New active ageing centre in Yishun helps seniors build confidence in gyms, find purpose in life

Rita Joseph, 71, at TOUCHpoint@Yishun 148, which offers a programme to help seniors gain confidence in using gym equipment before gradually transiting to community gyms.

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Published Sep 18, 2026, 09:42 PM

Updated Sep 18, 2026, 09:42 PM

A new Active Ageing Centre in Yishun offers a six-week gym programme to help seniors aged 60 and above build confidence and gradually transition to community gyms.

The centre also runs a wellness and community activation programme helping seniors find purpose, reflect on their lives, and understand their emotions.

Supported by DBS Foundation's $1.5 million funding, Touch Community Services aims to train 700 elderly wellness motivators and expand to ten centres by 2027 to combat senior isolation.

SINGAPORE – When 71-year-old full-time caregiver Rita Joseph suffered a stroke in October 2015 that s everely weakened the right side of her body, she suddenly found herself on the receiving end of care.

The former nurse was unable to do tasks such as using utensils and opening bottles and required assistance from her husband. She could only wait for him to return home to help her.

While Rita was determined to regain her strength through active exercise, fear held her back from stepping into a community gym on her own.

That changed in July 2026, when Touch Community Services encouraged her to join a senior-centric gym programme at its new active ageing centre (AAC) in Yishun.

Officially opened on Sept 18, TOUCHpoint@Yishun 148 offers a six-week programme to help seniors aged 60 and above gain confidence in using gym equipment before gradually transiting to community gyms.

Called “Start Strong. Stay Strong”, the programme keeps workouts engaging by gamifying the machines, encouraging the seniors to challenge their physical strength and earn points as they exercise.

Another initiative is TOUCH Senior Wellness and Community Activation Programme, which takes active aging beyond routine activities to holistic wellness. Programmes include those that help seniors find purpose in life and understand their own emotions.

The initative is a collaboration with DBS Foundation, which has committed $1.5 million over four and a half years.

TOUCH Community Services plan to recruit and train 700 elderly individuals over three years as wellness motivators to assist their vulnerable and socially isolated peers.

With the opening of TOUCHpoint@Yishun 148, the number of AACs by Touch Community Services is now seven, with three more scheduled to open in 2027.

Lily Wee, 72, a former secretary of a furnishing company, never expected to benefit from a programme that would require her to reflect on her life’s journey.

During the wellness and community activation programme , she found herself opening up about her insecurities.

She had spent 12 years in Kazakhstan where she helped children in need, fulfilling a lifelong desire to volunteer after mother’s sudden death.

When her visa expired, she was forced to come back to Singapor e in 2018, which left her feeling lost and unsure of her identity.

The programme helped her to reflect on what she had accomplished and rediscover her sense of self.

“I realised this is what senior citizens need – a platform and safe space for us to share and...reflect about our lives,” she said. “I didn’t realise I had the courage to go to Kazakhstan. I mean going all the way there alone. I was surprised.”

Touch Community Services cited a 2022 study by the National University of Singapore, involving 17,000 seniors aged 61 to 96. It found that one in 16 seniors was disengaged from the community. This highlighted the vital need to fund senior wellness initiatives that build lasting connections and a sense of fulfilment in later life, said the social service agency.

Nee Soon GRC MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi said the senior wellness programme responds directly to the needs of the community, enabling the new AAC to provide not just the hardware but also the “heartware” to support seniors.

“Through the reflection exercise...you could see that there are so many things that seniors can draw upon – their wisdom, their strength – not only for themselves or their peers, but also to share with the younger next generation,” he said.

As for the six-week gym programme, it is held twice a week. For the first six months after the centre’s opening, enrolment costs $20.

Rita found her anxieties alleviated after going through the programme.

“Last time I was very afraid to go inside any gym. I felt that it was something not for me. But now that they’ve trained us, I’m more confident about entering any gym,” she said.

