An East Kilbride gym owner has expressed her concerns about the elderly suffering from loneliness and isolation in the current lockdown where group fitness classes have been postponed.
Claire McLean from You Fit East Kilbride believes that moving her fitness classes online due to the coronavirus pandemic has been a “lifeline” for some but fears that many clients are missing out on personal interaction.
Claire believes that the gym and fitness classes offer a good balance of physical fitness and social interaction that looks after people’s wellbeing.
Claire told the News : “When we were forced to close the gym our online Zoom classes have become a lifeline for our members but there are some members who never made that transition and now that we are in a third lockdown, some members are just totally over the whole idea of working out at home.
“But my concern is that, our demographic is mostly people over 40.
“We have members in their 80s and 90s and they are missing out, not only on the exercise to keep them physically healthy, but on the social aspect of the group fitness classes.
“Many of our elderly clients live alone and the group fitness class gets them out the house, gets them talking and interacting with others, and for some, that’s the only social interaction they have on a day-to-day basis.
“The gym and the classes are great for members’ physical health but I fear that some of the members’ mental health is suffering due to that aspect of socialisation being taken away from them.”
And the isolation fears that Claire has are shared by charity Age Scotland.
Chief executive Brian Sloan said:“Our helpline has heard from older people about the impact this has had on both physical and mental health.
“Even those who were formerly very active have struggled as lockdown brought about an abrupt end to the exercise classes,walking sports and outdoor activities they relied on to stay physically fit and as an important opportunity to socialise.
“Exercise can also improve our mood and emotional wellbeing, helping prevent depression.
“It can be hard to find motivation at the moment, but daily exercise doesn’t need to feel like a chore.
“If you’re not able to venture out, just building gentle strength and balance exercises like the ones in our Around the House in 80 Days series into your daily routine at home can make the world of difference.
“We know that not everyone is able to or chooses to use the internet and, as services and activities including exercise classes increasingly move online, it’s vital to ensure that older and more vulnerable people are not left behind.”
