Mandurah’s Silver Chain opens WA’s first senior’s exercise park

The purpose-built facility features equipment specially designed to improve strength, balance, coordination and flexibility in a fun and challenging way, based on similar concepts proven to be highly successful in other parts of Australia and internationally including Europe and China. 

Some Silver Chain clients got to be the first to test out the park, with trainers to show them the ropes.

“I think the whole thing can help us to control our balance,”

“Some of this, with the knees bent and that, is what I do when I had the stroke… so most of the time at home I’d do it, put my hand on the workbench, but I’m afraid I’ll seize up and I won’t be able to move,” 94 year old client Peggy Hathaway said.

“[We had to do] stepping up and stepping down, raising your leg… it’s exercise isn’t it,” client Daphne Buchholz said.

Both ladies said they found the activities fairly easy to do, and looked forward to doing them again.

Silver Chain’s WA manager Anne-Marie Cox said their exercise park and program is focused on mobility and reducing the risk of falling by improving muscle strength, flexibility and balance.

“As we age, many people don’t regularly engage in as much physical activity as they would have in the past,” she said.

“Our exercise park provides a safe supervised environment to promote physical activity focusing on muscle strength and functional and balance improvements.”

Silver Chain clients will be the first to utilise the exercise park in the coming months, being given individualised exercise programs, but early next year the park will be made available to various external groups and the broader community.

“We are very grateful to our loyal donors who gave generously during our [Summer 2015] fundraising appeal so we can continue to support people to live independently and confidently in their own homes through new and innovative ways,” Ms Cox said.

To find out more about Silver Chain services, call 9242 0242.