Jonathan Freeman is the founder of Club Active. He tells us about his vision to help each and every one of Club Active gym members to change the way they age.
When I worked in a private practice, I was operating out of a commercial gym. I saw an opportunity to support and nurture the over 50s into exercising for their health. The biggest barriers for them going to the gym was the intimidation factor, not knowing what to do and needing a sense of community.
The fastest growing demographic in the world (50+) is largely not catered for in the mainstream fitness space. Over 50s need a safe, fun and non-intimidating environment that is supported by both professional staff and their peers. But now, they have Club Active. I have worked with thousands of people to help them change the way they age. I apply this knowledge to the classes, programs and overall mission at Club Active.
As an accredited Exercise Physiologist and a specialist in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, I understand the benefits of exercise and movement for everybody. When exercise is embraced, health is improved without the need for medication. The traditional fitness industry does not have a strong focus on health for all ages. This is why Club Active was born.
I wanted to create a space with modern, lightfilled open areas. These centres are between 450m2 and 600m2 with an allied health clinic adjacent to the gym, offering exercise physiologist, dietician and physiotherapist services.
Gym and Exercise Improving Lives
There’s growing evidence to show the positive impact exercise has on individuals to improve health, particularly on chronic health conditions and managing the treatment processes. Everyone who joins Club Active receives a thorough review of their medical history prior to beginning their exercise journey. This allows us to understand what types of programs and classes may be best for them. Understanding their limitations and goals are also the key to adopting an exercise program for the long term.
Following this, a carefully designed tailored program is uploaded on to their Club Active ‘key’ which holds all their information and then they begin their exercise journey. The key allows the member to follow the program easily and may be able to increase or decrease their intensity depending on their level of fitness and goals. The key will only work on the machines that we have programmed for that specific member and their goal.
The word ‘fit’ is a very subjective term and everyone needs varying levels of fitness to pursue their daily wants or needs. If you want to live a healthy retirement and go on that trip of a lifetime you’ve been longing for, then exercise and movement is paramount. I have personally witnessed people who have lost a substantial amount of weight, and then climbed a mountain in Europe. These are the milestones that make Club Active what it is.
Club Active, the gym for over 50s
Expert Bio
Jonathan Freeman is the founder of Club Active
Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Exercise Science and a Master of Exercise Science (Rehabilitation). He’s also a sessional academic and adjunct professional fellow at Southern Cross University, teaching Biomechanics, Anatomy and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. He’s worked in high performance sporting organisations, with Olympic champions, world title holders and state and national level athletes. He has even rehabilitated A-list celebrities and helped over thousands of patients improve their lives. Jonathan presents workshops both nationally and internationally, has been featured in many health and fitness publications, and has published academic literature in injury prevention.
Ballycara: Have you got a parent who needs a little extra help to stay in their home? Or do you yourself want some “home friends” to help you stay independent? In our cover story, we investigate the services that Ballycara are offering to add extra support to people in their later years.
BallyCara want people to live fulfilling lives regardless of age. And at Silver Magazine, we are all about the living-well mantra. So it is no surprise that we are really impressed with this not-for-profit! Their Wellness Program has been developed and delivered by qualified health professionals. It promotes optimal physical, mental and emotional wellbeing at every age.
CASE STUDY
John has had a couple of falls. He has been told he can’t play tennis anymore because he’s lost his balance a little.
Craig James, Health and Wellness Manager at BallyCara: I’d like to see if there was a way that we could modify or adapt the “no tennis” rule. For example, we could try standing tennis – somebody could hit the ball back and forth to him. Tennis is a great way to keep up your strength and your balance.
John says he is very passionate about playing tennis. If you want to mitigate risk and minimise having falls, you need to improve balance. The way you do that is to challenge your balance, in a safe way. If tennis is what he wants to continue to do, we could have conversations around ways he could still be involved in tennis. This could be in a safer setting with softer tennis rackets and tennis balls and working it into a program. And ideally, if his main goal is to return to tennis, we would try to support that. You can take small steps along the way. It might not get to the point of fully playing tennis again, but it’s the journey that counts. If you can keep moving forward with your passion, then that’s a result in itself.
CASE STUDY 2
Meena felt like she had lost her balance and didn’t have the stability to be able to stand for any period of time. She lost her confidence to cook.
