Former Burnley gymnast encourages older people to get fit at home with free seated programme

A retried Burnley Olympian is encouraging older people across Lancashire to stay physically and mentally active at home during the current coronavirus crisis by turning to seated gymnastics
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Craig Heap is an ambassador for ‘Love to Move’, the British Gymnastics Foundation’s popular seated activity programme used by many older people across the UK, but which has now been made available online for free and expanded to help more people during the current lockdown.

The programme is designed to get older people moving and functioning better by increasing strength, flexibility, co-ordination and stimulating the brain.

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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.

Craig HeapCraig Heap
Craig Heap

The Foundation, partner charity of national governing body, British Gymnastics, has published two sessions 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

Commonwealth gold medallist Craig said: “I’ve made sure that two staff members at my gymnastics and activity centre are trained in the Love to Move programme because I think it’s so important to keep encouraging older people to stay active.

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"The impact of the simple seated exercises is phenomenal. 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.

“British Gymnastics Foundation putting the programme online and making it free will open it up to more people who are self-isolating and who need to keep physically and mentally active the most during these difficult times.”

Love to Move, which is supported by Age UK, The Alzheimer’s Society and Sport England, 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.

The programme 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.

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The Love to Move session is available to view at britishgymnasticsfoundation.org or via British Gymnastics’ YouTube channel. Additional sessions will be uploaded in the coming weeks.

Alongside the video resource, the Foundation have created a Love to Move booklet, which includes some of the exercises that make the programme unique. To download, visit britishgymnasticsfoundation.org/lovetomove.

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