for by deciding whether to include just your first name, or add in your surname or middle name. Maybe you could also spell out other words or names for variation and to give your mind a workout too!
Easy to follow, 10-minute daily home workouts are now available to listen to via BBC Sport from today. These ’10 Today’ audio exercise routines, which have been designed to help older people stay active at home during the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, will be available on demand through BBC Sounds and broadcast live on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.
There are 7.4 million people aged over 70 in England, and with people mostly confined to their own home following the latest government advice, there's never been a more important and relevant time to encourage and inspire older people to remain active and boost their mood, mobility and wellbeing, while at home.
10 Today is a set of 10, 10-minute, audio workouts designed to get older people stretching and moving at home.
The broadcasts are the result of a special partnership between Sport England, Demos, Anchor Hanover and the BBC and have been inspired by Japan’s Radio Taiso - which broadcasts popular national daily exercise programmes on Japanese radio.
Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England's Chief Executive, said it was vital people stay as active as possible while staying home to save lives and protect the NHS. He said:
"10 Today is a convenient, accessible and fun way for older people to move and stretch.... We're really pleased to be working with the BBC to bring this brilliant content to the nation’s older people as part of our #StayInWorkOut campaign.... Our hope is that it will give many thousands of people a fun 10-minute boost in their day - at what we know is a difficult time.”
The Active Wiltshire team at Wiltshire Council provide a range of walking activities around the county. While these groups are not meeting due to social distancing guidelines, they have produced a fantastic activity pack for people to follow from home.
The pack inlcudes a range of gentle exercises and challenges as well as creative activities and puzzles to keep your mind and body active over the coming weeks.
activities for older people
are offering daily activities on YouTube that are ideal for older people. These are live sessions so you can join in with the instructor each day (but are also available to watch as videos if you miss the time slot). 
The British Gymnastics Foundation have made their seated activity programme, Love to Move, available online. This porgramme is designed to get older people moving and functioning better.
Arthritis Action have been working in collaboration with the wellbeing organisation Oomph! to develop a seated exericse programme which can encourage people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions to become more active.
It goes without saying that we must all do whatever we can to minimise our risk, prevent the spread of the virus and save lives. Now we must turn our attention to how we can help the millions of older people who face loneliness and poor health from lack of activity and the opportunity to socialise.
This is a great challenge to keep you active and healthy during the lockdown with different exercises for each letter of the alphabet. It has been designed for those who are less mobile and can all be done whilst sitting down.
Easy to follow, 10-minute daily home workouts are now available to listen to via BBC Sport from today. These ’
The Active Wiltshire team at Wiltshire Council provide a range of walking activities around the county. While these groups are not meeting due to social distancing guidelines, they have produced a fantastic activity pack for people to follow from home.