Health and well-being

71 岁的 Rita Joseph 在 TOUCHpoint@Yishun 148 工作，该机构提供一项计划，帮助老年人在使用健身器材之前建立信心，然后逐步过渡到社区健身房。

图片来源：联合早报

发布于 2026 年 9 月 18 日晚上 9:42

更新于2026年9月18日晚上9:42

义顺新开设的活力老龄化中心提供为期六周的健身计划，帮助 60 岁及以上的老年人建立自信，并逐步过渡到社区健身房。

该中心还开展健康和社区活动计划，帮助老年人找到生活目标，反思人生，并了解自己的情绪。

在星展基金会 150 万美元的资助下，Touch Community Services 计划到 2027 年培训 700 名老年人健康激励员，并将中心扩展到 10 个，以对抗老年人的孤独感。

新加坡——2015 年 10 月，71 岁的全职护理员丽塔·约瑟夫 (Rita Joseph) 中风，导致她身体右侧严重虚弱，她突然发现自己成了被护理的对象。

这位前护士无法完成诸如使用餐具和打开瓶子之类的日常活动，需要丈夫的帮助。她只能等待丈夫回家后才能得到帮助。

尽管丽塔决心通过积极的锻炼来恢复体力，但恐惧让她不敢独自走进社区健身房。

2026 年 7 月，情况发生了变化，Touch Community Services 鼓励她参加其位于义顺的新活跃老龄化中心 (AAC) 的以老年人为中心的健身计划。

TOUCHpoint@Yishun 148 于 9 月 18 日正式开业，提供为期六周的课程，帮助 60 岁及以上的老年人建立使用健身器材的信心，然后逐步过渡到社区健身房。

该计划名为“强健起步，保持强健”，通过将健身器材游戏化，鼓励老年人挑战自己的体能，并在锻炼过程中赚取积分，从而保持锻炼的趣味性。

另一项举措是“TOUCH 长者健康与社区活动计划”，该计划将积极老龄化从日常活动扩展到身心健康。该计划包括帮助长者找到人生目标并了解自身情绪的项目。

该计划是与星展基金会合作开展的，该基金会承诺在四年半内投入 150 万美元。

TOUCH 社区服务计划在三年内招募和培训 700 名老年人作为健康激励者，以帮助他们弱势和社交孤立的同龄人。

随着 TOUCHpoint@Yishun 148 的开业，Touch Community Services 旗下的 AAC 数量现已达到 7 个，另有 3 个计划于 2027 年开业。

72岁的莉莉·魏（Lily Wee）曾是一家家具公司的秘书，她从未想过自己会从一个需要反思人生历程的节目中受益。

在参与健康和社区活动计划的过程中，她开始敞开心扉地谈论自己的不安全感。

她在哈萨克斯坦生活了 12 年，帮助有需要的儿童，实现了母亲突然去世后她毕生想做志愿者的愿望。

2018 年，她的签证到期后，她被迫返回新加坡，这让她感到迷茫，对自己的身份感到不确定。

该项目帮助她反思自己取得的成就，并重新发现了自我。

“我意识到这正是老年人需要的——一个平台和一个安全的空间，让我们能够分享和反思自己的人生，”她说。“我没想到自己有勇气去哈萨克斯坦。我是说，独自一人去那里。我自己都感到惊讶。”

Touch Community Services援引新加坡国立大学2022年的一项研究，该研究调查了17000名年龄在61岁至96岁之间的长者。研究发现，每16名长者中就有1名与社区脱节。该社会服务机构表示，这凸显了资助长者健康计划的迫切需要，这些计划旨在帮助长者建立持久的人际关系，并在晚年生活中获得满足感。

义顺集选区议员赛义德·哈伦·阿尔哈布西表示，老年人健康计划直接回应社区的需求，使新的AAC不仅能够提供硬件，还能提供“心灵支持”来帮助老年人。

他说：“通过反思练习……你会发现老年人可以汲取很多东西——他们的智慧和力量——不仅可以用于自身或同龄人，还可以与年轻一代分享。”

至于为期六周的健身计划，每周进行两次。中心开业后的前六个月，报名费为20美元。

参加完这个项目后，丽塔的焦虑情绪得到了缓解。

“以前我很害怕去任何健身房。我觉得那不适合我。但现在经过他们的培训，我对去任何健身房都更有信心了，”她说。

健康与福祉