Residents at Alston House have been doing a bit of both and were delighted when yoga instructor Sophie Mehta visited the home.
Sophie from Mind and Movement Yoga visited as part of National Senior Health and Fitness Day. Sophie used to work in creative technical design but now focuses on holistic well-being.
As the mother to two children, Sophie has used yoga to keep herself in good physical and mental shape, and she couldn’t wait to share her knowledge with Alston residents.
Alston House Wellbeing and Lifestyle Coach Lidia Nikolova Gjorgjieva said: "Regular physical activity is one of the most important things we can do for our health.
“It can help prevent or delay health problems, especially as we grow older. Physical exercise also helps our muscles grow stronger, and this helps us retain our independence.”
Yoga teacher Sophie was delighted to work with Alston residents and thanked them for inviting her.
She said: “I loved chatting to the residents this afternoon. It was lovely to see their fitness ambition. The residents had so many questions for me that made me so happy, they want to stay active and fit even in their 90s. We should all follow their example.”
National Senior Health and Fitness Day has been celebrated since 1993 and is spearheaded by the Mature Market Resource Centre, aimed at helping people to take part in activities that will keep them fit.
Lidia added: “This year because it was the 30th anniversary of this very important day, we decided to invite Sophie, who was amazing.
“Sophie talked about the importance of simple movements at any age, but especially when we get older.
“She showed us gentle stretching movements that we plan to incorporate into our daily routine. The most important thing she shared some old wisdom with us: to be mindful of what we do and to celebrate even the smallest achievements. This was a very inspiring afternoon for all.”
Lidia added that Alston House is very much focused on the overall wellbeing of its residents.
“We take pride in our daily and weekly activities that are planned to bring joy, fun and physical and emotional benefit,” she added.
