By Lesley Walsh
RESIDENTS of independent living housing whose mobility issues prevent them from going out to enjoy exercise classes are being catered for on their doorstep with the help of a former boxer.
Tenants of Bangor’s Savoy who take part in the lessons, led by coach Joe Harvey, have been benefitting from improved movement and the sheer fun generat5ed by the activity.
One of the tenants at the home, operated by Clanmill Housoing, who is benefitting from the classes is Denis Lightbody, who gets his blood pumping and muscles burning while seated.
Living with issues which affect his legs, and worsened by a very serious bout of bacterial meningitis in 2018, Denis said he does feel the good of the classes.
“I do it sitting down to do the movements, mostly with my arms because I have problems with my legs, bad circulation, though I can do some with the legs.
“So these cater for everyone. We’ve been doing it for seven weeks and it’s really great.”
Denis hopes they continue to host classes in the future in the independent living accommodation which puts on other activities regularly throughout the year.
“We also have bingo and film nights and events for things like Christmas and Valentine’s Day and wee parties,” he added.
Manager Michelle Patterson said the tenants who participate in the classes, which are funded by Clanmill Housing, are really reaping the benefits of them.
“Some of the clients who had little mobility in their upper body began by just tapping their arms but as the weeks have passed they’ve really begun to improve their strength.
“And Denis has really improved with the classes too and is feeling much better because of them,” she said.
Joe said he was inspired to launch the classes by the death of his grandmother several years ago.
“I used to visit her and one day when I left she fell and broke her hip and that was it for her,” he said. “ She ended up in hospital after that and died a short time later.
“That gave me the drive to give back something to people who have given us so much,” he said.
He soon commenced a pilot course with Clanmill Housing around its various homes, beginning last October, ‘and it’s grown so much’.
One of the first homes he introduced classes to had a large number of people with dementia, revealing that with the regular prompts over the eight weeks of the course, many were able to remember and to keep up with the movements.
“It just proves that if you keep up with the prompts they can do it,” he said.
“When I did the pilot, over the eight weeks there were no trips, slips or falls,” he said, proving that improved mobility and reflexes served to prevent falls but also improve their overall wellbeing.
“Some of the people who take part really enjoy the socialising, because they maybe didn’t mix much before but they really started to enjoy that side of the classes too. Everywhere we go they love it and wanted us to come back to host more classes,” he said.
Joe revealed how the sessions culminate with a special presentation of prizes with Denis Lightbody receiving the Savoy’s trophy.
The boxing coach continued that he hopes to continue the classes at the local housing in the future and to introduce them to other homes across Northern Ireland.
