Health & Fitness Group Classes
Our group classes for older adults (aged 55+) aim to support your physical function, social connection, and overall well-being. While these classes are held in a group setting, our approach is tailored to your specific needs so you can get the most out of every session. Our qualified and compassionate health professionals provide the expert support you need, while the group environment offers the motivation to help you work toward your personal goals.
Timetables
From strength classes designed to support your recovery from injury and aerobic exercise to promote heart health, to our creative art programs - there is a class to support your journey to be Better for life. Although Southern Cross Care has six Health & Fitness Centres, class availability varies by location.
Bookings are essential for all classes to ensure safe staffing levels and to ensure each client is supported in the most appropriate class for their needs.
For more information, download the timetable for your closest centre:
Myrtle Bank Darwin Goolwa Mount Barker Largs Bay North Plympton
Balance and Dance classes
The Better Balance class is led by our Accredited Exercise Physiologists and is designed to help you feel more confident on your feet. The program aims to help reduce the risk of a fall and supports your mobility so you can continue the activities you love.
If you are looking for a fun group environment to promote better balance, coordination, and cardiovascular health, our Dance Class is a wonderful way to stay active. Led by our Health and Wellness Promoters, these classes create a welcoming environment where you can work toward your personal mobility and fitness goals with professional encouragement.
Better Hands
This class targets changes in hand dexterity, aiming to help manage hand discomfort and support function. Through a variety of activities, the program focuses on supporting hand strength, promoting better pain management through education and encouraging fine motor skills and joint movement.
The class includes hand massage, exercises and paraffin wax baths to soothe joints. Dipping your hands in a bath of paraffin wax allows the heat to penetrate into the joints and muscles, which can help provide relief from discomfort and promote greater ease of movement in the fingers and hands.
Hydrotherapy and aqua fitness
Both classes are conducted in our heated pool, with Hydrotherapy offering individualised exercise targeted to your specific needs and Aqua Fitness delivered as a structured group program.
No matter which class you choose, both are designed to support your endurance, strength, and balance by using water as a form of both support and resistance. Classes are conducted in small groups by qualified instructors who will lead you through exercises designed to promote your physical well-being.
See Hydrotherapy in action See Aqua Fitness in action
ICreate
Our community art classes are social, welcoming environments designed to inspire you. The ICreate classes are weekly gatherings for anyone who enjoys exploring their creativity and are open to people of all levels of artistic ability.
Across a wide range of media, the group encourages artistic expression and socialisation, with participants frequently sharing ideas and techniques with one another. ICreate classes are held throughout the week at our Largs Bay and Myrtle Bank locations.
Needle and Thread Group (Largs Bay) This is a community-led social group that meets at Largs Bay. As this group is run externally and does not have a formal instructor, we are happy to facilitate a connection with the organisers if you are interested in joining.
Pilates
Pilates is a form of low impact exercise involving stretches, movements and body forms that aim to support muscle strength while promoting postural alignment and flexibility.
Group Pilates classes at our Health & Fitness Centres are suitable for clients with any level of flexibility or experience; no prior experience is necessary to join. Our instructors provide the professional support you need as you work toward your flexibility, postural and strength goals.
Parkinson’s support
The Parkinson’s Group provides targeted exercises designed to support mobility in people living with Parkinson’s Disease. This class is especially tailored to help you manage the physical challenges of your condition and aims to support your ability to move around in the community, helping you enjoy the activities you love while feeling confident in your physical abilities.
The program includes evidence-based exercises, such as explosive, high amplitude, dual tasking, and balance activities. To ensure increased support and safety, classes are kept small (three to six participants) and are led by two clinicians, providing a high level of professional supervision and care.
Stronger Today
The Stronger Today program combines current evidence with best practice exercise to support muscle strength, promote balance and assist in the management of chronic health conditions. While delivered in a group setting to promote socialisation and peer support, each program is individualised to your assessed needs and personal goals.
Our Stronger Today program is designed to promote your energy levels, strength, flexibility and social well-being.
This class is held at these locations: Darwin, Goolwa, Mount Barker, Myrtle Bank, Largs Bay and North Plympton.
Circuit Class (Myrtle Bank) A variation of the Stronger Today program, this 45 minute circuit is a fun, supervised workout moving through stations of functional exercises like squats, lunges and push-ups. It is a fantastic way to focus on promoting strength, balance and overall fitness.
See Stronger Today in action See Circuit in action
Tai Chi and Chi Ball
Tai Chi is a form of gentle exercise focused on mind, body, and balance well-being. Originating in China, it is a popular way of exercising for older people due to its focus on slow, intentional movement, meditation and controlled breathing.
Chi Ball is another gentle exercise modality that uses movements with a small soft ball designed to support strength, core stability, mobility and concentration. Through integrated breathing techniques, Chi Ball also supports relaxation and assists in the management of stress.
Cost
We strive to make sure that our group classes are affordable for all those who will benefit from Health & Fitness services.
You can use your private health insurance to further reduce the cost of some of our classes. Rebates are determined by your health insurance provider.
In some cases you may also be eligible for Government funding to help you live independently at home for longer, that may be used to cover the cost of some of our Health & Fitness services.
Our friendly staff can assist you to clarify appropriate funding options and your out-of-pocket expenses.