Zest Physiotherapy for Life specialises in elderly fitness MOTs – a health test for older people. They provide elderly fitness check ups in Dartington and Totnes: a kind of MOT for older people to find out how healthy they are.
You can just show up on the day and you will be taken through a series of physical tests to measure your strength, , coordination, balance and flexibility. One of the first things to be affected, once you get over 60, is your balance. It is this that causes the elderly to be susceptible to falls. And, with weaker bones, these falls can be unnecessarily serious, leading to breaks, followed by weeks of limited mobility.
Staying mobile is the key to fitness. If you don’t use it you lose it! These tests show you where your strengths and weaknesses are so you can focus on maintaining good all round health.
This video, made for the Network Of Wellbeing, showcases the Functional Fitness MOT events for people over 60, run by Totnes Wellbeing Fund grant recipient Zest Physiotherapy for Life, in Totnes and Dartington.
The events are well attended and nothing like this exists on the NHS. You can get your heart monitored, your blood pressure taken or your bloods done but these elderly fitness MOTs measure your speed and agility in a series of challenges. They are fun and some couples get quite competitive, in a fun way of course!
Zest Physiotherapy for Life applied for a grant from the Network Of Wellbeing to help them get the project off the ground. The Network Of Wellbeing offers a Wellbeing Fund to local people. It is seed funding like this that supports organisations, groups or individuals to start up their wellbeing ideas. The fund enabled Zest Physiotherapy For Life to hire venues, source equipment and promote the events.
If you have an idea that increases the wellbeing in your local area then why not apply for the fund?