The community of Spring Ridge has embraced a year's worth of free exercise classes.
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The new initiative is driven by resident Laura Wilmott and funded by a Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network Empowering Communities Grant.
Since early June, instructors from Plains Fitness, Quirindi, have been running classes in the Spring Ridge hall on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for all ages and abilities. A big drawcard for parents is child-minding at the 9am class on Tuesdays.
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Ms Wilmott said the initiative was "going really well", with 23 locals turning up to the first class alone.
The exercise physiologist and dietitian said she had been to a few classes herself and there had been a "mix of ages from late teens, early 20s, right through to 60- to 70-year-olds".
"It's been really well received. There's been a lot of chat around the community and everyone's really excited," Ms Wilmott said.
"[The classes] are a good mix of cardio, body weight and actual weights, and my husband's been to the boxing on Thursday morning and he really enjoyed that."
Ms Wilmott said some locals had been "hesitant" about their ability to handle the classes, but "the instructors are really great" and adapt the activities to "fit every fitness level".
"It fits a good cross-section of the community," she said.
The young mum said the child-minding service was also a hit, with New England North West Child Minding Services on the job.
"They're great ... They bring craft, games, activities and rugs for the kids to sit on outside," she said.
Though it's early days, Ms Wilmott said: "It's really rewarding for me to see people making use of [the classes] and enjoying it".
- Free exercise classes are held at the Spring Ridge hall on Mondays at 5.30pm, Tuesdays at 9am (child-minding available) and Thursday at 6.30am. For more information, phone Laura Willmott on 0418 259 052.