HAPPY time in the gym adds strength to the bonds created by the over-55s Living Longer, Living Stronger classes at Essence Fitness in Claremont.
“I can now stand in the shower and balance on one foot with my eyes shut since I’ve been coming here,” class attendee Lindsay Foster (88) said.
The classes at the stand-alone, 17-year-old local gym were some of the first set up for seniors to improve strength, balance, aerobic capacity and general fitness about 10 years ago in Perth.
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READ NOW“Nearly all our clients are from Nedlands and Claremont, but they come from further for the Living Longer, Living Stronger sessions,” gym manager Mike Price said.
The attendees participate in 30-minutes of group exercise, before each has 30-minutes of personal activities. The oldest to participate was a 96-year-old woman last year, but most are aged in their 70s.
Life outside of the gym also grows.
“I can balance and walk, and it’s social as we often go for coffee down the road,” Claremont’s Bev Harper (76) said.
Attendees must have their GP’s approval to participate and they are assessed by gym staff before any personal fitness program.