EXERCISE is not a luxury. It is the key to healthy ageing and nobody knows this truth more than 61-year-old fitness instructor Meredith Warren, whose weekly schedule of classes, ranging from gentle stretching and balance work to full-body workouts on land and in the water, would impress even Jane Fonda.
For 35 years, Meredith has run her Kyabram business, Body Parts Health & Fitness. She not only leads a wide variety of group fitness sessions from her sublet space at MPWR Gym but also teaches classes at the Senior Citizens Centre and the Community and Learning Centre in Town. Adding even more energy to her already rigorous itinerary, Meredith also rounds out her working week with a couple of days at the YMCA in Numurkah, as well as instructing Aquafit classes at the Echuca pool. Clearly, for Meredith, keeping her community moving is nothing short of tireless.
Catering to all ages in her Body Parts Health classes, Meredith’s oldest participant at the Senior Citizen’s Centre is her 90-year-old mum, where she tailors exercises not only for mobility but to maintain quality of life.
“As I’ve gotten older, my focus has shifted more towards working with older adults, with stretches and exercises designed to help maintain flexibility and overall quality of life. Many of the exercises are chair-based, such as sit-to-stand movements. We work through every major muscle group and include core strengthening and balance work. For classes with mostly older adults, I always make sure to include a balance exercise,” Meredith said.
When asked how her participants respond to her unique group fitness classes, Meredith said:
“The socialisation and friendship, and the coffee after class, is really important. For many people, having an instructor present the whole time is reassuring. They know they are being watched, and if they are doing an exercise incorrectly, they can be guided.
“Social connection is such a big part of it. Most of my friends I’ve met through years of being involved in fitness and helping people, and they are my friends now.”
In reference to classes that specifically target older participants, Meredith stressed the importance of socialisation, connection and fitness as key indicators of health and wellbeing for all of us as we age. When asked about her own personal fulfilment over 35 years of fitness instruction, she said:
“I absolutely love what I do. Being able to help transform people’s lives, whether that is losing 20kg or rehabbing a sore shoulder and later seeing them lifting weights again, is why I’m passionate about it. Seeing those results makes it all worthwhile.”
