Personal Training for Seniors & Frail Adults.
Build strength. Move with confidence. Stay independent.
Your body may change with age, but losing strength, mobility and confidence doesn’t have to be part of the process.
At 5th Element Wellness, we provide personalised 1:1 personal training for older adults and people who are frail, deconditioned or returning to exercise after a long period of inactivity.
Every session is adapted to your current ability, movement, confidence and goals, with a focus on helping you become stronger and more capable in everyday life.
What 1:1 at 5EW actually is.
Training for older adults isn’t about pushing you through exhausting workouts.
It’s about meeting you where you are and progressively building what you need.
That might mean getting stronger getting out of a chair, improving your balance, walking with greater confidence, carrying groceries, climbing stairs, getting down to the floor and back up again, or simply feeling more capable in your own body.
Your programme is built around you, not your age.
Pricing is membership-based and shaped around session frequency.
We walk you through it on your free consult.
Ciaran Garland
Training Older Adults Is About More Than Exercise
Ciaran champions working with older adults and people who need a more considered approach to training.
He holds a Master’s in Strength & Conditioning and combines a strong evidence-based foundation with a holistic approach to recovery, sleep, stress and overall wellbeing.
His approach is particularly suited to people who don’t want to be thrown into a high-intensity workout or made to feel uncomfortable on the gym floor.
Ciaran takes the time to understand where you’re starting, what you’re capable of today and what you want to be able to do in the future.
His approach is simple:
Start where you are. Build gradually. Keep progressing.
For an older or frail person, progress might not mean lifting a huge amount of weight.
It might mean standing up more easily.
Walking further.
Feeling steadier on your feet.
Getting up and down from the floor with more confidence.
Carrying your own shopping.
Or simply feeling less afraid of movement.
That’s progress too.
How it actually works.
You don’t need to know how to exercise before you start.
We’ll guide you through the process from your first conversation through to your ongoing training.
Discovery Consult
Start with a 60-minute conversation with one of our coaches at the gym.
We’ll discuss your health and training history, current activity levels, goals, movement concerns and anything that has made exercise difficult in the past.
Movement & Composition Assessment
We’ll establish a clear starting point for your programme.
Your coach looks at your movement, mobility, posture, balance and physical capabilities so your training can be appropriately scaled to you.
Where appropriate, body composition data can also help us track changes over time.
Your Personalised Programme
Your programme is built around your ability, goals and lifestyle.
Exercises can be progressed or modified as you become stronger, more mobile and more confident.
Your programme is also available through our coaching app, giving you a clear plan between sessions.
Coached Sessions Each Week
You’ll train 1:1 with your coach through structured sessions designed around your current ability.
There’s no expectation that you need to keep up with anyone else.
You work at your pace, with your coach there to guide technique, provide support and progressively challenge you.
Want blood chemistry in the mix? The diagnostic layer lives in our signature programme → Optimal You
Awarded. Qualified. Here for the long haul.
Nine coaches. Average tenure: years, not months. Every programme starts with one of them sitting down with you. No rotating trainers, no handoffs, no starting over.
AUSactive National AwardsOne of nine coaches on the floor
Appointed by invitation
sitting down with you
Training for the Things That Matter Outside the Gym
Your programme can be built around the specific areas you want to improve.
Strength
Build the physical strength needed for everyday activities.
Mobility
Improve your ability to move through everyday ranges of motion.
Balance
Develop better control and confidence during standing and movement.
Getting Up & Down
Practise movements such as sitting, standing and getting down to and up from the floor.
Walking & Stairs
Build the strength and control needed for everyday walking and stairs.
Confidence
Gradually rebuild trust in your body and your ability to move.
Independence
Support the physical capacity needed to keep doing more for yourself.
General Fitness
Improve your overall physical capacity without overwhelming your body.
If You’ve Become Less Active
You Don’t Have to Go From Frail to Fit Overnight.
Maybe you’ve spent the last few years becoming less active.
Maybe an injury or health setback changed what you could do.
Maybe you’re finding everyday tasks harder than they used to be.
Or perhaps you’re simply worried about starting exercise because you don’t know where to begin.
You don’t need to be fit before you start.
You need a starting point that makes sense for you.
At 5EW, your first sessions can be simple and highly supported. As your capacity improves, we gradually build from there.
The goal isn’t to prove what you can do on day one.
It’s to give you the opportunity to do more six months from now.
A Different Kind of Gym for Older Adults
You won’t be thrown into a crowded class or handed a generic programme.
At 5EW, your training is personal.
Pricing is membership-based and shaped around session frequency. We walk you through it on your free consult. There are no online packages to buy before you’ve met a coach.
Five types of 1:1 PT, depending on where you’re starting.
Same method, same coaches, shaped around the body you’re bringing in. Each pathway is a specialisation of the 1:1 programme, not a different product.
01Personal Training for Beginners
New to the gym floor. We start with confidence, not complexity.
Explore ↗
02Over-40s Personal Training
Strength, mobility and longevity for the decades ahead.
Explore ↗03Returning to Exercise
Back after a break. We’ll meet you exactly where you are.
Explore ↗
04Back Pain & Mobility
Rebuild from injury with coaches who read the whole body.
Explore ↗
05Busy Professionals
Efficient, expert-led training that fits a full calendar.
Explore ↗FAQ
Is personal training suitable if I’m very frail?
Yes. Personal training can be adapted to very different starting points. Your coach can modify exercises using support, reduced resistance, smaller ranges of motion and slower tempos where appropriate.
The important thing is establishing what you can safely do and progressing from there.
I’ve never been to a gym before. Can I still start?
Absolutely. You don’t need previous gym experience.
Your coach will teach you each movement, explain why you’re doing it and make sure you’re comfortable before progressing.
What if I have poor balance?
Balance can be incorporated into your training programme where appropriate.
Your coach can use supported and controlled exercises and progressively challenge your balance as your strength and confidence improve.
What if I’ve been inactive for years?
That’s exactly why the programme starts with where you are now.
You don’t need to make up for lost time. Your coach will establish a realistic starting point and gradually build your capacity.
Can I train if I have existing injuries or physical limitations?
Membership-based, shaped around how often you train. We walk you through it on the free consult. There are no online packages to buy beforMany older adults come to us with previous injuries, stiffness or movement limitations.
We’ll discuss your history during your consultation and build your training around what you can currently do. Where your circumstances require medical or allied-health input, we’ll work within appropriate professional guidance.e you’ve met a coach.
How often should I train?
That depends on your starting point, goals and recovery capacity.
We’ll discuss your circumstances during your consultation and recommend a training frequency that is realistic and sustainable.
Will I be pushed too hard?
The goal isn’t to exhaust you.
Training should provide an appropriate challenge while allowing you to recover and adapt. Your coach will adjust the difficulty based on how you’re moving and responding to the training.
Meet a coach for a free discovery consultation. See if we’re the right fit for you.
No commitment. No hard sell. A conversation with one of our coaches, on the floor, in the space, with a coffee if you want one.
Fitzroy North · Clifton Hill · Carlton North · Since 2013