Health team providing helping hand for vulnerable people during lockdown

To support our community in the coming weeks and with more and more people having to self-isolate due to the COVID-19 virus, Leeds Rhinos Foundation are creating online resources and making sure to keep in touch with the vulnerable people we work with.

During this period of staying at home, it’s vital to stay active and look after our physical and mental wellbeing, with the charity’s Health Improvement Officer Amy Livingstone outlining the ways in which people can do this and how the Foundation will also be lending a helpful hand to keep spirits up and point them in the right direction.

“It’s really important to try maintain a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition, regular physical activity and things which keep us positive and engaged at a time like this,” explained Livingstone.

“Exercising releases feel good hormones which hopefully makes this time a little more bearable, and for those perhaps working at home then it will aid your memory and boost your concentration when you get back to it, as well as keeping you fit and well.

People might also be experiencing all kinds of different thoughts at the moment and it’s absolutely understandable if you feel more anxious. I think it’s key that we look after our mental health just as much as we would with our physical health right now.

“We could maybe turn this extra free time into a positive by setting yourself small goals to achieve instead- whether that’s cutting out your sugar, doing a physical activity or learning a new skill.

“There’s a range of resources you can use, not just through the guidance we’ll be providing through our social media channels but from our partners such as Mindwell, and the information from the Public Health campaigns such as Change4Life and Every Mind Matters. At the end of the day, we want to make sure you’re receiving the most current, accurate guidance which you can follow correctly.

Every week, the Foundation’s Health team supports a variety of elderly and vulnerable people through our various community programmes, ranging from Active Beyond Cancer to Rhinos Active Social. There has been particular concern for these groups, with Amy key to make sure that the team remains in contact and provides as much support as possible to them during this time.

“We’ve been developing some chair-based workout content for these people to try, especially through the #ActiveAtHome programme we’re launching with the RFL. We’ve also had weekly phone calls and conversations to give them some advice and check they’re ok, and through our website we’ll be doing what we can because we’re still here to help.

Click below to watch the full interview with Amy through our official YouTube channel. 

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