ENJOY

Active ageing in the outdoors for older people: working together for a healthier world

Creating inclusive and accessible outdoor environments that encourage and provide opportunities for older adults to engage in physical activity and social interaction is important for healthy ageing.

The National Ageing Research Institute in partnership with several local governments, government bodies and stakeholders have been working together to create age-friendly outdoor spaces for older people to engage in physical and social activities for healthier and liveable cities and communities in Victoria.

The design of outdoor public spaces, including parks, leisure spaces and outdoor exercise equipment should be inclusive of all ages and abilities. We have provided some practical recommendations and suggestions for the design of age friendly outdoor spaces.

Further insights and strategies for creating inclusive, age-friendly multigenerational recreational spaces, including key design features, safety, and usability considerations, are also available here. Additionally, you can read more about Australia’s first dedicated outdoor rehabilitation space in a hospital setting.

For further details please contact the project leader Professor Pazit Levinger.

Relevant research publications

Brusco, N.K., Fearn, M., Hill, K.D., Dreher, B., Bauman, A., Gilbert, A., Soh, S.E., Burton, E., Muoio, R., Levinger, P., (2026). A social return on investment analysis of the ENJOY Seniors Exercise Park IMP-ACT project: improving older people’s health through physical activity. BMC Geriatrics.

Muoio, R., Gilbert, A.S., Fearn, M., Dreher, B., Hill, K.D., Bauman, A., Soh, S.E., Brusco, N.K., Burton, E., Levinger, P. (2026). Implementation Factors Influencing Utilisation of Seniors Exercise Parks: A Community Stakeholder Qualitative Study. Wellbeing, Space and Society, p.100379.

Levinger, P., Fearn, M., Dreher, B., Bauman, A., Soh, SE., Brusco, NK., Gilbert, A., Muoio, R., Burton, E., Hill, K (2025). IMProving older people’s health through physical ACTivity: the implementation of a community-based framework to promote park-based active ageing. BMC Public Health 25(1):4385.

Levinger, P., Hall, J. & Hill, K. (2025) The roadmap for creating a novel outdoor activity space in a rehabilitation hospital setting: the OASIS program initiative. Arch Public Health 83, 190.

Levinger, P., Dreher, B., Fearn, M., & Hill, K. D. (2025). Successful Implementation and Sustainability of a Physical Activity Health Promotion Approach Utilising Community Peer‐Led Training: Case Studies of Two Local Governments in Victoria. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 36(2), e70005.

Levinger, P., Mcconaghy, R., Dreher, B., James, L., Fearn, M., McKenna, T., Hallissey, M., Hill, K. D. (2025) Recreational Spaces: How Best to Design and Cater for Older People’s Safe Engagement in Physical Activity. Journal of Population Ageing, 1-28.

Levinger, P., Dreher, B., Fearn, M., Bauman, A., Brusco, N. K., Gilbert, A., Soh, S. E., Burton, E., Hallissey, M., Hill, K. D. (2024). Direct Observations of Intergenerational Visits and Activities at Six Local Recreational Parks in Victoria, Australia. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, Nov 4:1-10.

Levinger, P., Dreher, B. L., Soh, S. E., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., & Hill, K. D. (2024). Multigenerational spaces: the usage and activities of different age groups within six community parks in Victoria, Australia. Journal of Public Health, 46(3), 403-411.

Levinger, P., Dreher, B. L., Soh, S. E., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., & Hill, K. D. (2024). Results from the ENJOY MAP for HEALTH: a quasi experiment evaluating the impact of age-friendly outdoor exercise equipment to increase older people’s park visitations and physical activity. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1-12.

Levinger, P., Dreher, B. L., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., & Hill, K. D. (2024). Older people’s views and usage of recreational spaces in parks with age-friendly outdoor exercise equipment. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 1-13.

Levinger, P., Fearn, M., Dreher, B., Bauman, A., Brusco, N. K., Gilbert, A., ... & Hill, K. D. (2024). The ENJOY Seniors Exercise Park IMP-ACT project: IMProving older people’s health through physical ACTivity: a hybrid II implementation design study protocol. Archives of Public Health, 82(1), 43.

Levinger, P., Dreher, B. L., Dunn, J., Garratt, S., Abfalter, E., Dow, B., ... & Hill, K. D. (2023). Parks visitation, physical activity engagement, and older people’s motivation for visiting local parks. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 1(aop), 1-10.

