SINGAPORE: To help seniors age well, five ActiveSG gyms designed with the elderly and disabled in mind will open by the end of this year.
Last September, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that such gyms will open in mature housing estates. On Saturday (Jul 13), he opened the first at Ang Mo Kio Community Centre, which is also the first ActiveSG gym in a community centre.
The first ActiveSG gym catered to the elderly and disabled opened at the Ang Mo Kio Community Centre on Jul 13, 2019. (Photo: Gwyneth Teo)
The gym is open to the public and costs S$2.50 per entry. To encourage more seniors to make use of the facilities, Singapore residents over 65 years old get free entry on Wednesdays.
Another three gyms will be located in Fernvale, Senja-Cashew and Pek Kio, said Sport Singapore deputy CEO Chiang Hock Woon. The location of the fifth gym has not been announced.
The gym is open to the public but is free on Wednesdays for Singapore residents over 65 years old. (Photo: Gwyneth Teo)
The Ang Mo Kio facility features exercise equipment suitable for the elderly. While the machines are commonly found in gyms – such as for lat pulls, chest presses and leg curls – they are pneumatic, or adjusted using air pressure, and low-impact on the joints.
Additionally, the gym has health screening equipment for users to keep track of their fitness level. For instance, there is a gait motion sensor that measures a user’s walking speed and posture to analyse risk of falls.
The gym also has an ActiveFIT machine, which checks a person’s fitness with seven tests such as reaction time, handgrip strength, balance and push-ups. It also measures blood pressure, body fat and muscle mass. Users can sync the data to the Active Health app. After a 12-week programme, the app will advise users on how to adjust their diet and lifestyle to live healthier.
The ActiveFIT machine measures fitness with seven different physical tests, including grip strength and balance. (Photo: Gwyneth Teo)
In his speech, Mr Lee said he hoped residents will make full use of the gym and activities.
“I hope every day it will be full of people and you will come regularly, every two or three times a week, make use of the equipment, make friends, stay fit, stay well,” said Mr Lee.
“In Ang Mo Kio we have many old people, but in other parts of Singapore as well, people are ageing. More of us are getting on in years, and if we stay active I think we can live healthy productive lives and keep on contributing, looking after the younger ones in our family but also contributing to the broader society and Singapore.”
