🌷Spring into Activity🌷

We are well and truly into spring! A time of new beginnings and new life. The perfect time to get active and join an ActiveStrongerBetter (ASB) class. The ASB program has been growing in leaps and bounds this year and is still working hard to provide and promote safe and fun community exercise for seniors. This article is to highlight that spring is as good as time as any to start being active, to provide program updates and to give a little bit of insight into what’s to come for the rest of the year and into 2026. 

Spring into activity 

Spring is a great time to start exercising or start a new exercise program for a number of reasons including the increased daylight hours, warmer weather, natural increased motivation and the seasonal change inspiring new goal setting and providing a physical and mental reset following winter.  

• Longer days:  

The extended daylight provides more time to fit in workouts, and the extra sunshine can naturally boost energy and improve sleep cycles.  

• Warmer temperatures:  

Mild spring temperatures are comfortable for outdoor activities like walking, running, or cycling, making them more appealing than during colder months.  

• Outdoor options:  

Nicer weather encourages you to move workouts outside, which can be more engaging and enjoyable than being indoors.  

• Natural motivation:  

The season of “renewal” can provide a renewed sense of purpose and a fresh start, helping combat winter lethargy.  

• Mental benefits:  

Exercising outdoors in natural light and fresh air can boost mood, reduce stress, and increase mental clarity.  

• New goals:  

Spring is a natural time to set new fitness goals, whether it’s completing a 5K or simply trying a new activity.  

• Body and mind “spring clean”:  

Regular exercise in the spring helps to declutter the body and mind, similar to a physical spring cleaning.  

• Seasonal boost:  

The season offers a natural opportunity to invigorate your fitness routine and prepare your body for the warmer summer months ahead.  

Program Updates 

• Australia Post Gillieston Heights Program 

The ActiveStrongerBetter program was successful in receiving an Australia Post Community Grant for programs that support mental health. The grant has allowed us to run a community exercise program from Gillieston Heights Hub from the 5^th of November through until the end of May in 2026 (breaking over Christmas). 

We are grateful for the support from Australia Post to continue providing and promoting community-based exercise for seniors and expanding our services to new communities.  

• Recent Awards  

In the past few months, the ActiveStrongerBetter program has been very grateful and fortunate to receive two national awards. One award from AUSactive, the peak industry body for fitness professionals, for Mental Health Awareness and another award from Ageing Australia in their Making A Difference category. We are honoured to have received these awards and give huge thanks to all our brilliant leaders who provide great programs; to our passionate participants and to our managing bodies – NovaCare and Hunter Ageing Alliance.  

The rest of 2025 and beyond… 

• NSW Seniors festival 2026  

We have been successful in securing funding from NSW Department of Communities and Justice to host community events and free exercise class trials as part of the 2026 NSW Seniors Festival. These events will be used to promote community exercise programs that are part of the ActiveStrongerBetter program and encourage seniors to exercise by providing education on the holistic benefits of exercise, particularly community-based group exercise classes.  

• Continued natural growth of program 

The ASB team will continue to work hard at expanding the programs reach and offerings through more leader training workshops, continued support of leaders to start new programs and ongoing promotion of program to community and health networks.   

• Christmas break 

Most classes in the ActiveStrongerBetter program will break for Christmas holidays. How long these holiday breaks will last and when they begin is determined by the leaders for each of their classes, so if you are an ActiveStrongerBetter participant, make sure to check in with your leader so you know when your class will wrap up for the year and when you’ll be returning in 2026.  

We will be sharing ideas on how to stay active over the Christmas break later in the year so keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook and website. And you can always check out our At Home/Outdoors page for home workouts and exercise suggestions. 

• Training update 

We will be updating our training to reflect changes in the Aged Care Sector, and we are also working on how to provide the leader training online for remote fitness leaders and to reach more communities.  

Let spring inspire you to Be Active, Get Stronger and Feel Better! Join a class in our program this spring and feel the benefits of getting active and connecting with new friends. The ActiveStrongerBetter program has absolutely flourished this year, and we are so excited to see what the rest of the year brings and are ready and gearing up for a great 2026! 

If you would like to see the full list of classes available in the program, visit out class locations page and if you have any questions or ideas, get in touch at via Facebook, email or give us a ring (4940 2497).