Finding community in the pool

ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander community members and their families based in the Tweed are being encouraged to take part in two free, culturally safe physical activity programs aimed at improving health, wellbeing and social connection.

The programs, Aquafit and Tweed Goorie Go-Getters, are supported by Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) and are designed to provide welcoming environments where participants can exercise at their own pace while building strength, confidence and community connection.

Aquafit is a low-impact, water-based exercise program held in a heated indoor pool at Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre in Tweed Heads South.

Suitable for both swimmers and non-swimmers, it uses water resistance and equipment to support mobility, strength and confidence without placing strain on joints.

Long-term participant Sandra Corowa said the program had played an important role in her recovery following hip surgery.

“The water aerobics has 100 per cent helped my hips post-surgery,” Corowa said.

“In the water you can move a lot more freely.”

Another participant, Donna Dance, said Aquafit had made a significant difference in managing chronic pain.

“Aquafit is my happy place,” Dance said.

“I haven’t had a steroid injection in nine months.”

“I’m sleeping better and I can get around so much more easily.”

Along with Aquafit, the Tweed Goorie Go-Getters program offers a 12-week group fitness initiative designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families in a culturally safe and supportive setting.

Participant Lois O’Connor, who has lived with chronic lung disease and has recovered from multiple falls, said the program had been vital to her ongoing health.

 

“When I stop exercising, I get sick,” O’Connor said.

“If you exercise, you keep your lungs working.”

“Go-Getters has really helped me recover.

“I feel better all over.”

For Diane Weir, the program has also provided an important source of social connection after retirement, as well as a way to maintain physical health.

“It’s been a wonderful way to keep in contact with my Indigenous community,” Weir said.

“It strengthens the body, builds confidence and is great for your mental health.”

NNSWLHD acting director Aboriginal health, oral health and health promotion Cameron Johnson said the feedback highlights the importance of culturally safe, community-led programs.

“We hear again and again that these programs help people feel stronger, more confident and more connected,” Johnson said.

“They’re about much more than exercise; they’re about belonging and wellbeing.”

Both Aquafit and Tweed Goorie Go-Getters are available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 years and over, and participants require medical clearance.

Aquafit is currently running every Monday from 10.30am to 11.15am until 29 June at Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre, Heffron Street, Tweed Heads South.

To learn more, contact [email protected].

Tweed Goorie Go-Getters is running twice weekly from 2 June to 20 August. To register interest, visit healthupnorth.info/TGG26