The ENJOY Impact seniors program attracts a crowd each Friday morning.
Photo by
Billie Davern
Tucked away in Chittick Park is a lime green and black structure that looks little more than playground equipment.
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However, according to Libby Delbridge and the six or so other seniors who attend the park every Friday morning, the benefits of using the structure are astounding.
Facilitated by Mitchell Shire Council, the ENJOY Impact seniors program offers older people in the region free outdoor fitness sessions.
Led by a team of volunteers who have undergone training by qualified instructors, the program is produced in partnership with the National Ageing Research Institute and has been designed to deliver positive outcomes for seniors who may struggle with mobility and flexibility.
While much of the equipment may look simple in nature, with the structure made up of steps, bars and rocky bridges similar to what one would find on a children’s playground, the benefits lie in how the attendees use it.
Volunteer Christa Crowe said she had seen first-hand the improvement it had made to the people coming consistently each week.
“The main goal is to improve their mobility and stability,” Ms Crowe said.
“It’s technically called a seniors’ exercise, because it is designed for older people so that they can maintain mobility — but it’s really for all age groups.
“Everyone that has done the program has seen a drastic improvement — they’ve strengthened their ability to get up and down, to not fall, to have that stability; it makes a big difference.”
Attendees said that it’s not just about using the equipment, but how you used it.
Photo by
Billie Davern
Several of the attendees said they used the equipment prior to coming to the program, but they had seen the most improvement in their mobility when they’d used it correctly, guided by volunteers like Ms Crowe.
Ms Delbridge, from Tallarook, said she’d enjoyed the program so much that she hoped it would eventually come to her home town.
“I love coming because I can feel the benefit, a physical benefit in balance and making sure you don’t get dizzy when you bob down and bend down and get up,” Ms Delbridge said.
“You see so many practical improvements in your flexibility.
“And, the bonus is that it’s the greatest group, we all have a lot of fun, and we’re all working on living healthier and being better versions of ourselves.”
The ENJOY Impact seniors program runs every Friday, subject to the weather, from 10.15am to 11.15am at Chittick Park.
For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/bdzzzd3eor head to the Seymour Library and Customer Service Centre to retrieve a brochure.
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