Nursing home residents stay active with the help of TV fitness star Diana Moran.
The “Green Goddess” led the residents of the Marple Dale nursing home in Stockport, Greater Manchester, through a virtual chair training session.
After the training, residents were then invited to a mindfulness session by Shackelton’s furniture company, where Diana works as a health and wellness consultant.
Diana rose to fame as the glamorous fitness guru at BBC breakfast time in the 1980s and has now produced a series of exercise videos promoting the benefits of gentle exercise in a Shackletons chair.
She said, “Even if we spend more time sitting than walking, we can maintain our well-being at any age if we sit in our chairs with the right support, posture, height, and balance. That’s why Shackletons is the perfect company. “
General Manager Michelle Timperley said, “Our residents all remember the Green Goddess from breakfast TV in the 1980s, so they really enjoyed seeing her on screen and taking part in a gentle exercise session with her.
“The mindfulness session was the perfect relaxation afterwards.”
In addition to the training, the residents were pampered with an interactive virtual cooking demo by chef Alex Connell from Vegetarian for Life.
In addition to the training, the residents were pampered with an interactive virtual cooking demo by chef Alex Connell from Vegetarian for Life.
To celebrate National Vegetarian Week, the session was open to all homes operated by Barchester Healthcare, which operates Marple Dale.
Chef Alex cooked some delicious healthy vegetarian snacks in the live demo – while the in-house chef Matthew Taylor prepared the same recipes so residents could try all of the dishes.
Meals included borlotti beans and dill pie, Greek donuts with tzatziki, and coronation chicken pastries – all topped off with a sweet and simple banana bread.
Alex said, “It was an absolute pleasure to be able to prepare these dishes for the residents of Barchester, and even more so because they got to try them even though I couldn’t be there in person.
“Thanks to all the chefs at Barchester homes across the country for helping me with this really nice activity.”
Lucy Tomlinson, Resident Experience Manager at Barchester Healthcare, said the company was using technology to keep residents and patients connected with their loved ones and to offer virtual events, entertainment and activities during the pandemic.
She said, “We look forward to working with our great partners like Shackletons and Diana Moran and Vegetarian for Life to bring a wide range of fantastic experiences to our homes for all to enjoy.
“It was fantastic to see the residents enjoying all of the recipes, they were so well received.
“Our varied program for enriching life keeps residents active and socially connected and offers a daily selection of exciting physical, mental and spiritual activities that are tailored to the interests and abilities of the residents.”