Craig James, Health and Wellness Manager at BallyCara: When Meena came to see us, her main goal was to get back to cooking a curry in the kitchen. So we tailored the exercise program around that goal for her. We adapted the program and brought exercise into play. If it’s related to what the person wants, the motivation kicks in. As you get older you can improve your muscle strength, and you can improve your balance.
We went into the kitchen with Meena while she was cooking the curry. We supported her and advised her on how to move around while keeping her balance. She can now bend down and pick up pots and maintain her safety. The message that we want to get out there is you can improve no matter where you are on the aging timeline.
BALLYCARA EXERCISE SESSIONS
Many people find it difficult to start an activity program without the support and guidance of an experienced health professional. Ballycara’s exercise sessions give people the confidence to continue their fitness journey.
Craig James, the Health and Wellness Manager at BallyCara, says their health and wellness program on the Gold Coast is going from strength to strength. “It is a mobile program, and our main goal is to prevent chronic conditions. We support that in a reablement way. We work with our exercise physiologists across the community at a number of different locations, from Northern Gold Coast all the way down into Northern New South Wales. Our clients come to us through a range of referrals including General Practitioners, The Heart Foundation, walking groups and various other health fields that align closely with us. We also take on people privately.”
Recovery
“People might call us for a variety of different reasons. It might be recovery from injury or illness, rehabilitation, post surgeries, or prior to going into something in the hospital. Sometimes they have to lose weight or be fitter for a medical appointment. They might call us because they want to increase their ability to keep their strength to play with their grandkids. They might want to do things around the home, and just feel a bit better in themselves when they’re doing things.
“If you want to join up, you can get a referral from your doctor. The first step is to have a conversation with us and get an initial assessment. We’ll measure your strength and work out how you are coping in your day-to-day life. But we’ll also get to know you as a person – what your likes and dislikes are. We want to make sure what we prescribe is safe. But we want it to be enjoyable too, so that you’ll want to participate and stick with it.”
You can do your program on a one-to-one basis or participate in exercise classes. If you want to attend with a couple of friends, that’s also possible.
BALLYCARA: INDEPENDENCE
Says Craig, “I have clients that are still living at home and driving a vehicle at the age of 99. And they are coming in for exercise. They are feeling confident and living independently at home. I think a lot of people want to stay independent in their own homes. And they want to keep doing the things that they love. And exercise is just the tool in ways in which you can achieve that.
“We love to answer general enquiries! But if you have more detailed questions around specific reasons for wanting to attend, we can refer you on to our senior exercise physiologists on the Gold Coast. They can work out whether an individual session or maybe a group class in a community centre might be best suited for you. We want people to enjoy what they’re doing. It’s about coming along and having fun while getting the benefit out of the sessions.”
BALLYCARA: JOINING UP
Alongside their Wellness offering BallyCara is an accredited Home Care provider. BallyCara has a flexible approach to the delivery of services ensuring a package is tailored to what you require in order to support you to achieve and maintain your individual goals well into the future. The local BallyCara Gold Coast Home Care team will help you through the journey by listening and exploring with you, your background, needs and preference to ensure your independence and continued enjoyment of community living.
It is important to note that Veterans Affairs and Home Care package subsidies are available for your Wellness and exercise journey. You can also get a Chronic Disease Management Plan referral from your GP. If you are eligible for a Home Care package or would like to find out more along the lines of funding and payment options, the BallyCara team are on hand to help navigate and support you through this journey.
Canine Myofascial Therapy: Katie Hunt is the name behind the new pet service called Canine Myofascial Therapy. She tells us all about what she does for pets in pain.
Is your pet in pain? Have they slowed down or can no longer jump onto the couch or into the car? It could be myofascial pain. This is pain in muscles or fascia (a type of connective tissue that surrounds muscles). Myofascial pain can appear in any body part on animals. The pain is steady, aching, and deep, ranging from mild discomfort to excruciating and “lightning-like.” Knots may be visible or felt beneath the skin, and the pain does not resolve on its own.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy using trigger-point release techniques can be very effective in pain relief of this condition. Once the trigger points are gone, the animal is then able to move that muscle more freely again. They will regain a range of motion to the limb the muscle was affecting, whilst supporting the long-term health of the local muscle system.
