Shire of Denmark

06/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/09/2025 00:15

Martial Arts Course For Seniors Promotes Empowerment Through Movement

Martial Arts Course For Seniors Promotes Empowerment Through Movement

Published on Monday, 9 June 2025 at 12:13:56 PM

For the last few weeks, members of the Shire of Denmark's senior community have been gathering every Friday morning to throw punches and share a laugh, thanks to a free 10-week Martial Arts for Seniors course, provided by the Denmark Recreation Centre.

This unique program, tailored specifically for residents aged 65 and over and focusing on strength, balance, self-defence, and social connection, empowers our senior community to prevent age-related injuries and stay active and vibrant.

Denmark Recreation Centre Recreation Services Coordinator, Robina Jones, said it was hearing the suggestion from a senior member of the Rec' Centre that inspired the creation of this course.

"One of our members mentioned it would be great to have a program that teaches seniors how to prevent injuries from falls," said Ms Jones.

"After hearing that, I felt we needed to offer something practical for our senior members that doesn't just help prevent accidents but also enables them to stay physically active and involved in the community."

Each 1-hour class starts with a warm-up and stretches to prepare the body, before participants move on to strength and conditioning exercises to build resilience, followed by practicing martial arts techniques such as hammer fists, basic punches, knife hands, front kicks, and defensive manoeuvres, whilst incorporating abdominal work to enhance core strength-all in a fun and supportive social environment.

Ms Jones says that, although participants are being taught self-defence techniques, they're also improving their ability to fall safely, and building confidence in their physical capabilities to prevent falls.

"As we age, our bone density and muscle mass deteriorate, so maintaining physical strength and balance is very important in preventing serious injuries from everyday accidents," said Ms Jones.

"This course is designed to combat that risk by teaching practical self-defence techniques to strengthen the core muscles that support balance and stability, while also being really enjoyable-everyone that comes out of that class has a smile on their face."

Although this program is now reaching the end of its 10-week duration, the Shire of Denmark and the Denmark Recreation Centre hope to continue providing courses like this to promote physical wellbeing, foster social connection, and encourage our seniors to stay active, engaged, and empowered, as valued members of our community.

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Shire of Denmark published this content on June 09, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 09, 2025 at 06:15 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io