Being stuck inside the house, as we all isolate ourselves to try and stay healthy, means that keeping active is going to be more important than ever. Social activities or fitness groups that might have punctuated our former weekly timetables aren’t going to be possible for the time being so The Dementia Network is here to help, with some great ideas on how to keep yourselves active during the shutdown, and hopefully, pass some time!

Even though it may seem like a tricky task to manage in a confined space, there are so many simple and easy exercises to follow that people of all ages and abilities can manage. Research, conducted by Age UK on behalf of the British Gymnastics Foundation, found that following a programme of exercise, proved beneficial in the physical, emotional and cognitive aspects of older people, with older people having mild to advanced forms of dementia appearing to benefit the most. So throw open the windows, let the fresh Spring air in and choose from some of the options below:

The Love to Move programme, created by the British Gymnastics Foundation, is aimed at getting older people moving and functioning better, with a view to improving the lives of those living with dementia. Visit their site to download the Love to Move leaflet and sign up to receive regular updates from them at  British Gymnastics Foundation

If you would rather see someone perform the exercises and follow them on screen, then the Royal Voluntary Service offers some very simple and easy to follow videos on the RVS website

If you fancy trying something new, or revisiting a former past time, then try out this simple 7 minute yoga workout you can achieve from the comfort of your own living room. It is specially designed to work for older adults and will help strengthen your muscles when you can’t get out to stretch your legs:

Above all it is important to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting or are inactive. Even small spurts of activity throughout the day can have significant health benefits and keep you independent and doing the things you love so however you find a way to make it work for you, let us know so we can share it with others. Or join in with our forum to ask others what they have found useful: https://forum.dementia.network/