90-year-old fitness instructor tells care home residents 'think about your thigh muscles'

A 90-year-old fitness instructor has been putting residents at a Sanctuary care home through intensive workouts, telling them to “never give in” and to “think about your thigh muscles”.

Beryl Richens was a fitness instructor into her eighties, but had to give up after a few falls at home and problems with her balance. However since moving to Heathlands Residential Care Home in Pershore, she has started taking an exercise class in her wheelchair.

Beryl teaches her fellow residents chair exercises. Some of them have dementia, one is a double amputee and many of them have limited mobility.

She says: “I get satisfaction that they are still trying to do something and move their bodies a little differently. You have got to do something to keep the old joints going, we all stiffen up eventually and it makes you feel younger.”

Beryl takes the class sitting in her wheelchair at the centre of a circle of residents, with the care home revealing that one of the residents follows her every move and another resident who first of all refused to join in and sat with her arms folded is now a keen member of the class.

Beryl, who says: “I still think I am pretty good for 90”, uses props during the class such as foam balls which the residents balance on their hands and roll down their legs. She motivates them during the class and tells them to “never give in” and “think about your thigh muscles”.

Beryl begins the class by getting the residents to spread their fingers wide apart and gently push each one against their thumb; next they lift their shoulders up and down before gently stretching their arms. After this they lift their legs, moving everything from the tips of their fingers to their toes.

At the end of the class they do some breathing exercises.

Being physically active has been a huge part of Beryl’s life. In 1948, shortly after the second world war, she joined the Women’s League of Health and Beauty and was asked to do fitness classes. Following this, she trained with the South West Keep Fit Association (KFA) and ran exercise classes across Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. During her career she worked closely with Britain’s first female health and fitness guru Eileen Fowler, giving exercise demonstrations on stage at fitness rallies in front of hundreds of women.

She says: “I loved it. It was something I have done since I was 18. I got so much pleasure from doing it.”

In 2002 Beryl was asked to produce a display with the KFA which featured at the Royal Albert Hall. The KFA members came from Worcester and Gloucester. She says: “It was a wonderful performance and a great event.”

Before she started losing her balance and had to go into a care home herself, Beryl also led classes teaching chair exercises for residents in care homes.

Having moved into Sanctuary Care’s Heathlands Residential Care Home in Pershore, the home’s activities assistant Val Murphy decided to approach Beryl to see if they could find a way for her to continue to do what she loved. Very soon Beryl was delivering chair exercises for her fellow residents from her wheelchair.

Val Murphy said: “The first class she did she was so confident it was like she had never been away! She is so determined she won’t give up.”

To find out more about Sanctuary Care go to https://www.sanctuary-care.co.uk

click here for more details or to contact Heathlands Residential Care Home