The one-hour-a-week programme focussed on strength and balance for over 65-year-olds living independently, with the additional benefit of social interaction. She said it was great to see Tauranga's community taking a proactive approach with the gym because ACC was always interested in evidence about ways to reduce falls.
Polytechnic sport and recreation group leader Peter Sommers said the group put in a letter of support for the elders gym initiative. If the gym was built, Bachelor of Sport and Recreation students would assist the elderly to write fitness programmes and then research the physiological and social benefits.
Mr Sommers said the elders gym project nicely aligned to studies by the polytechnic's 120 degree students. The students would do a series of baseline tests on volunteers, set the fitness programmes and then test them again later.
Mr Lewis said the key thing was to make sure the gym was well used. They were negotiating to get commitments from 12 groups that took the elderly out of their homes for exercise. "The gyms keep elderly fit, active and engaged in the community."
The advantage of the gym was that it was beside a popular walkway, close to public toilets and next to the area for petanque. "We see it as an attractive area that people will use."
Mr Lewis said that once the benefits of the gym was proven, they would approach ACC to help fund more gyms in Tauranga. TECT had contributed $10,000 to the gym while the council provided the site and a grant of $5000.
Tauranga gerontologist Carole Gordon of Supa NZ initiated the gym project, saying she researched the gyms which had become established all over the world.
Her work was driven by the declining birth rate, the aging of the population and the need for older people to keep healthy and well socialised.
She said Supa NZ had succeeded in getting council's support to develop a policy to allow the development of more gyms on city reserves.
Other ideal locations included the Marine Parade side of the Mount Main Beach boardwalk and Pilot Bay.