How Warrior Generation Fitness is transforming wellbeing in communities and workplaces!
Warrior Generation Fitness is helping people of all ages and abilities get moving, socialise, and feel better, whether it be in community halls, offices, or even from a chair.
We spoke to founder Ema Devereaux to find out more.
Warrior Generation Fitness is a unique concept. How did it begin?
It all started during the COVID lockdown. I had been running classes before at various venues, but everything had to stop with the pandemic. When restrictions eased and the rule of six came in, I restarted with small outdoor sessions at home.
The people who came along were a real mix of ages and abilities.
Some didn’t want to get down on the floor, some preferred low impact movement, while others wanted something more challenging and were up for high impact. That is when it really clicked, I realised everyone could take part in the same class, we just needed to adapt it to the individual.
Tell us about your sessions, starting with Armchair Warriors.
Armchair Warriors is our most popular class. It’s a community-based session, there’s no age limit, and the name was inspired by the idea of getting people out of their armchairs and moving more.
Although the classes were originally aimed at those over 50, we quickly found they attracted a much wider audience. This included younger individuals that could be recovering from injury or surgery, people living with mental health challenges, and anyone just looking to ease themselves back into regular activity. Everyone can join in, either standing or seated, depending on their ability.
We run classes across North Tyneside and Northumberland and will be expanding into other areas this year.
How do you support businesses and employee wellbeing?
For this we have our Office Warriors sessions. Some of the worst culprits for prolonged sitting are office workers. We focus on posture and getting people out of that hunched position and away from the keyboard. We work on mobility, gentle movement, and breaking up long periods of sitting to reduce issues like back, neck and shoulder pain, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
The sessions are low impact, we’re not trying to make people sweaty for going back to work, but we get the blood flowing and encourage movement and educate people on what stretches they should be doing whilst sitting at their desks and how often they should be getting up and moving.
Sitting is the new smoking, and it carries many of the same risks.
Are the sessions an enjoyable way to keep fit?
Our classes are designed to be fun. Two of our other community classes are Boogie Warriors and Rodeo Warriors, which are both dance inspired and low impact. Rodeo Warriors (Line dancing) is our newest class, launching on May 13th at Shiremoor Community Association Centre, we are offering both morning and evening classes to suit everyone and these classes are also available for private bookings and corporate events. We also offer a Water Warriors class, a low impact aqua therapy session aimed at people with hip and knee replacements.
Do you support people in other ways too?
Our instructors are passionate about what they do and tailor exercises to suit different abilities and age groups. They take time to chat with participants and build relationships. For some of our older attendees, we even carry out informal welfare checks if they miss a class.
We also host social events where people from all sessions can come together. Our next event is the Warriors Summer Social.
What kind of feedback do you receive?
The feedback has been incredible. Some of the comments we hear include:
“I am not out of breath when I get to the top of the stairs now.”
“I can finally touch my toes.”
“Every business needs this.”
Is there a membership fee or an expectation to block book?
No. There are no sign-up fees, no subscriptions, and no requirement to attend every week. Prices are kept low in our community classes thanks to support from local charities and organisations.
To find your nearest class or bring Warrior Generation Fitness into your community or workplace, you can get in touch via our social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin) or by contacting us directly via info@warriorgeneration.co.uk
0774 555 3573 www.warriorgeneration.co.uk
Warrior Generation is also looking for additional instructors who want to expand their existing schedule and become part of the team.
Anyone interested is encouraged to get in touch.