Exercise in Crewe gets some OOMPH!

Adventurous residents at Belong Crewe have been dancing and singing their hearts out during Oomph! wellness classes in the village. With a focus on music, dance-led routines and props to create a party atmosphere, Oomph! classes improve mobility, social interaction and mental stimulation for older people through chair-based exercise, such as chair cheerleading and chair aerobics.
Oomph!, which stands for Our Organisation Makes People Happy!, is a national social enterprise that provides fun, inclusive and effective exercise for older people. As a result of the classes, Oomph! has found a 28% reduction in falls, a 67% increase in mobility and 75% increase in mental stimulation for participants.
One of Crewe’s oldest residents, May Graham, 106, said of the classes: “Between the singing and the dancing, I’m more active now than I have been in years. It makes such a difference to join an exercise class that I can take part in, something that feels like it was designed with me in mind.”
Led by Belong Crewe Experience Coordinator, Lee Edwards, classes take place every Monday and Thursday from 11am until 11:45am, and are open to members of the local community as well as people living in at Belong Crewe.
Lee Edwards said: “Ever since I was trained by exercise experts on how to deliver the classes, I’ve been able to watch the quality of life improve for the people attending. The effect that Oomph! classes can have on people’s health and physical mobility is wonderful, but what’s also exciting is the way that the classes bring people together and stimulate them in other ways.”