Fun, food and fitness for over-50s

Fitness, Food and Friends is a new online way to enjoy having a chat, taking part in virtual fitness sessions, and cooking up some great food. If you are over 50 but don’t have a device to join in, the organisers can help you with that too!

Prior to the onset of coronavirus, the Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure & Culture ran physical Fitness, Food and Friends sessions across East Lindsey – they were part-way through a series in Sutton-on-Sea and Binbrook when the first lockdown hit last March.

Supported by the National Lottery Community Funded T.E.D. programme, (Talk, Eat and Drink Ageing Better in East Lindsey), they are designed to ensure everyone can take part.

People are guided through easy-to-follow and simple recipes by nutritionist Marko Humphrey whilst colleague Erica Bowering encourages people to join in fun games and chair-based activities to keep them moving, healthy and happy. Friends are also made along the way.

Lockdown numbers one and two have stopped the physical sessions but that’s not prevented the Magna Vitae team from reaching out with exercises, recipes and weekly quizzes online on the organisation’s own Facebook page.

And now Marko and Erica have a room at Alford Hub’s Virtual Community Centre, which people can enter via the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/alfordhubvcc for weekly Fitness, Food and Friends sessions.

They start on Thursday, February 4, at 2pm.

If you are aged over 50, Magna Vitae, supported by Lincs Digital, can also supply and set-up electronic tablets for those without computers or laptops. This is thanks to funding secured from the Altogether programme, which is part of the National Lottery’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund.

Looking forward to the events, Marko said there would be some great positives to Fitness, Food and Friends going virtual.

“When the first lockdown happened, we acted quickly to make sure we were supporting those who needed us, with wellbeing calls over the phone and yes, some people were struggling, and we were fortunately able to support them. On the positive side too, we made stronger connections with those people then we would have perhaps done with the regular sessions,” he said.

“It is fantastic that we can now expand Fitness, Food and Friends in this way and the beauty of virtual is we can welcome people from anywhere in East Lindsey, not just those in Alford.

Of course, we are also able to offer devices for those who may be reading this and don’t have access to a tablet. If that’s the case please get in touch as you don’t have to miss out,” he added.

To ask about a tablet or for more information please call Marko on 07767 664186.