A NEW exercise programme has launched for care home residents.

HowFit - created by doctors, physiotherapists and personal trainers - encourages users to start a plan of simple exercises for a few minutes each day.

The programme has now been rolled out at Charlotte Straker House.

It comes after health and wellbeing manager of Age UK Northumberland, Ann Robinson, carried out an initial assessment on residents to measure their mobility, before leading them in a series of simple exercises.

Residents pretended they were walking to Corbridge - all whilst sat in chairs and wheelchairs - matching and stretching their arms and legs to improve flexibility, strength and balance.

Another assessment will be carried out with the results sent to the NHS North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG as part of a project to measure how simple, regular exercises can improve care home residents’ health and stability.