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You used to walk down to Fairfield Park without thinking about it. Now you find yourself watching the ground the whole way, or avoiding a gravel path that never gave you pause before. Perhaps you have had a near-miss on the front step, the kind that leaves your heart racing for an hour afterwards.
That shift, from confident walking to cautious walking, happens gradually enough that most people do not name it. It is often the first signal that balance and strength are worth attention before a fall forces the issue.
Inform Physio runs the Active Ageing Circuit, a supervised group exercise class for older adults, from our Fairfield clinic. It sits alongside our one-to-one physiotherapy services at Fairfield and Carlton, and draws on the same evidence base that shapes fall prevention physiotherapy practice across Australia.
What is fall prevention physiotherapy?
Fall prevention physiotherapy is physiotherapy focused specifically on reducing fall risk in older adults. It combines assessment of strength, balance, gait, and relevant medical history with targeted exercise that addresses the physical changes making falls more likely with age.
It differs from general rehabilitation in two ways. First, the person receiving it is often not recovering from a specific injury. They are generally well, but have noticed small changes in confidence or stability. Second, the goal is reduction of future fall risk, not just return to a prior baseline. The evidence supports that this risk can be measurably reduced, even in people who have not yet fallen.
How common are falls for older Australians?
According to the Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel, at least one in three people aged 65 and over fall one or more times each year. Older people are around 12 times more likely to have a fall than to be involved in a motor vehicle or pedestrian accident.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that falls are the leading cause of hospitalised injury and injury death among older Australians, accounting for 77 per cent of all injury hospitalisations in the 65-plus age group in 2019–20. Around half of hospitalised falls happen at home.
What the statistics do not capture is the ripple effect of a near-miss. A stumble that did not cause injury can still trigger fear of falling, which leads to reduced activity, which leads to further strength and balance decline, which raises fall risk. Interrupting that cycle early is a large part of what fall prevention physiotherapy sets out to do.
What makes the Active Ageing Circuit different from a gym class?
A gym class, even a well-run one, is designed for general fitness. The Active Ageing Circuit is designed specifically for fall prevention and physical independence in older adults. A few things set it apart:
- Physiotherapist-led supervision. A qualified physiotherapist designs and runs each session. They watch how every participant moves, adjust technique in real time, and scale exercises up or down based on what they observe.
- Initial assessment before you start. New participants complete a one-to-one assessment first. This identifies strength and balance weaknesses, medical considerations, and the appropriate starting level. You are not dropped into a generic program and asked to keep up.
- Tailored progressions. Exercises are scaled to the individual, not the group. Two people in the same class may do different variations of the same movement depending on their current capacity.
- Evidence-informed program design. The exercise components chosen reflect what fall prevention research supports: progressive resistance training, specific balance challenges, and functional movement patterns. Established programs such as the Otago Exercise Programme sit behind the structure.
A 2019 Cochrane Review of exercise for fall prevention, which analysed 108 trials involving more than 23,000 community-dwelling older adults, found that exercise programs challenging balance and delivered at sufficient dose reduce the rate of falls by around 23 per cent. The Circuit is built around that evidence, not around generic group fitness.
What happens in a typical session?
Sessions follow a consistent structure so the body can progress safely and the physiotherapist can track how you are responding week to week.
- Warm-up. Gentle mobility and light cardiovascular work to prepare joints and raise heart rate. Typically walking variations, arm swings, and controlled range-of-motion exercises.
- Strength component. Functional resistance exercises targeting the muscle groups most linked to fall risk: quadriceps, glutes, calves, and core. Sit-to-stand repetitions, step-ups, calf raises, and resistance band work are common. Intensity is progressed gradually across weeks, not within a single session.
- Balance training. Exercises that challenge both static and dynamic balance: single-leg standing with or without support, tandem walking heel-to-toe, reaching activities that shift the centre of gravity, and head turns during standing to train vestibular input.
- Functional practice. Movements that mirror everyday tasks that trigger falls. Stepping over obstacles, turning while walking, carrying an object while walking, and transferring weight between feet with confidence.
- Cool-down. Stretching and slower breathing work to finish the session without leaving the body tight.
The physiotherapist moves between participants throughout, adjusting load, cueing technique, and making sure each person is working at the right level. It is not a class where you follow an instructor at the front and hope for the best.
Who does the Circuit suit, and who needs a one-to-one assessment first?
The Circuit is designed for older adults who are reasonably mobile, have no recent falls history, and want to build strength, balance and confidence in a supervised group setting. It is not the right starting point for everyone.
If you have fallen in the last 12 months, are managing a specific condition that affects movement (for example Parkinson’s, recent stroke recovery, significant arthritis, or vestibular issues), or feel unsteady when walking, a one-to-one physiotherapy assessment is the better place to start. That assessment identifies the specific factors driving your risk, addresses any current pain or stiffness, and builds a foundation of strength before group work is appropriate. Many people begin with one-to-one sessions and transition into the Circuit once the physiotherapist is confident they can participate safely.
| Your situation | Active Ageing Circuit | One-to-one first |
|---|---|---|
| No recent falls, generally mobile | Good fit | |
| Looking to maintain strength and balance | Good fit | |
| Fallen in the last 12 months | Start here | |
| Managing a condition that affects movement | Start here | |
| Using a walking aid day to day | Start here | |
| Feeling unsteady or anxious when walking | Start here |
This is not a barrier to entry. It is how responsible physiotherapy practice works. Matching the intervention to the person matters more than fitting the person to the intervention.
What does it cost, and what do I need to bring?
To join the Active Ageing Circuit you will first complete a one-to-one assessment. This gives the physiotherapist the information needed to place you in the class safely and set your starting level.
You do not need a GP referral to attend privately. If you have a Chronic Disease Management plan from your GP, Medicare rebates may apply for a limited number of physiotherapy sessions. Most private health funds offer physiotherapy rebates under extras cover; the level depends on your specific policy, so it is worth checking with your fund before your first session.
What to bring and wear to a class:
Frequently asked questions
No. The program is designed for older adults who want to improve strength and balance, not for people who already have them. The initial assessment identifies your current capacity and the physiotherapist builds your starting level around that. If the Circuit is not quite the right fit yet, they will tell you, and may recommend a period of one-to-one work first.
A fall within the last 12 months usually warrants a thorough one-to-one physiotherapy assessment before joining any group program. Falls can signal specific weaknesses or medical factors that need targeted attention, and the assessment identifies what those are. Once those are addressed, moving into the Circuit is often a natural next step.
Classes are kept small enough that the physiotherapist can observe and adjust technique for every participant individually. This is one of the main differences between a clinical circuit and a larger gym-based seniors’ fitness class.
Yes. After the initial assessment, you can attend a single class before booking further sessions. Many people book in blocks once they have decided it suits them, because the measurable strength and balance gains sit in the eight to twelve week range of consistent attendance.
The Active Ageing Circuit currently runs from our Fairfield clinic. Carlton patients wanting targeted fall prevention work are best placed with one-to-one physiotherapy sessions at the Carlton clinic, which can be built around the same evidence base.
Booking your first assessment
The simplest next step, if you are weighing up whether the Active Ageing Circuit is right for you, is to book an initial assessment at the Fairfield clinic. The assessment gives you a clear picture of where your strength and balance sit right now, and the physiotherapist will be straightforward about whether the Circuit suits you or whether one-to-one work is the better place to start.
For the broader evidence on how physiotherapy supports strength, balance and independence as we age, see our companion article on active ageing physiotherapy.