Dry needling for the treatment of myofascial pain is also a useful tool. It is a modern treatment designed to ease muscular pain and its popularity is growing. Dry needling is called this because no liquid is injected into the body. Therapists place a stainless-steel filiform needle into the “trigger points” in muscle or tissue. The needle helps release the knot and relieve any muscle pain or spasms, increasing blood flow to the area and stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities.
Dry needling must not get confused with acupuncture although the same type of needles are used. Acupuncture works on the body’s energy flow and meridian pathways.
Hydrotherapy
Katie is currently in the process of starting up her own hydrotherapy clinic here on the Gold Coast. Hydrotherapy is an underwater treadmill. It helps your pet to regain muscle strength after surgery (and other medical issues including weight loss). The buoyancy of the water helps to take the weight of the joints so the animal can exercise with minimal pain whilst building strength, muscle mass and increase their mobility and agility.
Enter Canine Myofascial Therapy, started up by Katie Hunt. She has quite the qualifications in her arsenal, including a certificate in Animal Dry Needling, through the Australian College of Eastern Medicine. She has Cert 4 in Vet nursing, a Certificate in Canine Hydrotherapy, Cert 111 Animal Care and Husbandry, Cert 111 Captive Animals (zookeeping certificate).
Says Katie, “I have been in the animal industry for 20 years. I started out working in pet shops and volunteering at Zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, trying to gain as much experience as possible with every and any animal. But I don’t have a favourite I love them all. I started vet nursing in 2005 and then became a zookeeper not long after, specialising in reptile and avian care. In 2013 I wanted more out of my job and to be able to care for my animals in a more in-depth way. I decided to go back and study vet nursing but specialise more in the care of wildlife. So, I did a 12-month placement at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital. I have been a general practice vet nurse for the past 7 years and was previously a vet nurse for AWLQ at Coombabah and Daisy Hill.”
Canine Myofascial Therapy: Dry Needling Benefits
Since discovering the benefits of dry needling to relieve pain on pets, Katie has been offering dry needling treatments since the beginning of this year. “I currently dry needle at the Aussie Pet Collective in Slacks Creek and a few other locations along the Gold Coast and Tweed area.”
Katie is passionate about making animals better. “It all started in 2005, I got a kelpie Dalmatian cross puppy and named her Indiana, at only four month of age she was hit by a car and needed her back leg amputated. Because of her 3 legs we did lots of swimming to keep her muscles nice and strong, and this helped to take the weight off her remaining legs. I was very aware of how this could affect her later in life.
“In 2017 she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma and given 6 months to live, so we got a little brother for her and me – Paddy the Frenchie. Indiana went on to live another 3 years! Unfortunately, I had to make the devastating decision to put her to sleep, a month before her 15th birthday. She is my reason for studying hydrotherapy and dry needling. She was my soul dog. I want to help all the 3-legged and 4-legged puppies! I just want all animals to be able to live and experience a pain-free life.”
Katie has experience with all sorts of animals from geckos, crocodiles and snakes, cats and dogs, to goats, chickens, horses and cows. If your pet suffers from any of the above conditions, you can contact Katie.
Canine Myofascial Therapy:
THE MOST COMMON SIGNS OF PAIN IN YOUR PET
-Decreased activity – take notice if your pet is not playing as much as usual
-Not going up or down stairs – could be an early sign of osteoarthritis
-Reluctance to jump up onto surfaces – this especially applies to cats
-Difficulty standing after lying down, is a sign of osteoarthritis
-Decreased appetite – this can be a sign of mouth pain
-Over-grooming or licking a particular area – can be a sign of referred pain
There are bushwalks all around the Gold Coast. But, if you want something a little different, then head on up to the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, and make peace with your fear of heights! Nicole Buckler reports.
We lowlanders on the Gold Coast don’t get up to the Hinterlands enough. But we should, because it’s rainforesty and naturish and gorgeous. There are lovely locals who are all relaxed and talk about giant staghorns and ferns that are as big as an Arundel townhouse. And all that fresh air. We all need more of it, to cleanse away all of the sins our brain has gathered from watching too much Netflix.
For something different, try the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk. The circuit is a 1.5km walk in total and takes it about 45 minutes at a leisurely pace. It was built by the Moore family, after they spent four years researching and planning the tourist attraction. Also, as soon as you step onto the steel skywalk, you can feel just how much money was invested in the site.
