Conor Canning's Personal Best Fitness Launches Forever Active PLUS Classes for Older Australians
Nov 8, 2026
Former real estate agency director and Bachelor in Paradise star Conor Canning's gym, Personal Best Fitness, will run Forever Active PLUS exercise classes for older adults from November 2026, funded by Primary Health Tasmania and offered at no cost.
Australia, November 8, 2026 -- Personal Best Fitness, the North Hobart gym co-owned by entrepreneur and podcast host Conor Canning, will launch Forever Active PLUS in November 2026. The weekly exercise program for older adults is funded by Primary Health Tasmania and offered at no cost to participants.
Classes will run at Margate Hall on Mondays, the Claremont Girl Guide Hall on Wednesdays and the Personal Best Fitness studio in North Hobart on Fridays. The program is open to people aged 60 and over, and to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 45 and over. Each participant completes a health assessment on joining and every six months after, so progress can be measured. Classes suit people managing arthritis, diabetes, heart conditions and balance problems, and are led by instructors with Level 4 fitness qualifications and specialist older-adult training. According to the federal Centre for Population, Tasmania remains Australia's oldest state.
"We've run senior classes for more than ten years and we've watched what it does to people," said Canning. "Mobility comes back, confidence comes back, and people who were isolated end up with a whole group of friends. We wanted more people to get that, not just the ones who can afford a gym membership."
Two of the gym's longest-standing members are the program's ambassadors. Julie, 79, had never set foot in a gym until she joined the seniors classes after the death of her husband, Ray. She credits the group with supporting her through that period, and says her doctor recently remarked on how much her mobility had improved. Barb, 71, has trained at the gym for years and says she notices the difference in her mood and mobility whenever she takes time off.
"We're not trying to turn 75-year-olds into athletes," said Canning. "We're trying to keep people on their feet and out of hospital. Most of the people who need this most won't walk into a gym on their own, so we're taking the classes to community halls instead."
Personal Best Fitness has operated in North Hobart since 1998. In August it won the Customer Service Excellence Award at the inaugural Greater Hobart Small Business Excellence Awards, chosen from 21 finalists. Canning also co-owns Health & Leisure, a fitness equipment retailer founded in 1992 that carries the largest range of gym equipment in Tasmania. It supplies commercial gyms and hotels and works with customers from beginners to Olympic athletes.
Before moving into fitness and small business, Canning built an award-winning real estate career. He rose to agency director and won the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania's Large Residential Agency of the Year. He became known to national audiences on Channel Ten's Bachelor in Paradise, where he met his now-wife, Mary Viturino. The couple are raising five children together. He has also appeared in Deadloch, the Amazon Original series that reached the top 10 on Prime Video in more than 165 countries.
"Being in the public eye brings blessings and challenges in equal measure," said Canning. "When you stumble, and I stumbled, there is nowhere to hide. I lost everything. Once the storm cleared I came out a better person, more resilient and grateful for every lesson. Fitness was the foundation that got me through, and that is why this program matters so much to me."
During that period Canning supported JCP Youth's mentoring programs and worked with Anglicare supporting people experiencing homelessness. He serves as a board director of Kids Safe.
His wider work centres on helping Australian small business owners succeed. Through his work with Peninsula AU, Australia's largest provider of employment relations and HR services, he meets business owners every day. He hosts The Better Business Podcast with Conor Canning and publishes The HR Edge, a LinkedIn newsletter read by thousands of subscribers. His combined social audience is nearly 50,000.
"Small business owners are the backbone of this economy," said Canning. "Personal Best is a small business doing what small businesses do best, which is looking after its community. That is the story I tell on the podcast, and it is the one I get to live every day at the gym."
Registrations for Forever Active PLUS are open now by phone or email, and participants can also attend on the day once classes begin. More from Conor Canning is available at personalbestfitness.com.au.
About Personal Best Fitness
Personal Best Fitness has operated in North Hobart since 1998, offering strength training, group classes and seniors programs. It won the Customer Service Excellence Award at the 2026 Greater Hobart Small Business Excellence Awards and is listed on the COTA Tasmania service directory. Its Forever Active PLUS program is funded by Primary Health Tasmania.
