Keep Active To Stay Healthy For Longer – Activities In The Adur Area
Published: 08/03/2019
Many studies have pointed towards physical exercise not only being good for keeping the body healthy, but that staying active also benefits the mind.
Now that the buds are beginning to appear and we gradually move into Spring, it’s a great time to spend more time outside, or to get involved in new activities. There’s plenty of medical evidence showing the benefits of staying fit and healthy such as helping to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression or dementia which are all conditions associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Finding ideas to keep your loved ones moving and socialising can be a challenge.
Activity can be simple low-level movements or just getting out to take part in clubs and social events, daily walking, keeping up with household chores, gentle swimming, dancing or even seated exercises.
There are many groups and clubs in the Adur area for those looking to meet new people, or exercise the body and mind, so we’ve gathered together a few examples and links for you to explore. West Sussex Connect to Support is a great place to start as it has a long list of local groups and activities in West Sussex. The site offers useful search categories to narrow down the choice (as there are a lot of groups listed), and you can filter the search by location, day, age group and condition such as Autism / Learning Disability, Dementia, Physical Disability, Mental Health / Brain Injury or Visual / Hearing Impairment.
Here are a few suggestions and links to help keep you, or the elderly relatives you care for, active and engaged:
Exercise Classes
Southdowns Leisure run a variety of activities for older people in Worthing, such as Walking Football, Walking Netball. They also have the Phoenix Friday exercise club with a full programme of activities including line dancing, pilates, ballroom dancing, as well as zumba and racket sports.
Age UK host a number of social and exercise classes in Shoreham and Lancing. Many also include a home cooked meal and they also organise days out to visit new places and enjoy lunch and great company
Chair based exercises
GuildCare run weekly chair-based gentle exercise classes specifically for older people to help stay fitter for longer. The hour long classes are open to male and female participants and are free of charge. Further details are available on the events page of the GuildCare website
Singing for Fun
Singing for Fun is a weekly singing club run by Roger & Sheila who believe your health and wellbeing can benefit from singing, by using a combination of specific relaxation, posture and breathing exercises. It takes place every Tuesday from 3.15pm – 4.45pm at the Guild Care Centre, Worthing and is a great place to develop new friendships while having fun. No previous singing experience is required.
Walking Groups
Walking is a good opportunity to make new friends and find out more about the wildlife and fauna of the local countryside and pathways whilst getting fitter. There are a number of walking groups in the Adur area including the Adur Health Walks who go out and explore the network of footpaths and bridleways in the area. Here you can find timetables for upcoming walks which range between 30 minutes to 90 minutes duration. Some walks start from libraries where membership is encouraged and tea/coffee and biscuits is available after the walks for a small fee (currently 50p). Some other walks start or finish at cafes where refreshments are usually available.
Social and Lunch Clubs
Sometimes, just getting out of the house to enjoy other’s company and take part in fun activities can help those living in their own homes to be more mobile and happy.
The Friday Club in Shoreham has been running for 40 years and makes links with individuals, works closely with community agencies, and both enables and provides pastoral care to older folk from the local community. Speakers, diverse activities and outings are arranged and fun is always available to be had!
Still looking for ideas?
That’s just a few ideas, and more activities and groups can be found on the U3A website and the Age UK Shoreham activities and events page.
It’s important to remember that everybody is different, they enjoy different activities and will have varying levels of fitness and experience of exercise or physical activity. That’s why it’s important that you find something that works for you, or your loved ones.
If you’d like to find out how Right At Home Worthing and Shoreham can help your or a loved one stay healthy and safe in their own home, please contact our friendly team.
