For many nursing home residents, mobility ends at the door – with consequences for physical and mental activity. Independent bike tours are no longer an option. There are two providers from the Netherlands who connect exercise bikes and ergometers to large screens. Anyone who pedals travels virtually on international city tours.
Many seniors enjoy being able to get around independently again, move around and even make their own decisions. You quickly start talking to each other about well-known sights. Meanwhile, if things are going well, the nursing staff has a break.
- When filmed bike rides are shown on the screen, seniors train more intensively on the ergometer or exercise bike.
- Attractive city tours, some with turn-by-turn options, are particularly stimulating and promote the spirit.
- You can also take individual tours with little effort; Memories come back during virtual flying visits to familiar places.
With the help of supporters, such virtual excursions become a journey into one’s own past and long-buried memories. An East Frisian club shows how personal bicycle tours can be brought onto the screen. There we received valuable tips for imitation.
That was the excerpt from our heise-Plus article “How virtual bike tours encourage seniors to exercise more on the exercise bike”. With a heise Plus subscription you can read the entire article.
