Run regularly to see an isolated older person

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Over a million older people in the UK are always or often lonely, some go for months without seeing friends or family. Visiting an older person as part of your weekly run can make a huge difference to their life.

Increase your motivation to exercise

Make a difference to someone's life

Make a connection and feel great

How it works

We call the older people we visit coaches because they help motivate us to run and they share their wisdom. It's amazing what you can learn from your coach. Coach runs can be fit around your schedule and don’t need to take up more than 20 minutes of your time per week.

1
Run there

2
Hang out

3
Run back


39,049
coach runs

Find a coach near you

I really enjoy getting to know my coach, she's such a live wire, so full of stories and keen to hear about my life too. Oh and she keeps me fit too!

Sharon - Coach Runner

Get involved

Join GoodGym to get coach verified so you can start running to a coach.
It's simple and we'll guide you through every step.

Becoming coach verified

We work to make GoodGym as safe as possible. Part of this involves you providing references, doing a short online training module and getting a background check.

Getting verified only takes a few hours of your time over 2 weeks.

Join GoodGym

Meet our coaches and runners

Wondering what it’s like to visit one of our coaches? Here are some of the stories that have come out of the relationships between GoodGym GoodGymers and older people.

I was very lonely. You've opened up a whole new world to me. Being a runner's coach is wonderful. They've given me the confidence to get out there again.

I’ve never been a morning exerciser. Being paired up with Connie has given me that motivation to start the day with a run. Getting to know her has been a breeze compared to the run there!"

The first question Flo asks me every Friday morning when I turn up at her flat is, “Do you know me?" This is then normally followed by “How did you know I was here?”.

More stories

What people say about our community

Evening Standard
"If you're lacking motivation when it comes to fitness, why not get fit by accident?"
The Guardian
"GoodGym offers an imaginative alternative to conventional gyms, tapping into the human potential of local communities."
The Independent
"Why burn energy in the gym when you could harness that effort to spruce up public spaces, or visit lonely pensioners?"
Financial Times
"The World's most innovative Aging projects."
Time Out London
"An inspired way to experience the feelgood factor."

Frequently asked questions

If you have any questions please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help.
coachteam@goodgym.org - 020 3642 0997

What's expected of me?

20 mins once a week. You can still miss visits if you’re on holiday or ill but you should be there more often than not.

How much does it cost?

GoodGym is free. Most of us make a monthly donation to help cover the cost of running our charity, but no one has to.

What is involved?

Online training, DBS check and phone call with our team. This takes about two hours over 2 weeks.

Get involved

Find a coach near you

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