Coronavirus: Trainer gets entire street involved in lockdown fitness sessions
One elderly resident taking part in the sessions says she is getting to know neighbours she has never spoken to before.
Saturday 18 April 2020 22:43, UK
Residents of a street in northeast London are getting to know each other for the first time by taking part in fitness sessions outside their front doors.
Elyse Blemmings, who is known as the Mancunian Motivator because she is originally from Manchester, began hosting sessions for her street in Chigwell, after her neighbours spotted her working out during the coronavirus lockdown and wanted to join in.
The 31-year-old started out with two sessions last week, which were joined by several of her elderly neighbours as well as by children as young as five.
She has since gone on to get a large group of people involved.
Before the COVID-19 crisis forced many people indoors, apart from one session of exercise a day, Ms Blemmings helped run a club which aimed to provide a "physical solution to mental health" problems.
Margaret Lakey, 79, has lived on the street for 50 years and says the workout sessions in her street have helped bring the community together.
"It's just fun and one of the most important things is... we've got to know neighbours that we don't really know," she said.
"We're waving, aren't we, to neighbours we've never spoken to before."
Tony Aitken, 72, added: "It's good for everyone's spirits, old or young. We're at the older age and the young ones are out as well."
"It's brought back, I suppose, what everyone's feeling, a big sense of community spirit," she said.
Ms Blemmings, who usually streams her workout sessions online, says the routines will help to improve the fitness and wellbeing of those in her community.
"They know they're going to get their heart rate lifted, they're going to have some endorphins and they're going to go back in their house and say 'I feel better today' rather than just going through the same monotonous routine," she said.
The fitness instructor, who according to her Facebook page works for Nuffield Health, has been trying to organise community fitness sessions since the lockdown began on 23 March.
On Thursday, the restrictions were extended for at least three weeks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Blemmings says she wants to keep up her street fitness sessions for as long as they are wanted.
"I think it's going to be very hard to go back to absolutely normal when people have been outside doing jumping jacks in front of each other. Let's be honest, everyone looked ridiculous today," she said.
"So if they go back to just ignoring each other, that's just weird."