Virtual reality exercise boosts wellbeing at Warrington Care Village

Virtual reality exercise equipment, including a machine that simulates cycling and walking in locations around the world, has been introduced into the exercise studio at state-of-the-art care village Belong Warrington, where it has been boosting users’ wellbeing by making exercise more fun and engaging.

The SilverFit equipment is specially designed for use by older people and encourages exercise by integrating activities with virtual reality computer games. It has been proven to have both cognitive and physical benefits for users exceeding those of ordinary exercise machines as it increases participant motivation. The virtual reality exercise can be part of both rehabilitation therapy and supervised exercise programmes, which can be adapted to suit the physical and cognitive capabilities of anyone.

Two specialist pieces of equipment have been purchased for the on-site exercise studio at Belong Warrington.

The ‘SilverFit Mile’ projects a scene onto a large television screen connected to a cycling or stepping machine. The scene moves at the pace at which the user is cycling or walking, simulating outdoor exercise. The equipment is programmed to feature locations around the world, so users could be cycling through the streets of Paris or trekking through Patagonia.

With the SilverFit 3D system, a camera registers a participant’s 3D movements and allows them to interact with games on a television screen in front of them. In one game, the player controls a small cartoon character on the screen by marching on the spot. They have to negotiate obstacles in the game by stepping to the side and stop when required, such as at traffic lights. The games motivate people to exercise by challenging them to push their boundaries and achieve higher scores.

The new equipment has had a marked effect on the enthusiasm of residents and people visiting the gym on experience days. Sian Ryland, specialist fitness instructor at Belong Warrington, said: “One of our residents used to holiday in Paris. The Paris simulation on the SilverFit Mile allowed her to relive memories of times there and has given her much more motivation to participate in cardiovascular exercise.”

Barbara Tait, Lead Fitness Instructor at Belong, said: “Our residents have enjoyed the success of increasing their cognitive and physical capabilities through exercise that is fun and specific to their needs. We have seen an increase in well-being, confidence and physical strength amongst customers who have used this gym equipment.”

Belong operates six care villages across the North-West. Each has its own exercise studio, which is specially equipped to meet the exercise requirements of older people. A specialist fitness instructor works with residents and customers to develop personalised programmes.

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