Staying Steady

Community-based exercise classes focusing on strength and balance for older people in City and Hackney

“The classes keep me agile and motivate my physical wellbeing and my mind. It’s something to look forward to!”

Staying Steady class participant

Stay active, confident and independent as you get older.

As people age, their muscle strength and balance tends to deteriorate which places them at risk of falls.

The best way to maintain strength and balance is to do regular exercise (twice a week or more) that specifically focuses on strength and balance.

Not only that, group exercise is a fantastic way to meet people and have some fun!

We run community-based classes for older people living in City and Hackney that follow the 6-month Falls Management Exercise programme, which is proven to reduce the risk of falls.

All classes are free to attend and we accept referrals from professionals as well as self-referrals.

Referral forms and a summary of our current classes are below.

How to Refer

Please complete a referral form and send it to stayingsteady@mrsindependentliving.org. Some referrals may require GP clearance before we can accept them.

Refer someone as a professional
Refer yourself

Golden Lane Community Centre

  • This class is for older men and women aged over 55 who live in the City of London.

  • Tuesdays, 10.45 to 11.45am

  • Golden Lane Community Centre, Golden Lane Estate, London EC1Y 0SA

Portsoken Community centre (Women only)

  • This class is for older women aged over 55 who live in the City of London.

    We run a separate class for older men at Portsoken as part of our City Dudes project.

  • Thursdays, 10.45 to 11.45am

  • Portsoken Community Centre, 20 Little Somerset St, London E1 8AH

Redmond Community Centre

  • This class is intended for older men and women living or registered with a GP in or near the Woodberry Wetlands neighbourhood area (if you have questions about neighbourhood boundaries, please get in touch for advice).

  • Fridays, 11.30am to 12.30pm

  • Kayani Avenue, Woodberry Down, London N4 2HF

“Thank you for helping me to understand the importance of exercise and flexibility as part of ageing. The course has been a great help to me to maintain fitness in older age.”

What to expect

  • 24-week programme

    Staying Steady is a programme of weekly exercise classes delivered over 6 months. Classes take place in community venues around City and Hackney.

  • Focus on strength and balance

    Classes focus on building and maintaining strength and balance. We work on strengthening the legs and back, improving posture and balance, and building confidence.

  • Meet new people

    Classes are friendly and sociable and a chance to meet new people in the community.

See inside a Staying Steady class!

Two older women sit on chairs with their feet holding down a resistance band. They are pulling the bands back behind them.
Two older woman stand behind and hold onto the back of chairs. Each has one leg outstretched with toes raised.
Two older women stand on one leg behind two chairs, holding onto the backs of the chairs.
Two older women stand behind two chairs. They are standing on their toes with heels raised.

Our Partners

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