Older people are being encouraged to get fit using an online forum created by two Perthshire fitness instructors.
Developed by James Knight of Perth and Susie Black of Blairgowrie, the UK Specialist Exercise Exchange (UKSEE) will be open to people from all over the country.
It is currently a free to join Facebook group intended to educate members about how to increase their activity alongside their current health conditions.
James and Susie will launch their first workshop – a 28-day Facebook course teaching Exercise for Osteoarthritis of the Knee – next month.
Health concerns
The duo aims to provide fitness programmes that are specially tailored to meet the needs of people with a particular health concern.
Susie said: “Joining an ‘on demand’ session where few health checks have been completed can be dangerous.
“Many members of this age group will be managing conditions which require greater than usual knowledge and understanding from their instructors.
“For several months, James and I have been discussing how the lockdown has changed the way our class members perceive online exercise.
“We knew we could use this shift to benefit our clients and that this could be rolled out to a much wider audience.”
Age groups
The platform is aimed at people over the age of 50 but is open to anyone with health conditions, such as osteoarthritis and back problems.
While these conditions typically affect older age groups, James and Susie recognise their impact on younger people.
James said: “In general we work with clients from 50 years old plus but it’s the conditions that are important.
“Osteoarthritis, COPD, back pain, balance problems don’t recognise an age range and can start earlier for some.”
Nationwide
Although based in Perthshire, James and Susie have opened their platform to people from across the UK.
They believe the online platform allows them to reach more people regardless of their location.
James said: “It’s delivered entirely online and we’re hoping to appeal to the whole of the UK.
“The huge benefit to providing these programmes online is that location is no barrier.
“Since moving online we can individually helped our clients grasp this new virtual world and that is a priority for us.”
He added: “Through a combination of Facebook and Youtube we can help people across the UK and further afield.”
Covid-19 impact
Meanwhile, Covid-19 restrictions have forced the duo to consider the most effective ways of delivering classes and information away from their usual face-to-face interactions.
They say online delivery is more effective than how they usually operate.
Susie said: “Lockdown has demonstrated that this kind of activity delivery is more successful than much of our face to face delivery because the clients have access to their support hub all the time.
“The necessity of avoiding contact has actually brought about a more effective method of client support because we can make it extremely specific while bringing individuals together with others who are also experiencing the same issues.”
She added: “We believe this is a game changer for activity delivery to specialist populations.
“We’ve worked with the older adult sector for 15 years apiece and we understand the breadth and depth of these clients’ wellbeing needs.
“We just didn’t know our groups would move so readily online.”
