Just moving for half an hour from your living room? Elly Oosterman makes it possible. She gives online exercise classes every week. Why online and not in a place where you gather? Because some people are homebound. This way they can still participate.
Monday, April 7 is World Health Day. Exercising daily is good for our health. Elly has been giving exercise classes with great pleasure for 37 years. Now she does it at the InMovement foundation. Exercise is healthy. It ensures that you feel good and are more often cheerful. I go to the Community Center in Rozenburg for the training, put on my sports clothes, grab some equipment, and then log in on Zoom. Anyone who wants to participate can log in online via a link. This way, people who would otherwise be less likely to exercise can join and move.
Looking after the grandchildren
During the COVID period, InMovement started online exercise classes. It worked so well that we kept those classes. Because for many people it is a solution, Elly explains. This way we make sports accessible to people who cannot leave the house. For example, because they have to look after their grandchildren. Or because the participants cannot walk well and can still be active with others in this way.
For all ages
Everyone can join. It is free and the age of the participants varies greatly. Some are in their late 20s, others in their 80s. The oldest participant I know is 87. There are enthusiastic participants who are there every week. Sometimes new people join and others drop out after a while. But there is always a large group of participants.
Bending and tying shoelaces
The classes help people become and stay more active. We do balance exercises and train the muscles. People notice through the exercises that they can bend better and even tie their shoelaces again. We start standing with a warm-up. We also use materials such as elastics, weights, and balls. The last quarter of an hour we do strength exercises on a chair. Dont have weights? A water bottle works just fine. And if it doesnt work well with weights, it can also be done without.
A glimpse into someones life
What do I like the most? That people chat before the class. They know each other and have fun. After the class, I always see thumbs up. Thats great to see. I also like that you get a glimpse into someones living room and living situation. At the end of the training, the grandchildren of one of the participants also appear on screen. Her eight-month-old grandson grows every time. Everyone sees it and reacts: “Oh, how big he has become again!” That grandma cannot go outside to exercise, so she participates at home.
The social aspect is important. If you dont log in once, you are missed. That feeling of connection makes it different than exercising with a video or on TV. You really do it together.
Join a class
InMovement offers even more training. Because health insurer VGZ and the municipality of Rotterdam provide subsidies, InMovement can offer these classes to all Rotterdammers for free.
Ellys classes are on Monday from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM. And on Wednesday from 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM. Would you like to join an exercise training with Elly? Then check Online Exercise.. Link opens an external page
More information
World Health Day is about all forms of health: physical, mental, and social. Under the name ‘Feeling Good!’, extra attention is being paid during the week of World Health Day to everything Rotterdam has to offer in terms of health. There are various activities in the neighborhoods. Curious? Then check the page Feeling Good.