How to persuade my Nana to bend in half more?

[anitagreen]

My Nana is in her late 70s, now all of sound mind and quite good health, but she doesn't go anywhere anymore, I know she does want to go places and her friends encourage her to go out but she just doesn't, I'm trying to help her become more bendy and agree to more things I can't remember the bloody word I'm looking for so apologies about the bendy stuff my mind has gone blank
She used to love swimming but it's like she hates other elderly people as they "make her feel old", but she's so bored at home and I don't know what else to do with her ??

Can you go for a walk with her?

Just realised the word I'm looking for is flexible 🤦🏽‍♀️ @marvellousnightforamooncup tried that but she gets bored, she used to enjoy swimming but doesn't go now I jut feel sorry for her doing nothing all day

Flexible? .

Can you go with her the first few times - how about an aqua aerobics class? There’s quite a good range of ages that do classes st my local pool.

@CalamityJane10 that's the one I think she might enjoy that as she did used to love the pool x

You sound absolutely lovely, and it is my favorite thread title for ages!

Supple

Pilates!!!

Pole dancing??

Can she volunteer somewhere locally? Gets her out and make her realise she is still useful.

@Tootyfilou thank you x

Put a £50 note on the floor? I’m sure she would bend for that!

Would she play table tennis? The combination of having to think fast and react fast physically is apparently the best exercise you can take if you’re over 70.

My MIL is the same. She's slightly older but hardly goes out then complains she's bored. She was eventually prescribed anti depressants and improved. But really, she's nervous about being in public now because she hates being old and less able to do things.

Chair yoga? Lovely way to meet other older people too

Sorry nothing to add OP other than I'm howling with laughter and bendy 😂😂

At bendy !! Can't even type laughing too much 😂😂

aqua aerobics, definitely - my mum is in her 80s, they all go off in a minibus, do the aqua aerobics have a coffee then come home
try asking local sports centre what they have on
also, find out if there is an Age UK centre near, they will know what is on
university of the 3rd age, if there is a group locally usually have masses of groups, some very high brow but others just meet to do crosswords or similar
your public library may have activities- many have book clubs that meet there- you borrow the book from the library so no cost, they usually meet during the day so mostly retired people

Loads of more mature women at my local aquafit. I am in my 40s and am usually the youngest by a fair bit

I thought this was going to be about squishing bananas into lunch boxes..

I have no advice re. actual nanas. Ahem. As you were.

I do volunteer work (trainer for a skill) and currently doing lots of sessions for U3A groups across the county. They are a riot- lovely people, some singles, some couples, all interested and interesting. U3A do lots of different types of activities, so she might like to see what’s going on in her area.

There’s a meet up app called meet ups there’s loads of activities locally and it would be people of all ages. Might be worth a try?

Would you offer to go with her? It may help to get her into something

My mum is in her 70s and loves aquarobics. She joined a gym off-peak with her friend.

The friend rarely goes now due to granny nanny duties but my mum has made friends in the group and is very comfortable going alone. As a pp said, they all have coffee together afterwards. She socialises on an evening with people from the group regularly and they're even planning a girly weekend away.

I think it being a gym rather than a public pool has meant the classes are smaller and it tends to be the same people every time so friendships can easily be made. Could that be a possibility? If you went too, perhaps as her guest for a while?

bend in half

What about chair-robics or something similar? Tau chi? Yoga?

@anitagreen Look on you tube for Jane Fonda's Walk it out Workout level 1.

It's a 25 minute aerobic workout with stretching at the end.

She even talks about her hip and knee replacement at the stretching part.

Jane Fonda is very bendy and looks amazing at 81.