Proprietor Paul Perkins saw the need for the class after he was approached by some mature women who were looking to improve their overall fitness.

“After I was approached by the women I decided to put it out there and I was amazed at the response I got,” Mr Perkins said.

The age of the women attending the class ranges up from 55, with the oldest participant being 82 years old.

“The class has been running for more than 12 months now and we have about 12 women at each session,” Mr Perkins said.

The hour-long class is held twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from noon and is designed to improve the women’s mobility, flexibility, balance and core strength.

“We have a varied range of sessions that we take the group through,” Mr Perkins said.

“From light sessions on the spin bikes, low impact weights circuits to exercise sessions around the river on nice days.

“The ladies have been progressing really well with some big improvements in their fitness since the group started.

“These ladies really prove that the gym is for everyone no matter what their age is,” he said.

Mr Perkins, who takes the ladies through their workout, said one thing he really tries to get across is you don’t have to be a certain type of member, “we welcome everyone”.

“We provide a positive and motivating environment for our members,” he said.

Mr Perkins said he enjoyed working with his Over 55s class, who he said were quite motivating and very funny.

“They are extremely consistent with the class being quite funny at times, the ladies are a bunch of comedians and a lot of fun to train,” he said.