Gold Coast Council Expands Free Senior Fitness Programs Across Multiple Suburbs

Gold Coast City Council began its expanded free senior fitness program on 1 July with morning sessions at five parks and community sites.

Participation has risen steadily since the council first offered the classes in 2023, when only two suburbs ran weekly groups. Local health data shows one in three Gold Coast residents is now over 60, and council officers say the free format removes cost barriers that previously kept many older adults from joining paid gym classes.

Venues and weekly timetable

Residents can join the sessions at Broadwater Parklands in Southport on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 am, or at the open lawns behind Kurrawa Beach Surf Life Saving Club in Broadbeach on Mondays and Wednesdays. A separate gentle-movement class meets every Friday at 9 am in Robina Community Centre’s indoor hall. All classes last 45 minutes and require no booking or equipment.

Council staff also lead a monthly Hinterland walk on the first Saturday of each month starting from the Lamington National Park visitor centre, with transport provided from Southport bus interchange for those without cars.

Numbers behind the rollout

More than 1,200 seniors attended at least one session in the first half of 2026, according to council attendance records released this week. That figure is up 18 per cent from the same period last year. Each class is capped at 25 people to keep the groups manageable for the two qualified instructors on staff.

Anyone wanting to start can simply turn up at the listed time and place; no forms are required. The next Hinterland walk departs Southport at 7:30 am on 1 August.