Improving the fitness of older people is the aim of a new gym that will open at Jesmond Pool in January.

The gym will include equipment selected to promote healthy ageing, including a hand crank to promote wrist mobilisation and a rotary hip machine that strengthens the groin and hamstrings.

Local people will get a chance to view the new gym during an open day on Friday 24 January from 11:30am to 4:30pm when Pool staff and members will be on hand to offer advice. Chefs will also be on-site, providing healthy snacks packed with protein to maintain muscle density, which can decline with age. Attendees will also be offered a free week membership to try the new facilities.

The open day will be led by trained staff, including Anne Douglas, a qualified personal trainer with in-depth training in osteoporosis, trips and falls, as well as dementia awareness. She runs the senior fitness group classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as the “Nifty over 50” — a circuit-based class that runs on Fridays.

“The main reason people don’t want to join gyms is because of all the heavy lifters and extremely fit people that embarrass them,” said Pool employee Craig Johnson, who explained that the aim at Jesmond Pool is to provide an inclusive space for members to keep fit, irrespective of their age.

He said exercise is also vital to maintaining good mental health and decreasing the symptoms of neurological illnesses such as dementia that come with age. To sign up for the open day, call Jesmond Pool on 0191 281 2482 or visit the pool on St George’s Terrace.