Staff participating of their health session with Derrick Errol Evans MBE, higher often known as Mr Motivator. Image: Simon Murrell
Submitted by The Oaks Care Home
Staff from a care residence in Colchester, in Essex, lately loved a health session with a 90s health icon. The crew from The Oaks Care Home have been ‘motivated’ and learnt inclusive new strikes, coaching tips and enjoyable workouts from Derrick Errol Evans MBE, higher often known as Mr Motivator.
With an emphasis on enjoyable and train creating happiness, employees joined Mr Motivator at Colchester Stadium and dressed up for the event mirroring the colorful exercise put on he’s identified for and sported tutus, leg heaters, and sweatbands.
Despite initially feeling nervous concerning the health session, organized by the charity organisation, Fans Network, the house’s wellbeing co-ordinator Margaret Brodie, left the occasion feeling empowered.
Margaret mentioned: “It’s given me a lot of confidence to take these activities back into the care home. We’ve learnt so many new ways to bring fun and fitness together for the benefit of our residents.”
Margaret explains how Mr Motivator gave them new concepts on easy methods to tailor a health session for residents with very completely different wants. She mentioned: “We learnt seated and standing moves and how to cater for different levels.
“For example, someone can do moves with just their hands rather than their whole body. It has benefits in both keeping their wrist joints supple and allowing them to be included in the exercise session when they might have thought they wouldn’t have been able to take part.
“If someone doesn’t have the physical capabilities there’s so much more to a fitness class that they can benefit from. Today has taught me so many new ideas for seated moves and classes.
“Doing moves in a chair, we get an insight into what that feels like for the residents. It’s been great fun and we certainly know that being seated doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t do your exercises.”
Care residence supervisor Carol Preston is aware of the significance of continued coaching for workers in all areas of the care sector and the advantages of collaborating with organisations like Fans Network to create distinctive help teams for the crew.
She explains the hyperlink between bodily well being and psychological well being and why health lessons like these are such a lift for residents: “It’s not just about the physical benefits. Fitness classes are very social and uplifting, little things like taking seated classes in a circle and offering a variation of moves keeps them inclusive.
“Residents can enjoy the music, whether it’s fast or slow and using a variety of music can evoke different memories and create different atmospheres, which is especially great for our residents with dementia and memory loss.
“Today, we’ve learnt how to do dance moves using our bodies to draw shapes, letters and numbers, which has lots of added cognitive benefits and will certainly get our residents thinking.”
It wasn’t simply the attendees who loved the occasion, Mr Motivator, mentioned: “The day has been so much fun, what a group. It’s been so uplifting to meet everyone in person. I know they’ll all take this energy and positivity back to their care homes to share it with the residents and that’s why we do it.
“It’s really all about support and togetherness and making everyone feel good, in their bodies and their minds.”
Tony Lee, neighborhood networks lead for the Fans Network charity and organiser of the occasion, mentioned: “We need each other and giving support to care homes – not just the residents but their family members and the staff, is what this is all about. It’s about togetherness, connecting people and having fun.
“We want to keep it enjoyable for the staff and give them fresh ideas so they can keep the residents moving and give them a great fitness event to look forward to every week. We want them to put a feather boa on and say ‘yeah’. It’s not just aimed at their physical health, it’s going to make them happier, it’s fun.”
Carol mentioned: “Mr Motivator is very passionate about fitness, there has been so much fun and laughter today but also with a serious message around the importance of continuing to make fitness fun and available for older people. We can’t wait to try out our new moves with our residents, we know they are going to love them.”
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