Blog for Move it Or Lose it!

As seen on TV…

JulieRobinson — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:50:15 +0000

Following on from the surge in sales after appearing in YOURS magazine, Phil Arkinstall of Ark Media was asked to appear on BBC TV Midlands Today programme. The interview was done during one of Julie Robinson’s exercise classes causing great excitement amongst the regular class members! The cameras captured the action from all angles and their presenter chatted with Beryl and Roger (who appeared in Routine 2) asking how important it was to have this type of exercise for people who can’t get to the gym.

Family and friends of the TV stars were impressed by seeing the action on screen commenting on how it looked like everyone was having fun…which is what Move it or Lose it! is all about. Fingers crossed for more TV appearances to help spread the message and get more people moving so they are fit for life!

New DVD launch

JulieRobinson — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:43:49 +0000

Move it or Lose it! DVD Routine 3 is ready to go and already receiving positive feedback from those who were waiting for the latest addition to our series of exercise DVDs for older people.

We know we need to be active every day to help maintain health, wellbeing and independence. But we also need to incorporate strength training at least twice a week to ensure we don’t lose muscle mass as we age. This needs resistance – carrying bags of shopping, walking up stairs, doing squats! Another method is to use resistance bands and that is the focus of DVD3.

Follow the careful guided instructions and you can learn eight different exercises using the bands to workout upper and lower body, gradually progressing up to a maximum of 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Set in four easy to understand sections and set to classical music this really is a DVD with a difference that can improve your muscle strength and tone.

Move it or Lose it Miracle!

JulieRobinson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:52:48 +0000

I wanted to share this genuine testimonial which was sent from a lady called Louise from West Yorkshire as I am so thrilled to hear what a difference Move it or Lose it is making to people across the UK. These are Louise’s words:

I AM JUST WRITING TO SAY A MASSIVE THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOVE IT OR LOSE IT DVDS . I BOUGHT BOTH DVDS AND THE RESIDENTS OFROSEWOOD COURT(A RETIREMENT APARTMENT COMPLEX) AGED FROM 77 YEARS UP TO 94 ARE ALL IN AWE OF YOU. SOME OF THE RESIDENTS ALREADY CAN SEE AND FEEL A DIFFERENCE AND, EVEN FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE COMMENTED ON HOW GOOD THE EXERCISES HAVE BEEN FOR THEIR PARENTS AND, AS I HAVE BEEN GETTING THE PRAISE I THOUGHT I SHOULD ACTUALLY THANK THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE PEOPLES NEW SELVES! (AFTER ALL MY ONLY SKILL IS USING THE DVD PLAYER)! YOUR DVDS REALLY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE AND IMPROVED THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS AT ROSEWOOD COURT. JIM IS 90 AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET OUT OF HIS CHAIR UNAIDED FOR 7 YEARS BUT HE CAN NOW AND LOVES TO DEMONSTRATE IT TO OTHER RESIDENTS! YOUR DVDS HAVE REALLY GIVEN OLDER PEOPLE A NEW LEASE OF LIFE, IT IS LIKE WATCHING A MIRACLE HAPPEN BEFORE MY EYES SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Move it or Lose it! DVD 3 – coming soon…

JulieRobinson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:48:13 +0000

As part of our ongoing efforts to make exercise fun, beneficial and accessible to all, Move it or Lose it! DVD 3 has now been filmed and will be launched by the end of March 2012.

Guidelines from the Chief Medical Officers of the UK suggest that older adults should include twice weekly strength exercises as part of their activities. This is fine for those who can carry heavy bags of shopping and go to the gym to use weights, but for those who have balance problems, breathlessness or find it difficult to get out and about it’s not so easy.

DVD 3 is aimed at improving muscle strength through using resistance. Each DVD comes with a stretchy exercise band which offers resistance and works different sets of muscles in the upper and lower body. Through repetition and gradual progression real benefits can be achieved – and it’s all done from a chair!

Move it or Lose it! Winners of the LBA Competition

JulieRobinson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:16:30 +0000

Move it or Lose it!

Alzheimer’s and exercise

JulieRobinson — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:45:07 +0000

Firstly congratulations to The Alzheimer’s Society being chosen as one of The Times Christmas charities with pound matching by Tesco up to ?30,000. Having seen firsthand the distress that comes with dementia, both to the sufferer and those around them, it is vital that more research is funded. This is especially important as over the next 40 years incidences of Alzheimer’s are expected to triple according to a report in Lancet Neurology.

