PICTURED: Bailey interacting with residents. By @block.multimedia, via @bailey_greetham on Instagram.
Having recently been appointed an ambassador for Care England, Bailey Greetham-Clark, founder of Be Great Fitness, is now a driving force when it comes to the promotion of physical activity among care home residents.
The aim of this new partnership is to highlight the importance of exercise in enhancing the well-being, both mentally and physically, of care home residents across the country.
Bailey and Care England are also hoping to engage the younger generation to pursue careers in the care sector.
Founded when Bailey was 17, Be Great Fitness is a well-being and fitness company, that intends to make exercise accessible to everyone.
“At first, I was studying construction. But exercise and boxing helped me out of a dark space and gave me a second chance. Through boxing, a group asked me if I could help them, and I fell in love with helping vulnerable groups,” Bailey told The Mouth.
“I felt that those from vulnerable backgrounds didn’t have proper access to fitness,” Bailey explained. “Now, we’ve been running [Be Great Fitness] for 4 years.”
“We work prominently with care homes, but also adults with autism for sports classes and bringing health and wellbeing support”.
Be Great Fitness has a partnership with Bupa and Tanglewood Care Homes, providing exercise to their residents all across the country. They also work with the NHS, and charities like Age UK and Care England.
Research by Sport England discovered that 42% of over 55’s in the UK are inactive. The NHS states that people over the age of 65 should do a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate activity, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, those who exercise regularly may be up to 20% less likely to develop dementia than those who don’t.
Furthermore, adults keeping active reduces the risk of falls, which is the main cause of death in over 75s, and costs the NHS more than £2.3 billion each year.
When talking about why bringing fitness to the elderly in care homes is important, Bailey said, “It’s all about community building, empowerment, building relationships and connecting – fitness acts as a bridge for that.”
Bailey’s fitness sessions are carefully curated for the residents, based around seated exercise that is accessible to all. These activities focus on improving their circulation, flexibility and strength, while also improving their wellbeing and quality of life.
When asked if he has noticed the impact of Be Great Fitness on residents, Bailey said he has “Massively”.
“We are currently working on a white report with the NHS to measure the impact – mental, physical, and money saved.”
Since starting this journey, Bailey has not only become a key figure in the care sector but has also become a social media sensation.
With 81K followers on TikTok, videos of his work in care homes have amassed hundreds of thousands of likes, and millions of views.
“A recent video I uploaded of me flirting with an older lady, Dorothy, just received 2 million views. It’s insane. There’s been so much support,” Bailey expressed.
Bailey’s most popular video, with 4.3 million views, features him playing a beanbag throwing game with some residents, in which they have to throw their coloured beanbag to the centre of the room when he calls out the matching colour. Although it seems simple, Bailey explains that it tests the resident’s abilities to decipher colour and is great for picking up the early signs of dementia.
“It’s nice to spread awareness. People aren’t nasty old folk – they’re fun, have lives, have jokes to give. I want to show that the older generation and care sector are incredible.”
Over the past four years, Be Great Fitness has grown, in both impact and size.
“I’m proud of the team we’ve built up. They all share my values. I have a team of four that work with me, and I’ve been able to provide them with full-time jobs.”
“We’ve tripled the amount of residents we’ve helped, and tripled the amount of people we work with,” Bailey added.
Speaking about how he keeps himself motivated, he says “Motivation isn’t a question. It’s a mission for me. A calling. I’ve sacrificed friendships, relationships, family relationships for what I do.”