Exercise classes for the mature aged

Regular exercise for the elderly can have a wide range of health benefits. Improvements in blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and neurocognitive function can all be seen when participating in regular exercise. Exercise can be thought of as like a medication, except it can be free and has no side effects!

We run mature aged exercise classes here at Inspired Physio and they’re a great option for anyone who feels they are:

• Deconditioned and don’t participate in regular exercise normally
• Have a health condition(s) such as diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis etc
• Are in pain and find it difficult to exercise because of this
• Want to become more active but don’t know where or how to start
• Feel like they need some direction and supervision when exercising rather than doing it alone
• Want to exercise with some friendly faces around and in an encouraging and inclusive environment

Our classes focus on a variety of different exercises, all with different goals in mind. These can be grouped in the following way:

1. Strength exercises for the upper body, lower body and core. Strength (also called resistance training) uses bodyweight or weights (such as small dumbbells, ankle weights, therabands etc) to challenge the muscles and improve on their ability to tolerate load. These are done in sitting or standing.
2. Balance exercises. Decreases in your balance are a common occurrence as we age. Unfortunately, if you don’t use it, you lose it – and thus, practicing balance exercises is very important. We can challenge your balance in a variety of ways such as using balance pads, closing your eyes, changing foot positions and moving to single leg positions.
3. Range of motion. Working on opening up your joints and stretching your muscles can be very helpful for the management of pain associated with arthritis and other musculo-skeletal problems.
4. Cardiorespiratory exercises. These exercises are for your heart health and will improve on your lung capacity. A stationary bike, treadmill and arm cycle can all be used within the session as well as marching on the spot, step ups and sit to stands which are also great ways to incorporate cardio into your program.

So if these classes sound suitable for you, or maybe you have a parent in mind who you think will benefit from the above, then give us a call and we would love to find a space for you in our Wednesday morning class which runs from 10:30-11:30am each week!