Flamingo Challenge

Thank you for completing the #FlamingoChallenge!

If you’re looking for ways to improve your strength and fitness, you’re off to a flying start.

From Pilates to pickleball, salsa class or seated yoga. Our partners in Suffolk and Essex can point you to activity groups and sessions in your local area. Browse their websites to find an activity that suits your schedule and that you’ll look forward to week after week.

Go on, time to shake your tail feathers.

Pass on the challenge

Why not pass the challenge on to someone else? Share our video on Facebook or Twitter, tag your friends and send us your videos!

#FlamingoChallenge

Transcript of #FlamingoChallenge video

Could you stand like a flamingo?

Weird question. But your answer could tell a lot about your general health and fitness.

You should be able to stand on one leg continuously for:

1 minute if you’re aged 18 to 49 (but why not aim for 2 minutes!). At least 40 seconds if you’re 50-59. 35 seconds if you’re 60-69. 20 seconds if you’re aged 70 to 79 and 5 seconds if you’re aged 80 and above.

If you can’t manage last the whole time, we have some tips on how to boost your strength and mobility.

Ready to take the test?

Firstly, make sure somebody is with you, that you’re in a clear area and that you’re wearing suitable footwear. If you feel unsteady or unwell at any time, stop the test.

OK, here are the rules. Keep your eyes open and your hands on your hips. Stand on one leg without any other support. Time starts when your foot leaves the ground and stops when you put your foot back down, or take your hands off your hips.

See if you can maintain the pose for your age category. And even if you’re feeling confident – don’t try to maintain the pose for any longer than two minutes. If you found it easy – why not try the other leg? Good luck!

Pass the flamingo challenge to someone you know and tag us in your videos. You can get more information about the flamingo challenge and how to improve your fitness at: suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/flamingo

Sport England

The Sport England website has a huge directory of activities you can enjoy at home as well as out and about. Looking to set a firm goal? They also have a list of fitness challenges to get your beak stuck into.

Visit Sport England

We Are Undefeatable

“We Are Undefeatable” is a movement supporting people with a range of long term health conditions to enjoy the benefits of physical activity. The We Are Undefeatable website has lots of tips and resources to support and encourage finding ways to be active that work for you and your health condition.

Learn more about We Are Undefeatable

Activities near you

Find a way to get fit and have fun in your community. Below, you’ll find some organisations that provide health and fitness classes and facilities. Please note that some are free and others come at a cost.

Get active in Essex

Find an activity in Essex that suits your age, interests and budget, with the Active Essex Activity Finder.
The Find Your Active ‘Able like Mabel’ resources are a series of movements to do whilst at home and to introduce during your normal daily routine. Regardless of your age, these simple movements will support you in completing every day jobs, and help keep you steady, strong and able – all with the aim to ensure you can enjoy your life now, and in your years to come.
Age Well East collate a list of local events for older people, including seated exercise classes with the Alzheimer’s Society.
Dance Network East offer a range of programmes for adults and children.
The Strength and Balance Service, run by North East Essex Community Services, is available at locations in Colchester, Clacton and Harwich.
Sport For Confidence sessions, held at Clacton Leisure Centre and Colchester Leisure World, help you to safely integrate exercise into your life. To self-refer yourself to this service, please email info@sportforconfidence.com

Find an activity with Active Essex

Transcript of Find an activity with Active Essex video

Hi I’m Ian Duggan from active Essex
We have a project called finder active, it celebrates that everybody can be active in their own way and just finding what works for you
Anything from walking groups, cycling, swimming, just to moving a little bit more
So go to our webpage and look for our finder active activity finder for lots of opportunities

Get active in Suffolk

The Get Help to Get Active scheme, run by Feel Good Suffolk, helps people with long-terms conditions to access physical activity. The team provide you with the tools and information you need to gradually increase your activity levels safely and effectively.
Wellbeing Walks are led by trained volunteers and take place across Suffolk. Routes are planned to provide varying levels of challenge, so you can choose a walk to suit your abilities. Joining a walk in free and open to everybody.
The Active Wellbeing Service is designed to support older adults (50+) who are currently inactive to find physical activity that suits their needs.
ActivLives is a Suffolk-based charity that hosts community sports, fitness and wellbeing sessions such as balance classes, singing groups and gardening clubs.
Places Leisure, Abbeycroft Leisure, Mid Suffolk Leisure and Ipswich Fit offer a mix of free and paid-for leisure facilities and classes in locations across Suffolk.
Suffolk FA supports grassroots football in Suffolk.
Livability Icanho we specialise in supporting adults affected by personal injury.
Communities Together host the following sessions at The Michael Burke Wellbeing Centre, Hartismere Hospital, Eye. Sessions take place from 10am-12pm. Call 01449 707030 to book your place.
– OTAGO sessions which use seated exercises to improve strength and balance. Sessions take place on the second Thursday on every month.
– Boccia sessions on the fourth Thursday on every month. Boccia is a chair-based sport similar to bowls and pétanque.

Find an activity with Active Suffolk

Transcript of Find an activity with Active Suffolk video

Hi I’m Georgie from active Suffolk and if you’re looking to improve your general fitness and strength and balance,
come take a look at our website it’s www.activesuffolk.org
On our website you can find things like our fitness mots, they’re a great way for you to
test yourself at home see what your strength and balance is like and lots of exercises that you can
do without any equipment and you can even get your friends and family to join in as well and see if
you can test each other against each other
If you want to find things that are going on in your
local community you can find those throughout the website as well and there’s lots of different
classes including otago and strength and balance across Suffolk that are available for you to access

Send us your videos

Have you taken the challenge? We’d love to share your videos. Send them to us via email at comms@snee.nhs.uk or tag us on Facebook or Twitter.

Facebook

Ipswich and east Suffolk: facebook.com/sneeicb.ies
North east Essex: facebook.com/sneeicb.nee
West Suffolk: facebook.com/sneeicb.westsuffolk

Twitter

Ipswich and east Suffolk: @SNEEICB_IES
North east Essex: @SNEEICB_NEE
West Suffolk: @SNEEICB_WS