Keilor Council Launches Free Senior Fitness Programs This Winter

Brimbank City Council has expanded its free senior fitness program to six weekly sessions across the Keilor district, effective from this month, giving residents aged 60 and over structured group exercise without the membership fees that typically put them off. The move brings the Active Ageing initiative, which already ran small-scale trial classes at the Keilor Community Hub on Old Calder Highway, into a second site at Symons Reserve on Taylor Drive, where outdoor circuit sessions will run every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

The timing is deliberate. Winter is when participation in physical activity among older adults drops sharply. Council health data from the 2025 Brimbank Community Wellbeing Survey found that 61 percent of residents over 65 reported reduced physical activity during the June-to-August period, citing cold temperatures and the cost of indoor gym access as the two leading reasons. Free, council-run programs cut through both barriers at once.

What's On and Where to Find It

The Keilor Community Hub sessions, held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, focus on low-impact movement: chair yoga, resistance band work, and balance training designed to reduce fall risk. The council partnered with the Keilor District Community Health Service to have a qualified exercise physiologist oversee the program's design. Classes run for 45 minutes and require no prior fitness level.

Symons Reserve sessions are slightly more vigorous, incorporating a short walking loop around the reserve's perimeter path before moving into group strength work. Both programs are fully subsidised through Brimbank's 2026-27 Healthy Communities budget allocation, which set aside $480,000 for active ageing and preventive health initiatives across the municipality. Participants pay nothing. There is no waitlist fee, no joining form, and no insurance excess to navigate.

St Albans Leisure Centre on Main Road East, which sits just outside the Keilor boundary but draws heavily from the area, already runs its SilverFit classes at $6 a session, a price that adds up to roughly $300 a year for twice-weekly attendees. The council's free offering changes the calculus considerably for residents on fixed incomes.

Why Group Exercise Matters for This Age Group

The evidence on group-based fitness for older adults is consistent and substantial. A 2024 Cochrane Review of 89 trials found that structured group exercise reduced falls in community-dwelling adults over 65 by 23 percent compared with no intervention. It also found meaningful improvements in self-reported mental wellbeing, a finding that resonates locally, given that social isolation among older Keilor residents has been flagged in successive council consultations since 2022.

Keilor has a notably active wellness culture, the Keilor Park Velodrome precinct and the trails along the Maribyrnong River are well-used, but organised, instructor-led programming for seniors has lagged behind what younger age groups can access. These new sessions aim to close that gap before the program's scheduled review in October 2026, when council will assess participation numbers before deciding whether to fund a second year.

Registration is not strictly required for the Hub sessions, but the council recommends calling the Brimbank Active Communities team on 9249 4000 to confirm your first attendance so staff can provide any necessary modifications. The Symons Reserve outdoor sessions are drop-in only. Participants should bring a water bottle and wear non-slip footwear; mats and resistance bands are provided. Those managing chronic conditions, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or recent joint surgery, are encouraged to check with their GP or a local exercise physiologist before starting. The Keilor District Community Health Service on Old Calder Highway offers free initial consultations for eligible residents. The next intake begins Tuesday, July 8.