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A group aiming to bring laughter, moving and grooving to care homes and islanders with disabilities is appealing for second-hand washing baskets, exercise balls and pool noodles.
Laugh, Move and Grove is a non-profit group which provide charities and organisations around the island with ‘laughter yoga’ classes and seated exercise.
Founded by accountant, Carole Stockill, the origins of the group came after a visit to the UK left her and her cousin startled to discover a brand new activity that got their endorphins going.
"A couple of years ago we went off to England and we went to a health spa and they offered laughter yoga, which we thought was a bit strange, but we thought, 'Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound!'" Carole explained.
When they arrived, they had a realisation: "Oh my goodness, it's so beneficial!"
Pictured: The group at LV Care Home earlier this year.
Carole was inspired to share her experience with islanders, setting up a group that would go out to local charities and organisations and offer sessions.
The practice was founded in 1995 by medical physician Dr Madan Kataria and has now spread around the world, a combination of laughing exercises and breathing practices.
Explaining how it works, she said how it's not telling jokes that gets the giggles going, but rather "breathing properly and tricking your body into laughter."
There's no need for lycra either, as it doesn't require any strenuous physical exertion, and is suitable for all ages to enjoy.
"It's kind of playful exercises... so at the same as time you're exercising, you're stretching, you're also breathing properly from your diaphragm," she said.
"But then you think it's funny, so you bring out the childlike bit of you and before you know it you're releasing all your body's natural morphine, which is endorphins."
She added: "You end up sort of healing your whole body really, because you're moving, you're stretching, you're breathing from your diaphragm, but in the meantime you're having fun so you don't think you're exercising."
Video: LV care home residents do the locomotion.
The volunteer group of five members now works with different charities such as Mencap, as well as working with Care Homes and Carers Jersey (Jersey Association of Carers) and at occasional corporate events to spread the both the joy of laughter as well as wider seated exercise sessions, with Carole being a trained seated exercise tutor.
Speaking about how they have benefitted from 'Laugh, Move and Grove,' Jersey Mencap Manager Alex Wiles, said how the charity's members have enjoyed the lessons, leading to them to do several sessions throughout the year.
"It's got people moving for an hour, it's good exercise, and having a laugh too," she said, noting there have been "lots of belly chuckles" at the sessions.
She added that it has also been a great group activity and helped with members' "social and mental wellbeing", giving them an opportunity to try new and different activities.
Pictured: Mencap members sporting their best 'laughter yoga' grins.
The 'Laugh, Move and Groove' team have added a new aspect to their sessions - cardio drumming (also known as fitness drumming).
It is another form of fun working out that involves getting a smaller version of a yoga ball, putting it in a laundry basket and using a pair of 'drumsticks' - pool noodles in this case - and getting your body to work by banging them.
Wanting to be eco-friendly, the group are hoping to create their cardio drums from pre-loved yoga balls, pool noodles, laundry baskets and an electric pump, to use at the workshop in the next few weeks.
Summing up the joy of the sessions, Carole remembered one of the first times they had visited a care home - "people were a bit nervous about coming in at the start, and we probably had only about 10 people," she said.
However, word (and giggle) of mouth got around, and when they came back for the next session, they were greeted to a much larger number of curious faces looking to give it a try - "[seeing] these little heads poking round the door was so nice!”
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