So how can we reduce our risk? Adopting a healthy lifestyle is key and this means diet and exercise. The risk factors are stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and depression.

Dr Corbett, research communications manager for the Alzheimer’s Society, says: “More than 13 studies show that exercise can reduce risk by up to 45%. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous…it can involve active walking for around 30 minutes a day. The exercise just has to raise the heartbeat by a little.”

Find out more about how to reduce your risk at

Exercise and osteoporosis

JulieRobinson — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:08:22 +0000

Thanks to the National Osteoporosis Society for their excellent review of Move it or Lose it! in the winter edition of Osteoporosis News, giving us a very pleasing 8/10. Experts advisors – Dr Dawn Skelton, reader in ageing and health at Glasgow Caledonian University and Susan Hayman, a physiotherapist experienced in rehabilitation, elderly care and delivering exercise classes for people with fragile bones – reviewed DVDs and books that can help people to build strong bones at home. They commented,

“This DVD gives good instructions in a great, motivating way. For those new to exercise and those with arthritic pain this is a great start to get you ready for more weight-bearing work in the future. The exercise sequences flow well and the music makes the movement experience enjoyable.”

One in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 in the UK will fracture a bone, mainly due to poor bone health and often a fracture is the first indication that they have osteoporosis. I would highly recommend visiting the NOS website or subscribing to their magazine as it’s packed full of really useful information – www.nos.org.uk

FREE Christmas Gift

JulieRobinson — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:19:06 +0000

I am fully committed to help more people get moving so they can enjoy a better quality of life, whatever their age or ability.

One of the simplest but most effective exercises we can do requires nothing more than a chair and a couple of minutes – the SIT TO STAND. This works the leg muscles that help you walk, get up and downstairs, in and out of the car, even on and off the loo.

Once you learn the technique it’s something you can practice anywhere. Some of my class members cannot even do one of these when they first start, but gradually their ability improves as the muscles strengthen and after six weeks they notice it’s getting easier; after twelve weeks they are thrilled that they can get up and down with far less effort.

You don’t even have to buy the Move it or Lose it! DVDs to join in as you can watch it here for free: http://www.moveitorloseit.co.uk/watchsample.html

If you know someone who is struggling with their mobility, then get them to watch this clip and encourage them to try to do a few every day. It could be the best ‘gift’ you give this Christmas!

Keep your finger on the pulse!

JulieRobinson — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:29:09 +0000

During my exercise classes we usually measure our efforts using the Borg Scale which runs from 1 = very light to 10 = extremely hard to make sure we are working at the right intensity. This is often more effective than taking heart rates if people are taking medication which could affect the result. However it’s vital to know your pulse for another reason.

Just by taking a few seconds to check your pulse could save your life! An irregular pulse could be a sign of atrial fibrillation (AF) which can lead to blood clots entering the circulation. People with AF are five times more likely to have a stroke but the risk is much reduced simply by taking blood thinning anticoagulants.

Usually your pulse should be regular and somewhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute. If it’s not then ask your GP or practice nurse to check it, a quick and painless ECG will give a definite diagnosis. Check out

Motivation to move!

JulieRobinson — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:27:45 +0000

I teach at least eight exercise classes every week to people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. They come along because they want to, because they are keen to maintain or improve their mobility, because they want to stay strong and independent.

Occasionally I am asked to teach people in day centres or community groups who are not so keen to participate as they are there for different reasons, maybe to socialise, play bingo or have lunch. They are not used to exercising and so they are wary of joining in. By asking the ‘reluctant’ to watch and join in if they want to, the pressure is off and inevitably as soon as the music starts the toes start tapping, tunes are hummed, hands start clapping and hey presto they are all moving!

The NHS, British Heart Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support have launched new initiatives to discourage people sitting for long periods; research has shown repeatedly how vital exercise is to improve the quality of life and prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers but finding a way to motivate the ‘unreachables’ is the holy grail. I believe that exercise needs to be easy to do and fun to follow especially at the start – from the simplest of movements we can go slowly forwards to build confidence and go from strength to strength.