Exercise Physiology for Over-60s in Melbourne

The body at 70 doesn’t respond to exercise the way it did at 40. From around age 60, several changes speed up at once — and understanding them is the reason a program for older adults has to be built differently.

Muscle loss accelerates. After 60, muscle is lost at a faster rate — a process called sarcopenia. Left unaddressed it leads to weakness, fatigue, and difficulty with everyday tasks like rising from a chair. Progressive resistance training reverses it at any age.

Bone density declines. Bones gradually lose density with age, raising the risk of fracture from a minor fall. Weight-bearing and resistance exercise helps maintain bone strength — but the load has to be matched carefully to your capacity.

Balance and reaction time change. The systems that keep you upright — inner ear, vision, the sensors in your joints — become less responsive. This is why falls become more common after 60, and why targeted balance training makes such a measurable difference.

Recovery takes longer. Older muscles and joints need more recovery between efforts, and past injuries or existing conditions change what’s safe.

This is why a generic gym routine is the wrong tool for an older body. Every exercise needs to account for these changes — chosen for a clinical reason, loaded to your capacity, and progressed at a safe pace. That’s the work of an accredited exercise physiologist, and it’s all we do.

Every program begins with a thorough clinical assessment — not a gym induction. Your exercise physiologist reviews your health history and current medications, watches how you move, and identifies where you’re strong, where you compensate, and where there’s risk. From there they build a structured, progressive program around what you can do now and where you want to get to.

For older adults, that usually blends progressive resistance training to rebuild muscle, weight-bearing work to support bone density, balance and stability training to reduce falls risk, mobility work to ease stiffness, and gentle aerobic conditioning for heart and lung health. The mix is yours alone — matched to your conditions, goals, and starting point.

Every session is supervised in a calm, clinical studio, not a crowded commercial gym. You move at your own pace, with an exercise physiologist watching your technique and progressing the program only when your body is ready.

Private health insurance — most major funds offer a rebate on exercise physiology under extras cover. The amount depends on your fund and level of cover.

Support at Home — exercise physiology is covered for eligible older Australians under the Improved Daily Living category. If you or a family member receives Support at Home funding, we can work directly with your care coordinator to arrange sessions at our Malvern or Blackburn clinic, by home visit, or via telehealth. See our Support at Home exercise physiology page for details.

NDIS — exercise physiology is funded under Capacity Building supports. Summit Health Group is a registered NDIS provider accepting plan-managed, self-managed and NDIA-managed participants.