The skywalk itself hovers at the tops of absolutely huge palm trees. I challenge you to show me taller palm trees than those that exist in this oasis. Colourful birds swoop past your head, so close they threaten to take your eyebrows with them.
viewing platform
This is a place to walk slowly, and take it all in. You have to spend a lot of time just being still, listening to the birds and waiting for nature to appear. This isn’t somewhere to powerwalk at full speed in your designer lycra, Karen. Just calm the hell down or you will miss the point of the exercise.
This walk is very easy and very accessible. Part of it is wheelchair friendly. All of it is unchallenging. With that, people of all abilities can crack on and do the circuit.
The pièce de résistance is the cantilever. This is a place that Instagram dreams are made of.
Of course, it is the journey that counts here. At every turn there is a giant strangler fig, a rare orchid, or a finger lime tree, with fruit waiting to be snatched. Or, there is a seat, positioned perfectly to take in butterflies, birds, platypus or whatever creature is trying to make their living in the beautiful rainforest surrounds.
The walk starts with an Eco gallery, and ends at Skywalk’s Birdwing Coffee Shop. Just have the cookie and the cappuccino, you know you want to! ■
The Skywalk is open 7 days from 9:30am with final walks at 4pm. The Skywalk closes at 5pm. Adults $19.50, Children $9.50, Family $44.00 (2 adults & 1 child), Extra Child $5.00 and Senior/Student Card Holders $16.50.
The Skywalk is located at 333 Geissmann Drive, North Tamborine
People dance for many reasons. But did you know that dancing has great health benefits as well? Steven Bock from 5th Avenue Dance tells us everything he has discovered about just how good dancing is for your wellbeing.
We all know that exercise is the ultimate medicine. Staying active is paramount for wellbeing, especially in the years after 50. But what if you could combine a fun activity with exercise so that you didn’t even feel like you were exercising at all? That’s exactly why so many people do dancing – it’s so fun that you forget you are getting quite the workout. Dancing is amazing for wellbeing. Here’s why.
BENEFITS:
Improve the condition of your heart and lungs; due to the (sometimes) aerobic nature of some of the faster dances. At 5th Avenue Dance we structure your 45 minute lessons to warm up with a Foxtrot which moves around the room, then a slower Latin dance the Rumba, before we hit the faster tempos of Swing, a break with some wonderful Waltz, before moving onto a faster Cha Cha then cool down with a Tango.
Increase your muscular strength. When you are dancing, you are moving! Our 5th Avenue Dance instructors are very aware of your starting level of fitness, and take this into account as we teach you to dance, and within a very short period of time what you can do, increases.
Increase endurance. Dancing may not seem like exercise in the same way as going to the gym, riding a bike or training for a triathlon. But we are dancing and moving for 45 minutes, which is a good workout. The difference is the music and fun (not to mention the skill you are learning).
Weight management. Exercise is great. Even better is a variety of exercise to burn calories. Your body gets used to just swimming, or just running. Dancing a variety of dances uses different muscle groups at different speeds. This is hard for your body to “get used to” so therefore more calories are burned.
Stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis. According to Osteoporosis Australia, dancing is categorised as highly Osteogenic. Dancing is right up there in the number one category.
Better coordination, agility, and flexibility. This is very important in the later years to maintain balance and prevent falls. At 5th Avenue Dance we concentrate on feet placement and timing. This leads to better balance and coordination and gives you increased agility and flexibility as well as spatial awareness (very important on a social dance floor with many other couples dancing and having fun).
Increased physical confidence. As your stamina increases, together with balance and timing, your physical confidence in what you can do skyrockets. For those needing the occasional helping hand, your connection to your dance partner supplies this – allowing you to fly across the dance floor.
Improved general and psychological wellbeing. Being social and making new friends in the later years has been shown time and time again to lengthen lifespan and increase wellbeing.
Better social skills. At 5th Avenue Dance we are constantly recommending changing partners in group lessons. Our students make us so proud, even those who have their own partner go out of the way to ask and dance with all partners. You can never have too many friends, right?
To find out more about whether dancing can benefit your health, come in and take advantage of our complementary private dance lesson here at 5thavenuedance.com.au . Time to have fun! ■
If you want to read more about dancing, click here.
