Active body, active mind: 'Encourage Activity' bring balloon volleyball and kurling to care homes

With over 19,000 care homes in the UK, strive to enhance the focus on quality of life for older people through innovative and stimulating, movement-based physical activity sessions.

Encourage Activity deliver a range of interactive games and tasks of varying intensity, ensuring there is an activity for all levels of skill and fitness. From boccia to balloon volleyball, each activity is specifically designed to increase mobility where possible.

Encourage Activity was established by Chris Golding, after he visited his wife’s grandmother in a retirement home and identified how animated and responsive she became when she was active.

Mr Golding said: “We believe that everyone, no matter what their age, physical or mental ability, should experience the release and joy that can come from activities which encourage physical movement.

“Fantastic results have already been generated from the residents we have worked with. Managers and staff report that they are seeing regular improvements in their residents.

“The focus is on having fun in the sessions, where movement becomes an integral part of the task, rather than an end goal.”

Mr Golding established his business Encourage Activity as a social enterprise and currently offers a range of stimulating physical activities including: balloon volleyball, parachute, table tennis, kurling, skittles, boccia and other tactical games, some of which can be played outside.

He explained: “I aim to offer 100 per cent inclusion. There are some games that participants have not participated in before and I encourage them to give it a go. They have fun and are often really competitive.”

Mr Golding provides sessions to groups of people with a range of mobility and ability levels, including those living with Parkinson’s disease and early onset dementia.

A recent study published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, revealed that physical exercise in older people is associated with a slower rate of decline in memory and some thinking skills that occur with ageing.

In a study of 876 people, those who reported no or low exercise experienced greater reductions in memory and information processing speed over a five year period than those who reported moderate to intense exercise. The difference between the groups was equal to the equivalent of ten years of ageing.

Dr Clare Walton, research communications manager at Alzheimer’s Society, commented: “We know that what is good for the heart is good for the head and people who are physically active throughout life have a reduced risk of developing dementia.

“This study underlines the importance of taking regular physical activity to keep the brain healthy as we age.

“Regular exercise doesn’t just mean running marathons, but anything that gets your heart rate up for 30 minutes or more, like taking a brisk walk, a game of tennis or a dance class.”

Stanfield Nursing Home in Rushwick has introduced different ways to maintain the health and well-being of the residents. At present, the home receives regular visits from Encourage Activity.

Richard White, manager at Stanford Nursing Home, said: “One of the ideas has been to adapt and develop a raft of activities to suit the needs of the individual. To help us build the health and well-being programme we’ve teamed up with Encourage Activity which specialises in putting fun and fitness into the lives of older people.

“Mr Golding is a very popular figure at our nursing home and injects a youthful sense of ‘joie de vivre’ into the lives of residents and staff alike. He has been working with us for over 12 months and during that time Mr Golding’s activities have proved so popular, we’ve continued to build on the programme. Regardless of age or frailty, with Mr Golding’s help everyone gets stuck into the activities he provides.

“Keeping fit and mobile has clear medical, psychological and social benefits that include improving self-confidence, mood and self-esteem, maintaining cognitive functions and reducing cardiovascular risk and the risk of falls as balance improves.”

To ensure the sessions are tailored to the residents’ requirements and abilities, a professional qualified activities provider conducts an initial assessment of the resident’s fitness levels.

Each session consists of a series of competitive and tactical games to challenge the mind and encourage interaction amongst the group of residents.

Delivering a dedicated range of games and tasks of varying intensity, Encourage Activity ensure there is something for all levels of skill and fitness.

Encourage Activity believe the focus is on having fun in the sessions, where movement becomes an integral part of the task, rather than the end goal.

For more information on Encourage Activity visit: http://encourageactivity.co.uk/care-homes/.