Chill Out and Relax Project - South East

The Chill Out and Relax project delivers a range of courses to older people in physical activity‚ healthy eating and healthy lifestyles across South East England. For each new activity‚ fit as a fiddle will generally support the first eight sessions for a minimum of 12 people‚ allowing these participants to try out something new‚ entirely free.

Who we are helping

This project helps older men and women in Chandlers Ford and the surrounding area.
We have received a lot of positive feedback from participants. Comments include:

• “I feel much happier and I’m sleeping much better.”
• “I have made new friends and I don’t feel so lonely. Our instructor is very good and I plan to continue going to her other exercise groups‚ as she understands and listens to our needs.”
• “I lost my husband not long ago‚ and these sessions have helped me with my relaxation.”

What we want to achieve

We set up the project:

• To promote health and well-being amongst older adults.
• To relieve tension and stress‚ and to teach people how to deal with their stress.
• To help people to be more confident‚ feel better about themselves and make new friends.

This project aims to help participants to sleep better‚ have more energy and feel less stressed. We hope participants will develop a fitter‚ happier and more relaxed lifestyle‚ while making new friends from their community.

What we are doing

fit as a fiddle supported eight sessions of “Chill Out and Relax” classes. The sessions covered dealing with stress‚ getting a better night’s sleep‚ the benefits of laugh therapy‚ the effect certain foods have on your stress level and how exercise helps deal with stress. Veronica Blake‚ an experienced tutor‚ group facilitator and personal trainer taught all of the sessions with different activities every week.

At the first session‚ the group discussed what their individual objectives and goals were‚ and Veronica then tailored the sessions to achieve these goals. All participants said they wanted to learn how to relax more‚ three said they wanted to sleep more soundly‚ and two said they wanted to make new friends. Veronica provided relaxation mats and pillows and activities included relaxation exercises to music‚ laugh therapy and discussions about food choices. The participants were also given relaxation charts they could use at home to help track their stress levels. By the eighth session‚ everyone said they felt less stressed and more relaxed.

• The sessions covered a range of healthy living activities including relaxation techniques‚ simple exercise‚ and healthy eating.
• The sessions were designed to be sociable and fun with lots of interaction and discussions amongst the participants.

Successes

All participants completed a monitoring form at the start of the project and an evaluation form at the final session. A fit as a fiddle staff member visited the network throughout the eight weeks to evaluate the progress of the group and to speak with the participants and instructor.

The Chill Out and Relax project helped to deliver sociable‚ fun‚ healthy‚ relaxed lifestyles for the over-50s. The course was such a success that participants now attend an already established exercise and relaxation group‚ and continue to use the relaxation charts at home.

Contacts

Alex Welford – Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator
Age Concern Surrey
Rex House
William Road
Guildford
GU1 4QZ
T: 01483 503414
Email Alex