Health & Wellness Group classes
Our group classes for people aged 50+ will help you improve and maintain your physical health, social health and overall wellness to meet your goals. While these classes are held in a group setting, all services are tailored to you and your specific needs, so that you can get the most out of the class. Our qualified and compassionate health professionals will give you the support you need and the group will give you motivation to keep working towards your goals.
Timetables
From strength classes to help recover from injury or aerobic exercise that will raise your heart rate to creative art programs, there is a class to help you be Better for life. Although Southern Cross Care has six Health & Wellness Centres, not all classes are offered at every centre.
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 will help you to feel more confident on your feet, reducing the risk of a fall and improving your mobility so you can do the activities you love.
If you are looking for a fun group class to improve not just your balance but also coordination and cardiovascular capacity, the Dance Class is what you need.
Our enthusiastic Exercise Physiologists lead both the Better Balance and Dance classes, creating a welcoming environment where you can reach your mobility goals.
Better Hands
This class targets changes in hand dexterity, relieving hand pain and increasing function. With a range of activities, the key benefits include improved hand strength, better pain management through education, increased fine motor skills and better hand and joint movement. It also 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 deep into the joints and muscles which can result in less pain and more movement in the fingers and hands.
Health in Motion
The Darwin Community Hub offers a unique outdoor exercise program to make the most of the dry season and encouragement social engagement while exercising. This group is a popular circuit training with a variety of strength, cardio, balance, flexibility and relaxation exercises targeted at people 50 years of age or older. After the workout, the class is guided through some structured stretching and breathing exercises.
Hydrotherapy and aqua fitness
Both classes are run in our heated pool with Hydrotherapy offering individualised exercise targeted to the client's needs and Aqua Fitness delivered as a group program. No matter which class, they both have great benefits for your endurance, strength and balance, and use water as a form of support and a form of resistance. Classes are run in small groups, by qualified instructors who will lead you through exercises that will leave you feeling healthier.
ICreate
Our community art classes are social, welcoming environments that will inspire you. The ICreate classes are weekly gatherings for anyone who enjoys feeling creative. Classes are open to people of all levels of artistic ability and explore a wide range of media. The group encourages artistic expression and socialisation, with clients constantly sharing ideas and techniques between each other. There are three ICreate classes run across the week in Largs Bay, Myrtle Bank and North Plympton.
The other social group offered at Largs Bay is the Needle and Thread Group, which is run externally and does not have an instructor. If you are interested in this group we can put you in touch with the organisers.
Pilates
Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise involving stretches, movements and body forms that aim to strengthen muscles while improving your postural alignment and flexibility. Group Pilates classes at our Health & Wellness Centres are suitable for clients with any level of flexibility and experience, you don’t have to have attended any Pilates classes previously. Our instructors will give you the support you need to reach your flexibility, postural and strength goals.
Parkinson’s support
The Parkinson’s Group provides exercises to help maximise mobility in people with Parkinson’s Disease. This class is especially tailored to help you manage your condition and enable you to move around in the community, enjoying the activities you love while feeling confident in your physical abilities. It includes exercises to assist with living with Parkinson’s, such as explosive, high amplitude, dual-tasking and balance activities, in a small group of around three to six participants with two clinicians for increased support.
Respite services
We offer respite that is tailored to you that can help you and your carer be Better for life. Our experienced and compassionate staff can support you through different respite options, including the Buddy program - work with a Buddy Support Worker to plan meaningful activities in the community or your own home and Cottage-based respite - join our team at a cottage for activities to boost your physical, social and mental well-being.
Some of these respite options are delivered at our Health & Wellness Centres, particularly in Goolwa and Darwin. For more information visit our Community Respite page.
Stronger Today
The Stronger Today program combines current evidence with best practice to build muscle strength, improve balance and manage any health problems you have. While delivered in a group setting to promote socialisation and offer peer support, programs are still individualised to your assessed needs and personal goals. Our Stronger Today program has proven benefits and will boost your energy levels, strength, flexibility and social well-being - all at once!
A Circuit class, a variation on the Stronger Today program, is also run once a week at Myrtle Bank. This is a 45 minute fun and intense workout moving through stations of functional exercises like squats, lunges, push ups and more! It is a great way to improve strength, balance and overall fitness.
Tai Chi and Chi Ball
Tai Chi is a form of gentle exercise with mind, body and balance benefits which originated in China. It is a popular way of exercising for older people because of its focus on slow and intentional movement, as well as meditation and controlled breathing.
Chi Ball is also a form of gentle exercise, but uses movements with a small soft ball to improve your strength, core stability, mobility and concentration. Chi Ball also helps with anxiety and stress through breathing techniques.
Cost
We strive to make sure that our group classes are affordable for all those who will benefit from Health & Wellness 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 & Wellness services.
Our friendly staff can assist you to clarify appropriate funding options and your out-of-pocket expenses.