Australian kids have known for generations the social, wellbeing, and physical benefits of outdoor play, with an innovative new program offering our older citizens the chance to rediscover that childhood magic. Dubbed “Free-Range Outdoors”, the initiative literally involves participants jumping, frolicking, exercising, and even rolling around on the grass outside, among other unstructured and fun activities.

Derived from the well-known Scottish “WildStrong – Nature Moves” project, the program is now being offered locally by accredited exercise physiologist, Hilary Smith. Ms Smith previously ran a nine-week pilot of the regime with a group of friends from her local church and had the old lads and lasses down on the grass crawling, rolling, bending, jumping, laughing, and playing games. “Hopefully it will become a summertime community event. If you picture parkrun, it can just become something that people go to,” Ms Smith told Orange City Life. “It’s about older people outdoors and doing stuff and having so much fun,” she added. Her trial program involved half a dozen older members of the local Presbyterian congregation once a week during Term Three of the school year. “Professionally speaking, exercise physiologists are cousins with physiotherapists, but we’re quite different… if it all picks up, I’d look at running it a few times a week. “I run my business from the Orange City Bowling Club’s Health and Fitness Centre, and that’s where I’ll be running the program from,” Ms Smith explained.

Ms Smith believes her program – a new form of exercise uniquely designed to utilise the wonders of our great outdoors – is the first of its kind in Australia. “It has no official title but can be described as group exercise, play-based using principles of grounding and fall resilience,” Ms Smith revealed. “Aimed at older people, it’s about making them confident to get on the ground and get up again.” The program isn’t designed to be a hard slog, though, and having a good time is also a key component, she added.

“The social benefits of having it in a group setting are that they can work and play together at the same time as enjoying an increase in confidence. “There are also the mental health benefits of being outside; one of the members in the pilot really enjoyed playing a game that wasn’t organised sport,” Ms Smith recalled.

The aim, Ms Smith said, is to keep active, physically and mentally, and to also have some fun. “There’s even a seated version of volleyball. It’s very ‘levelling’, and everyone has a great time being part of something. “The aim is to be outside and also to be able to get on and off the ground.”

The proof is in the pudding, she believes, with a wonderful anecdote from one of the first participants in the pilot program. “She is aged 73, and she went to her school reunion recently, and a group shot was taken where the photographer asked if anyone could get on the ground for the photo, and this woman was the only one confident enough to do it!” Ms Smith said. “That was wonderful. Rather than shrinking your world, we want it to grow!”

Ms Smith is looking to launch her new program in mid-October. Here's the link for more information.