Best foot forward for health
"Can't" isn't a word in pensioner Philip Broomfield's vocabulary.
Although he's 80, he's an inspiration to the residents and staff at the Bupa Cashmere View Care Home.
To increase exercise and highlight the benefits of walking as part of a healthy lifestyle, both have been putting their best foot forward in support of the 2012 Bupa Global Challenge, Walk to a Well World.
Using a measuring wheel and wearing pedometers to calculate the total number of kilometres covered, the combined efforts of staff and residents is being documented on a graph and put on a map of New Zealand to illustrate how far the total distance covers.
"Most of the residents were taking part in the challenge,'' said activities co-ordinator Debbie Steele.
Mr Broomfield was particularly enthusiastic, she said.
"Although in his 80s, he is encouraging everyone to get up and active. He walks 3-4 kms a day and also does quite a lot of gardening.''
His father Clement Broomfield lived an active life and died this month in the UK aged 103.
Staff and residents are also embracing the opportunity to promote the importance of walking as part of a healthy lifestyle.
"This month they've been walking in the area, accompanied by a local senior walking group. The total distance walked by early last week was 9000km,'' said manager Jan Summerel.
They had a barbecue lunch and loud shirt day on Friday to celebrate their walking success and to raise money for cochlear implants for children with hearing problems.