Levinger, P., Goh, A. M., Dunn, J., Katite, J., Paudel, R., Onofrio, A., ... & Hill, K. D. (2023). Exercise interveNtion outdoor proJect in the cOmmunitY–results from the ENJOY program for independence in dementia: a feasibility pilot randomised controlled trial. BMC Geriatrics, 23(1), 426.

Brusco, N. K., Hill, K. D., Haines, T., Dunn, J., Panisset, M. G., Dow, B., ... & Levinger, P. (2023). Cost-effectiveness of the ENJOY seniors exercise park for older people: a pre–post intervention study. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 20(6), 555-565.

Ng, Y. L., Hill, K. D., Levinger, P., Jacques, A., & Burton, E. (2023). A seniors exercise park program for older adults with mild balance dysfunction–a feasibility study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45(19), 3143-3154.

Levinger, P., Cerin, E., Milner, C., & Hill, K. D. (2022). Older people and nature: the benefits of outdoors, parks and nature in light of COVID-19 and beyond–where to from here?. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 32(6), 1329-1336.

Levinger, P., Dunn, J., Abfalter, E., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., Garratt, S., ... & Hill, K. D. (2022). The ENJOY MAP for HEALTH: Exercise interveNtion outdoor proJect in the cOmmunitY for older people—More Active People for HEALTHier communities: a study protocol. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1027.

Levinger, P., Goh, A. M., Dunn, J., Katite, J., Paudel, R., Onofrio, A., ... & Hill, K. D. (2022). Exercise interveNtion outdoor proJect in the cOmmunitY—ENJOY program for independence in dementia: a feasibility pilot randomised controlled trial study protocol. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 8(1), 66.

Levinger, P., Dunn, J., Panisset, M. G., Haines, T., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., ... & Hill, K. D. (2022). The Effect of the ENJOY Seniors exercise park physical activity program on falls in older people in the community: a prospective pre-post study design. The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 26(3), 217-221.

Levinger, P., Dunn, J., Panisset, M., Haines, T., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., ... & Hill, K. D. (2021). The ENJOY project: Usage and factors to support adherence and physical activity participation. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 6(3), 1-6.

Levinger, P., Dunn, J., Panisset, M., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., Biddle, S. J., ... & Hill, K. D. (2021). Challenges and lessons learnt from the ENJOY project: recommendations for future collaborative research implementation framework with local governments for improving the environment to promote physical activity for older people. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1192.

Levinger, P., Panisset, M., Parker, H., Batchelor, F., Tye, M., & Hill, K. D. (2021). Guidance about age‐friendly outdoor exercise equipment and associated strategies to maximise usability for older people. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 32(3), 475-482.

Levinger, P., Panisset, M., Dunn, J., Haines, T., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., ... & Hill, K. D. (2020). Exercise interveNtion outdoor proJect in the cOmmunitY for older people–results from the ENJOY Seniors Exercise Park project translation research in the community. BMC Geriatrics, 20, 1-13.

Levinger, P., Panisset, M., Dunn, J., Haines, T., Dow, B., Batchelor, F., ... & Hill, K. D. (2019). Exercise interveNtion outdoor proJect in the cOmmunitY for older people–the ENJOY Senior Exercise Park project translation research protocol. BMC Public Health, 19, 1-11.

Levinger, P., Sales, M., Polman, R., Haines, T., Dow, B., Biddle, S. J., ... & Hill, K. D. (2018). Outdoor physical activity for older people—The senior exercise park: Current research, challenges and future directions. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 29(3), 353-359.

Sales, M., Polman, R., Hill, K., & Levinger, P. (2018). Older adults' perceptions of a novel outdoor exercise initiative: A qualitative analysis. The Journal of Aging and Social Change, 8(1), 61-78.

Sales, M., Polman, R., Hill, K. D., & Levinger, P. (2017). A novel exercise initiative for seniors to improve balance and physical function. Journal of Aging and Health, 29(8), 1424-1443.

Sales, M. P. R., Polman, R., Hill, K. D., Karaharju-Huisman, T., & Levinger, P. (2015). A novel dynamic exercise initiative for older people to improve health and well-being: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMC Geriatrics, 15, 1-17.

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