Blog: Getting out and about - and active!
Cara McGurn is Age Scotland’s Healthy Active Ageing Trainer. She delivers fun and accessible activity sessions to older people’s groups around Scotland. Here she shares her experiences of dealing with Covid restrictions and the joy of getting back to face to face sessions with older people.
Starting my role as Healthy Active Ageing Trainer last July – when restrictions didn’t seem too bad and we could see people face to face - I was keen to jump right in and host some Body Boosting Bingo and Power Quiz sessions to groups all over the country.
However, the unpredictable nature of the pandemic put all of our plans on hold, and it was back to the drawing board for the time being.
After many hours of preparation, designing new Covid friendly risk assessments and sessions, and practising the moves in my bedroom, I was finally able to get out and about and deliver my first socially distanced Body Boosting Bingo class with the lovely ladies of Stepps Parish Church in November.
The group really enjoyed taking part in something a bit different from their normal meeting and described the game as ‘worthwhile, useful and keeping fit made easier’.
We launched Power Quiz to a wider audience at the Age Scotland conference in September, and since then, we have been eager to showcase what this brilliant new game can offer to older people’s groups.
Garelochhead Station Trust were first in line for a few rounds of this fun movement quiz and on the day, I was delighted to see more than 40 people taking part! The group was full of encouragement for each other, not only to score the most points and take home the trophy, but to join in with all the movements too. By the end, we had lots of people attempting the standing activities.
The easing of restrictions in the new year was welcomed with open arms. It meant the ability to offer many more in person fun active sessions for older people’s groups. There has been an enthusiastic uptake in these games since, and all for good reason. Covid and lockdown has had a damaging effect on our bodies and minds, but games such as Body Boosting Bingo and Power Quiz are a great way to maintain and boost physical and mental health.
The movements included in these games are specifically designed to build strength and balance in older adults, two of the physical elements that are very easily lost as we age. Participants can choose to do a standing or seated version of each movement and we even include some fun music to boogie along to. The games certainly fire up your mind - you’ll be racking your brain trying to remember answers for our history questions in Power Quiz and with 30 numbers in Body Boosting Bingo, you will need to be quick to shout BINGO before the rest of your group.
It has been amazing to see groups and friends meeting up again after being apart for so long and it is clear to see just how much these groups mean to the participants. To be invited into these groups and being able to offer them a fun way of getting moving is a huge privilege and I am looking forward to delivering loads more in 2022.
Over the next few weeks, I am very excited to be making trips to Dundee Therapy Garden, Dunoon Senior Citizens and Taynuilt Health and Balance Club. I can’t wait to see some more balancing flamingos, chariot race runners and crab imitations!
