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We all know that being as active as possible benefits our health. Have you noticed you have less energy when you been less active? Our body needs regular movement to stay well and many people associate less energy with ageing rather than ‘deconditioning‘. Physical activity and exercise that focusses on strength and balance can help us maintain our confidence in staying active and on our feet. It can sometimes be hard to make physical activity a habit but this is the best way to make sure you are as active as regularly as you can. The following online resources can support you being more active at home particularly in exercises that help maintain or improve strength and balance. If you are worried about falling or have fallen, or have difficulty getting up off the floor, please scroll to the bottom of this page.
Being more active every day
Being active and on your feet as often as possible in the day will help maintain your physical fitness. There are a number of online resources available.
Make Movement Your Mission
Whatever your ability, these 10-15 minute movement ‘snacks’ offer a range of activity movements that you can ‘crowbar’ into your daily life. Doing these ‘snacks’ daily will help maintain or improve mobility, stamina, flexibility, strength and balance. You can join LIVE (free) on Facebook every day of the week at 8am, noon or 4pm (UK). There is a few minutes chat before the snack starts for people to say hello. You can view the Facebook page anytime to see short videos of the last few live snacks and have a go if you can’t join live. You can also follow any of the movement snacks on their YouTube MMYM Channel. If you prefer to see only seated movement snacks, specific single exercise videos, or specific videos for pelvic floor see their Additional Movement Snack YouTube Playlist.
Physiotherapy based strength and balance exercises
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have a video with 6 (Super-Six) strength and balance exercises that will help you maintain and improve strength and balance. The webpage also has a poster you can download to prompt you at home.
NHS Exercises for strength and balance
This site has information about how much activity is best for your health and gives a variety of videos to help you improve stamina, flexibility, strength, balance and includes exercises for those who need to remain seated. View the NHS Exercise pages here.
Age UK Resources for keeping active
Age UK have a variety of webpages and resources that can help you remain active. Specifically they have information on getting active when you find exercise difficult or not sure where to start. You can follow some simple exercise advice here. There are some video clips of exercises to follow here.
Exercises for bone health
The Royal Osteoporosis Society has a series of exercise leaflets and exercise videos for helping maintain or improve bone health, stay steady and maintain good posture. Each video has a seated alternative to every standing or floor-based exercise for different levels of ability. Download the leaflets or watch the videos here.
Being active with a long term condition
If you have a long term condition you can and should be active. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have easy to follow information about being active with arthritis, bladder and bowel issues, cancer, chronic pain, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, diabetes, HIV, multiple sclerosis, respiratory conditions and stroke. View the CSP website here.
Versus Arthritis have a YouTube Channel with videos for people with arthritis.
Dementia Friendly online videos
The British Gymnastics Foundation has an online Love to Move Programme, an age and dementia friendly seated gymnastics programme. View the videos here.
If you are worried about falling
You should consider speaking to your GP about being seen by your local falls services. They will be able discuss ways in which you can reduce your risk of a fall. Specific exercise programmes are used in the ‘treatment’ of falls which can make a real difference to your ability to prevent a trip from becoming a fall, or giving you the skills to get back up off the floor again should you fall. These programmes come with many names but will be based on FaME (Falls Management Exercise), Otago Exercise Programme or Tai Chi. You may find your local Leisure Centre or AgeUK have these programmes, so just ask someone at your local branch/leisure centre. You could also look at this website FALLS ASSISTANT which can help you work out what you can do to help reduce your concerns about falls, or NHS Inform have a series of videos showing you how you can help yourself up off the floor if you have had a fall.
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