Keeping fit and healthy can be a challenge as we approach our golden years, but there are plenty of wellness and exercise activities for seniors in and around Huntingdon.
Keeping fit and healthy can be a challenge as we approach our golden years, but there are plenty of wellness and exercise activities for seniors in and around Huntingdon.
There’s talk from every angle about how you need to keep fit and active to make the most of life into old age, but as we get older our joints get creaky and our energy dips which can make it very tricky to find something enjoyable enough to keep you moving and motivated.
Keep your wellness and health up with some of these great senior-friendly spots in and around the Huntingdon area, from a light game of ping-pong to a full-on exercise class, there’s plenty to tempt people of all ages and abilities.
Love to move is a chair-based age and dementia friendly gymnastics exercise programme, developed by the British Gymnastics Foundation. Specially designed to get older people moving and functioning better, the programme is proving particularly beneficial for those living with dementia. The programme has been shown to improve cognitive function, help reduce depression, improve balance, and improve the ability to undertake activities for daily living. The Love to Move programme is designed to get older people moving and functioning better, but there are so many other benefits to a class like this such as social interaction and memory stimulation. Two members of the Home Instead Huntingdon team were fortunate enough to be invited along to one of the classes a couple of years ago, both members of the team noted how enjoyable and engaging the class was. There was lots of laughter from the hall, our staff said they would be recommending this class as it was something a little different but also a lot of fun. Further information about the British Gymnastics Foundation can be found by clicking here. One of the big benefits is that you could have a preview of the classes and give it a try in the comfort of your own home, check out their online sessions by clicking here. They also have a brochure available online where you can take a glance at some example exercises to get an idea of what to expect, to download it click here.
The town of Huntingdon is bursting at the brim with options of exercises classes for all ages. One Leisure is a particular hot spot for various classes, one class in particular that stood out to us is RightStart. RightStart exercise classes are for older people and those requiring additional support to exercise. The classes are friendly and a great way to meet other people with similar health and fitness concerns. If you’re looking for a way to be more active and feel healthier but aren’t sure where to start, click here to take a look at the classes and determine which one may be best for you. There are many other groups or initiatives available around Huntingdon, such as BeWell Cambridgeshire. Their aim is to keep seniors active by “Staying Stronger for Longer” with their strength and balance classes. You can find a list of available classes in Cambridgeshire, as well as some informative videos and a home workout tutorial on their website – https://www.bewellcambridgeshire.co.uk/your-health-and-wellbeing/stay-stronger-for-longer. Our final recommendation is Huntingdon Health Walks which is run by Huntingdon District Council. The Wellbeing Walks Programme consists of friendly group walks that can help you become active around Huntingdonshire. The walks are led by volunteer walk leaders who are also first aid trained, most walks cover 3-4 miles and last approximately 1 hour, they are free to join, and everyone is welcome. You can find a booklet here, which details the routes and everything else you may need.
In the centre of Huntingdon on Ferrars road is Equilibrium Yoga and Wellbeing Centre. They offer inspiring, peaceful, and serene spaces to practise yoga and mindfulness based disciplines and to experience therapies. Don’t be afraid if you’ve never tried yoga before, they have classes specially designed for beginners so there will be something for you regardless of your experience level. They also have a section of their website dedicated to giving handy tips for beginners, which can be found by clicking here. Equilibrium offer a multitude of classes including different styles of yoga such as Ashtanga, Forrest, Hatha, Jivamukti and kids yoga. You can find further information about each style by clicking here.
One Leisure in Huntingdon is an absolutely brilliant spot for all of your health and wellness activities. Their 74-station gym has a variety of equipment, free weights, fixed-resistance machines, suspension rig and a core stability/stretching area. They offer a variety of fitness classes, indoor cycling, and water-based activities. They have a 25 Metre swimming pool on site which offers a great way to stay physically active, no matter what your age or ability. Finally, they also have a 3 court multi-purpose sport hall offers many different activities such as badminton, table tennis, football, netball, basketball, and volleyball, as well as separate squash courts that can all be booked on a casual basis. One of the best things about this leisure centre is how accessible it is to everyone, it was recently developed and renovated with disability access being a key part of the plans. They have disabled parking bays, low level reception desk, disabled toilets and changing room which includes a hoist! For further information about their specialist facilities click here for the full guide.
If you want to learn more about Home Instead Huntingdon, here are some handy links to find out more about our services and how to become a Care Professional:
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Or simply give our friendly team a call on 01480 454293.