I am an elderly lady(!) in her70's who, in order to keep mobile, attends weekly " Elderfit" classes in the Hyb in Splott. Not only do we exercise our bodies we exercise our minds with group chatting. Great "Elderfit" innovation! Another recent innovation is group outings to "Pedal Power" in Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Yes CYCLING! a real, moving bike (don't worry, each chosen according to your capabilities) I hadn't been on a bike for over 50 years. My initial reaction to the outing on wheels was PANIC!
Don't worry, You can choose a bike with 1, 2, or 3 wheels and 1 or 2 seats. There are manual bikes with gears and electric bikes. Bikes with or without crossbars. Quite a range as you can see and there are very helpful staff to find the right bike for you. Sophia Gardens and the Taff Trail are perfect surroundings for a ride (however far you choose to go)
The best bit of a" Pedal Power" outing is the visit to their cafe for cake , drink and a chat. Well you deserve a reward!
P.S. I regularly suffer from low mood and motivation, so when I tell you that I enjoyed the "Pedal Power" outing so much that I went on my own the following week, feeling confident the staff would sort me out. And they did.
Being able to follow the online exercises during lockdown is both physically and mentally uplifting. Even my 93 year old mum joins in!! Thank you for helping to keep us sane!!
I’ve been going to Gareth’s Elderfit classes in the Splott Hub for about 8 months. I’ve noticed a great improvement to my stamina and I’m doing exercises that I’d never have thought I could manage. The classes are fun, we always have a laugh and Gareth is very caring and extremely silly. I’d recommend Elderfit to any anybody who’s a bit old and creaky.
Tom, at Cowbridge Town Hall @ 10.30 Wednesday mornings. He is a good Instructor, caring and thoughtful. He tailors the exercise for the class. Would thoroughly recommend the class. Even better the first lesson is a free trial.
Having had to accept that my joints and muscles do not work as well as they did - I decided to join this class in Yate. Made to feel welcome right from the start by Tom the instructor and other members. My main concerns were that I could not keep up - no worries there - exercises completed in 1 or 2 minute blocks - varied exercises - we all take them at our pace. My husband who is in a wheelchair comes along and does upper body exercises only and he enjoys the class. Great to find a class that caters for us. Thank you Tom!
Elderfit is a wonderful initiative. I have seen so much improvement in myself, friends and other class members. Walking becomes more confident along with general movement and balance.
My 89 year old mother had to go into a Care Home following her third stroke and a fall in hospital which resulted in a broken femur and pelvis. She already suffered from arthritis and the beginning of vascular dementia (which has since progressed) and found it difficult to adjust to life in a wheel chair. Despite all of these issues it has been a revelation to see her look forward eagerly to Gareth’s classes, and her delight in being able to take part in the session. She was a competitive sportswoman and she still looks around to see how well she is doing compared with others! Gareth has devised a routine of exercises that she can follow and she is able to remember the movements from one week to the next. His patience and good humour are appreciated and, as one resident told me last week, they appreciate being treated as “normal”. The benefits of the exercises can be seen by her increased alertness immediately after as well as her maintaining a degree of strength and mobility.
Residents really enjoy Gareth’s fitness sessions and always come away feeling better for it. Whenever I remind people that he is carrying out a session they are always excited and eager to attend, getting ready well in advance to prepare themselves for the work out. Gareth is very professional, treats our residents as individuals and always remembers names and afterwards I am always told that I must have him back again!
Tom is a very friendly, energetic person who interacts well with our residents. He has become part of our family over the past 5 months. He is an asset to us and the residents as he builds their confidence and interaction as well as building physical strength and balance through movement and exercise. All of which in turn creates a better quality of life for our residents
I suffer with COPD and Osteoporosis which has left me with 3 fractures in my spine. I realise I must try and remain active. I have tried various exercise programmes that did not suit me. Six months ago I joined the Otago class what a big difference I found it contains lots of exercises that I can do at my own pace. I have found that now I have more energy and confidence and have met like minded people that have turned out to be my new friends
