Merton Moves is an initiative from Wimbledon Guild and Merton Council to help over 50’s in the borough adopt a more active lifestyle.
They say it takes six weeks to form a habit, so to help you kick-start your more active lifestyle, on the 4th of May we’re launching the six-week Merton Moves Pledge!
Don’t worry – you won’t have to run a marathon or swim the Thames; you’ll just pledge to do one or more physical activity a week over six weeks.
Whether it’s a walk in the park, gardening or Pilates, you can choose whatever activity suits you. If you’re not sure what to do or where to start looking, don’t worry – Wimbledon Guild’s new Merton Moves Engagement Officer, Ben Garner, will be on hand to help you find an activity you love, as well as giving you plenty of encouragement and support along the way.
Ben said: “I’m looking forward to helping motivate you to choose activities you’ll enjoy and supporting you along the way. The most important thing for me is that you find getting active good fun, sociable and that you start to feel the benefits.”
When you take the Merton Moves Pledge, you’ll receive one of our fantastic, free fitness starter kits which includes a fabulous dumbbell water bottle which can also be used as a weight!
Being active offers so many benefits and is key to healthy ageing. Even doing small amounts of movement can help improve strength, balance and flexibility, and delay the decline in muscle mass and bone density.
Physical activity helps improve your mood and sleep and increases your energy levels. It’s also one way to reduce the risk of dementia. It can be more fun than you think and it’s never too late to start!
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never exercised before, or if it’s been a long time since you last did any physical activity, if you’re aged 50+ and would like to stay healthy, happy and strong then take the Merton Moves Pledge! It’s a great way to discover a wealth of new and different activities to keep you well and moving and is completely free of charge.*
A spokesperson from Merton Council said:
“Never has it been more important to get active. Staying healthy increases your resilience against a number of viruses and diseases and most importantly, it makes you feel good!
“In light of COVID-19 restrictions, physical activity is a great way for older people to stay active, whether it be at home, in the garden or at the park and help continue to look after their physical health whilst being COVID-19 safe.
“We very much welcome opportunities for older people in Merton to re-engage with physical activity and encourage everyone to take the Merton Moves pledge and get active.”
For more information, and to sign up, contact Ben by emailing [email protected] or call 020 8946 0735.
*Taking the Merton Moves Pledge and receiving the fitness starter kit is free, however some of the classes or activities you might be signposted to depending on your interests may not be. You will always be given free options and don’t have join anything.
