Senior fitness programs offered free by local council

The City of Perth will run free senior fitness programs at five locations from 13 July 2026, including modified group walks and strength sessions without any enrollment fees.

Local health data shows one in three Perth residents over 65 reports limited daily movement, and council staff say these programs fill gaps left by paid gym memberships that many retirees skip.

Venues in central and riverside neighbourhoods

Classes meet at the western end of Langley Park in East Perth on Tuesdays, where instructors lead 45-minute balance routines facing the Swan River. Saturdays shift to the western loop of Kings Park trails for a 5 km gentle walk that finishes near the botanic garden entrance. A third site operates at the Northbridge community hall on Newcastle Street, using indoor mats for seated exercises on wet days.

Participants also access a fourth option near Cottesloe Beach through a council shuttle from Wellington Street, focusing on shallow-water resistance moves in the Indian Ocean. The City of Perth coordinates these with WACHS outreach teams that refer patients directly from nearby clinics.

Numbers and schedule details

Records from the 2025 pilot show 182 seniors attended at least once across the four months it ran, with peak weeks hitting 47 people at the Kings Park site alone. Sessions stay capped at 25 per group to keep instruction personal, and all equipment such as resistance bands stays supplied at no charge.

Registration opens online through the City of Perth portal or in person at the Hay Street administration building on weekdays between 9am and 4pm. New attendees receive a printed timetable listing exact start times and any weather-related changes.

Anyone interested should confirm eligibility with a quick call to the council wellness line before arriving, then turn up in comfortable shoes and layers suited to July conditions along the river or in the park.