Gideon Remfry on the Auriens approach to wellness

What can new residents expect when they first meet with the Kyros team?

When new residents arrive, they typically fall into one of two camps.  They tend to either be interested in living well but don’t exercise regularly or are committed to active ageing with an existing exercise regimen. But retirement is a great time to look again at your overall health and to gently introduce some exercise to your daily routine.

Whatever your fitness level, the first thing we do is to a wellness consultation.  Residents are sent a form in advance to fill in which includes their medical history and their overall health including any injuries.  Importantly we also ask them to write down their goals and what they want to achieve.

The assessment lasts about an hour and includes finger prick test for cellular stress and antioxidants as well as a comprehensive body composition. This is followed by a second appointment with Holly, our physio, which looks at movement and any difficulties a resident may have.

Can you tell us more about the six-week programme that is offered to new residents?

After the assessment, we create a bespoke programme for each resident that typically includes one personal training session and one class per week.  We also offer two healthy smoothies each week which are tailored to the residents’ specific needs such as a protein smoothie or a sleep shot which aids sleep and inflammation.

Each programme is created specifically for the individual resident.  For example, if someone enjoys pilates, we include pilates sessions. At the end of the six weeks, we repeat the wellness assessment and look at what’s working.

What sort of results have you seen?

We’ve seen some great results. One resident was initially reluctant to go to the gym. But she started her six-week programme and we saw their cell stress reduce significantly. They also lost 2cm from their waist and gained about ½ kilo of muscle. Most importantly, we managed to equalise a muscle discrepancy which allowed them to walk without a stick for the first time in a number of years.

What sort of classes are offered at Auriens Chelsea?

We have a range of classes on offer from a group strength class to guided breath work practice and mediation. The mediation class is great for helping to improve symptoms around breathing, reducing stress and geting people to relax. This is particularly important for those who have just moved in as moving can be a stressful experience.

Finally, what would you say to anyone who’s hesitant to step foot in a gym?

Firstly, we are not a bootcamp and no one is going to be shouting at you to move faster.  Our approach to wellness is very gentle and not at all aggressive. It’s about making small changes and offering residents the support and expertise that they need. We’ve seen improvements in all our residents with increased mobility and reduced cell stress markers. But we’ve also seen people’s mood lift too. The last few years have been tough for a lot of people so both the exercise classes and the pampering treatments we offer in the spa can really help people to feel and look better.