About Conor Canning
Conor Canning is an Australian entrepreneur, content creator and small business advocate. A former real estate agency director, he is known to television audiences from Bachelor in Paradise and Amazon Prime Video's Deadloch. He co-owns Personal Best Fitness and Health & Leisure, works with Peninsula AU, hosts The Better Business Podcast with Conor Canning, publishes The HR Edge newsletter and serves as a board director of Kids Safe.
Contact Info:
Name: Conor Canning
Email: Send Email
Organization: Personal Best Fitness
Address: Australia
Website: https://www.personalbestfitness.com.au/
Release ID: 89208855
Should there be any problems, inaccuracies, or doubts arising from the content provided in this press release that require attention or if a press release needs to be taken down, we urge you to notify us immediately by contacting [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our efficient team will promptly address your concerns within 8 hours, taking necessary steps to rectify identified issues or assist with the removal process. Providing accurate and dependable information is central to our commitment.
More News
Fire breaks out in basement of building in Delhi's Khidki Extension; 10-11 rescued
Malviya Nagar fire: A fire occurred in the basement of a building located in Khidki Extension, South Delhi. The fire started in a parked car and was quickly reported to the authorities. Delhi Fire Services acted promptly, dispatching three fire tenders to the scene of the incident. About ten to eleven people trapped in the building were successfully rescued by the fire officials.
Setback for Bibi: Israel's president offers Benjamin Netanyahu's rival Gadi Eisenkot opportunity to form new government
Israel President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with the first opportunity to form a government after the October 27 elections, bringing him closer to potentially unseating long-serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot has six weeks to secure a parliamentary majority, but coalition talks face major hurdles, including divisions over Arab-led parties, religious factions and Netanyahu's political allies.
Strong earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 5.7 strikes Japan
Japan Earthquake: A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck central Japan in the early hours of Sunday. Shattered store windows and scattered debris were reported in affected areas, including Aichi and Shizuoka Prefectures. At least 22 people sustained injuries while trying to evacuate buildings during the tremor. The earthquake's epicenter was located 40 km beneath the surface, causing aftershocks to follow.
‘Criminal act’: Trump orders DOJ to probe Democrats over 'threats' against people
US President Donald Trump has accused Democrats of sending threatening letters amid their recent electoral success. He claimed these actions involve criminal behavior, though he did not provide evidence. Democratic leaders plan to increase oversight of the executive branch and conduct investigations once they assume control of Congress. Senator Elissa Slotkin suggested that potential Trump administration employees should consider the consequences of their involvement.
In China’s fierce race for success, mental health struggles are starting earlier
Moon Chen stared down at her textbook, struggling to make sense of the words on the page. The 15-year-old felt a suffocating weight press into her chest, while her heart fluttered erratically. Chen’s mother rushed her to a cardiologist – only to be told that she should see a psychiatrist instead. Chen, now in higher secondary school in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, vividly recalls the period before she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. At the time, she did not know that...
A Minnesota county sold a woman's condo for $40,000 over a $15,000 tax debt and kept the rest; what did the US Supreme Court say?
Notably, the original tax bill was around $2,300. But, after interest and penalties, the debt was increased to around $15,000. Hennepin County sold the property for $40,000 and kept the money left after settling Tyler's tax debt, according to the US Supreme Court. The dispute was mostly about whether the county could keep more than Tyler owed.
Intel is the worst-performing S&P 500 stock in Q4, down 57%, what exactly happened?
The recent development about Intel's latest quarterly results have raised concerns among investors. According to media reports, Intel's client computing business has faced pressure from a weakening demand of PC. The price of the memory is also rising. This factor is making computers more expensive and hence affecting the demand.
Tennis: World No. 1 and defending champion Elena Rybakina faces seven challengers at an intriguing WTA Finals
Of the eight women in California, Rybakina will be most eager to get her hands on the trophy. She beat Sabalenka in both the Australian Open and US Open finals, taking over as No. 1 after the New York triumph. The authority and poise in her play has delivered 54 wins in 68 matches this year, and four titles including two majors. At Indian Wells, Rybakina can become the first woman to retain the Finals title since Serena Williams won three in a row from 2012 to 2014.
'Most actors starve otherwise': '7th Heaven' star Jeremy London reveals he cuts trees and lays stone between acting roles after a plea for work went viral
The reason Jeremy London mentioned that was because of a difficult situation that had involved his boss. He had asked his followers to contact his boss as he was reportedly experiencing a possible mental health crisis. Jeremy London asked his followers to help his boss find job opportunities and accommodation.
YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.