Latest News

Move it or Lose it! Win Local Business Accelerators Competition

Chosen by a panel of industry experts and senior figures from BPM Media, Move it or Lose it! will now receive a series of mentoring sessions from Tracy Colley, Advertising Director of BPM Media plus free advertising in the Birmingham Mail and Solihull News. Move it or Lose it! were shortlisted from hundreds of applicants to present their business to a panel of judges including Birmingham Post editor Alun Thorne, BMP Media director Tracy Colley, Aston Reinvestment Trust chief executive Dr Steve Walker, CBI regional director Richard Butler and Jenny Stokes from Bournville College. The panel were impressed with the enthusiasm and entrepreneurship of the Move it or Lose it! team and the originality of the idea. Now the LBA project can provide support to help the company grow and spread the message to a wider audience to change the perception of exercise for older people.

Just What You've Been Waiting For...

Move it or Lose it! Routine 2 is ready to launch. Following the success of Routine 1 and with the support of Professor Janet Lord* this new DVD combines both seated and standing exercises to offer progression for people who are ready to get on their feet and also allows people of different abilities to workout together. The cast of five - whose ages total 360 years - are positive proof of the benefits of exercise. Between them they have overcome heart attacks, cancer and joint replacements yet have amazing energy and enthusiasm for life. The hour long programme set to specially composed music combines exercises to improve strength, joint stability, flexibility and balance along with more active aerobic routines for cardiovascular health. In recent months specialist instructor Julie Robinson has been choreographing and trialling the routines with hundreds of her class members and their response is a resounding thumbs up saying how invigorated and uplifted it made them feel. Now it's time to spread the Move it or Lose it! message further afield to motivate everyone to get active and feel better. *Professor Janet Lord is a highly respected academic and scientist at University of Birmingham, Director of the Centre for Healthy Ageing and an advocate of the Move it or Lose it! principle.

Spreading The Move it or Lose it! Message

Julie Robinson is no stranger to public speaking having given hundreds of talks in her role as an inspirational fundraiser for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and running a very successful voluntary group in her spare time. Now Julie is bringing her unique blend of expertise, energy and enthusiasm to spread the Move it or Lose it! message to inspire people to see what they can achieve whatever their age or ability. Having already given many talks to local groups such as The National Osteoporosis Society, Stroke Club, M.E. Support, Ability not Disability, Breathe-Easy and many residential homes, Julie has been asked to talk at the Age Well Conference for Older People and Researchers at University of Birmingham on 20th September. As Julie has been teaching exercise to people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses for several years she has been asked by Macmillan Mesothelioma UK to give a talk and demonstration at their 6th annual conference in London on 1st October. "Research proves that exercise is vital even for those with chronic conditions and cancer; my challenge is to make it easy enough to do and fun enough to want to do it often. That way people are more inclined to keep it up as they soon see the benefits it can bring," says Julie.

Active Ageing Seminar

Julie Robinson represented Move it or Lose it! at this year’s seminar organized by the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health, Vida Wellness and Later Life Training. There were presentations covering the changing landscape of PCTs, marketing to an older population, consumer buying power, new physical activity guidelines for older people, supporting older peoples activity programmes and age friendly exercise equipment. Networking with other professionals, Julie was thrilled with their positive response to the Move it or Lose it! DVD as an additional resource to encourage frequent activity for older adults.

Falls Awareness Week

Hundreds of people came to The Mall in Sutton Coldfield to find out what active steps can be taken to help prevent falls. Many joined in the Move it or Lose it! exercise demonstrations, others gathered information from the NHS Falls Prevention Team and the National Osteoporosis Society. As every year, more than three million people aged over 65, including half of those aged 80+, have a fall, we hope that by raising awareness we can save people suffering the consequences which can be devastating, both physically and emotionally. The feedback we received shows how well received this was with particular mention to the lively atmosphere and fun that was had exercising to music. Thanks to everyone who joined in, particularly Heather who entertained us with her version of YMCA with pompoms!

New Guidelines for Older Adults

The four Chief Medical Officers (CMO) have published new physical activity guidelines for older people who should try to achieve 150 minutes – (two and half hours) – each week of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (and adults should aim to do some physical activity every day). Muscle strengthening activity should also be included twice a week. Chair aerobics are specifically mentioned as good examples of activities that meet the guidelines. Find out more: http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/userfiles/Documents/factsheetolderadults.pdf

Move it or Lose it! Routine 2 filmed

Filming of Move it or Lose it! Routine 2 took place on 8th July – the cast (whose years total 360) were amazing and approached the day as they do their life, with boundless optimism and determination. This offers people the opportunity to exercise seated or standing so it is suitable for a wide range of abilities – watch this space for launch date expected in August.