Nick Wezenbeek has been giving exercise classes and nutrition workshops to the over50s since early 2019. His goal: to keep their muscles, resistance and fitness up to scratch. His company CleverMove, based in the Starthub, used to provide fitness classes in the Thuis Wageningen building and in a park in the Noordwest neighbourhood. But in response to the lockdown, Wezenbeek switched to online exercise classes and workshops, which he records in the Starthub studio in Plus Ultra II.
Wezenbeek studied Nutrition and Health in Wageningen and then did research for the department of Human Nutrition on strength training and nutrition for the elderly. He used the knowledge he gained to put together a tailored fitness and nutrition programme. Next year, he and a postdoc from Human Nutrition will supervise two nutrition students who will study the effectiveness of his online programme.
I focus specifically on the over-50s so they can exercise with others their age at their own level
In the past year, CleverMove has provided guidance for about 60 older adults. Wezenbeek thinks CleverMove has added value compared to a standard gym. ‘I have used scientific knowledge about exercise and nutrition for seniors as the basis for the structure and intensity of the programmes. Also, I focus specifically on the 50-plus demographic so they can exercise with others their age at their own level in a home environment, with a lot of personal attention.