Bailey Greetham-Clark, founder and managing director of Be Great Fitness, shares the joy of taking fitness classes into care homes and working out with the residents.
When you think of fitness, where does your mind go?
When I think of fitness, I go to community, rehabilitation, therapy – I think fitness is how we change the world. My love of fitness lies in helping those who might not always be able to help themselves. I’m a qualified PT with five years’ experience working with older adults and people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and autism. I love being able to bring joy through movement to people. To sit, face to face, with an 83-year-old grandparent who has dementia is an opportunity to bring someone’s spark back – to see a smile or a slight movement that they may not have experienced in goodness knows how long.
This line of work does require a certain skill set – patience (a lot of it), determination, compassion and a deep-rooted understanding of those who face daily struggles. When I hire a team member, one of the first things I look for is whether they have a relationship, professional or not, in which they love, look after or work with someone in this demographic. – It may simply be that they are their grandfather’s best mate – but I want to know they have, a passion to create change and facilitate love via movement and exercise.
Getting started; taking fitness classes into care homes
Let’s talk qualifications. To start, I like to make sure my team is at least qualified in some form of chair-based exercise. After the required fitness and PT qualifications, for me, the most important skill/qualification is people skills – if you can engage, talk to and banter with your target group, you’re unstoppable. I’ve sat down with the prime minister himself (pre-election) and a 105-year-old ex-code breaker who pushed us through WW2 and it’s the same concept, different folk. What I’m getting at is that it’s people skills that will take you far, especially with the older demographic.
There are some limitations to working with this group. Don’t go in thinking you’ll be using dumbbells, skipping ropes and yoga mats (not in the first place anyway – we can build up to that). Exercising with this group requires you to err on the side of caution, find your clients’ limits and build them up, SLOWLY, GENTLY and IN THEIR TIME. Once you know who you’re working with and you have a feel for the kind of work you’ll be doing, the limitations become fewer, and the creativity can be increased. I often start with gentle resistance band exercise.
When working with a group, you need to consider everyone’s abilities while also ensuring nobody feels left out or like it’s either A) too easy (can put people off joining your class) or B) too hard (can have a similar outcome to A). The secret to the sweet spot in which everyone is happy lies in your equipment. Doing resistance bands? Make sure you have a range of difficulties in that brand-new kit bag you bought especially for this job! This way, everyone is doing the same exercises (no one feels left out) and experiencing their own varying challenges based on the strength of their bands.
Programming for care home classes
The first rule of programming for older adults? Ditch your ego. This is not about burpees or box jumps. It is about creating a space where someone feels safe, seen and a little bit excited, even if they haven’t felt that way since ABBA last topped the charts.
Start with a warm-up. Not just flailing your arms about for a few seconds – I mean an actual five to 10 minutes of joint mobilisation, gentle marching, maybe a fun game or memory challenge thrown in to engage both body and brain. Then move into some strength-based work. Bands are your best mate here (as we have already discussed). Think seated rows, shoulder presses, sit to stands if they are able. It is the functional stuff that matters. Every movement should link back to something they need in real life. Getting out of a chair, reaching for a shelf, walking to the loo safely.
End on a cool-down. Soothing music, deep breaths, a few lovely stretches. Neck, wrists, hips. Always hips. Maybe a moment of reflection or a group chat. Sometimes the chat is the most important bit.
Keeping it safe
I know some of you will be reading this thinking “but what if something goes wrong?” and fair enough. When you are working with vulnerable populations, you have to be covered: Legally, ethically, financially.
First up, insurance. You need it. End of. Public liability and professional indemnity at the very least. If you are self-employed, go get that sorted now. If you are working under someone else, check what is covered and what is not.
Second, health screening. Now, the old-school PAR-Q forms are pretty much ancient history and not always the best fit for older adults with health conditions. Instead, take a practical, person-centred approach. Chat with the individual or their carer to understand any medical issues, limitations or concerns. Sometimes a quick conversation can tell you way more than a checklist. Of course, if someone has complex or unstable health conditions, it’s always wise to encourage them to check in with their GP before starting any new exercise. But don’t let paperwork be a barrier to getting people moving.
Third, safeguarding and first aid. These are absolutely essential. You must have up-to-date training and be DBS checked if you are working in care settings. Not because something bad will happen, but because you need to be ready if it does.
And finally, never forget consent. Every movement, every stretch, every activity needs to be offered, never forced. Empowerment over enforcement. That is the real magic.
At the end of the day, we are not just trainers. We are lifters of spirits, bringers of joy and holders of space for the people who actually built the world we live in. The least we can do is help them move through it with a bit more ease.
Discover more related to this topic, with Tim Webster who writes about working with stroke survivors.
Bailey Greetham-Clark
Bailey Greetham-Clark, Founder of Be Great Fitness, is a qualified Level 3 Personal Trainer specialising in seated exercise for older adults. Passionate about promoting vitality and reducing fall risks, Bailey launched Be Great Fitness during the pandemic to provide fitness access to vulnerable communities. Now a growing organisation, it delivers innovative, inclusive programmes to care homes across the UK. Bailey is also an advocate for social care reform and frequently speaks on the benefits of fitness in care.
