The "Be Stronger, Live Longer" program ran for 11 weeks and included weekly personal and group training sessions as well as practical information sessions about nutrition, sleep therapy, physiotherapy, navigating the aged care sector and legal issues.

The first cohort celebrated their achievements at a lunch at Seacliff Restaurant on Wednesday.

The program's goal was to promote independence and encourage participants to stay fit and strong, allowing them to remain in their own homes longer.

Among those to complete the program was Margaret Lowrie who described it as just what she needed after being a full-time carer for her husband who recently died.

She was feeling lost when one of her sons John Lowrie, a high school teacher at Edmund Rice, came home with a brochure and encouraged her to register.

She was reluctant at first but later found it to be a real blessing.

"I had a big hole in my life," she said.

"I was muddling around in a fog. I had a list of things to do but I couldn't even get that done. Being a carer, you don't really think about yourself.

"I had to do lots of heavy lifting in my caring role, and I had some health problems as a result. I was terrified I would hurt myself on the equipment, but the trainers always accommodated my concerns and were flexible in changing the exercises to suit me.

"I have not looked back. I can stretch and I can even cut my toenails now. It was just brilliant. I just can't believe something like this has not happened before."

Participants initially undertook a fitness assessment, determining their present health age.

Mrs Lowrie's came back as 80 despite her actual age being 75.

But by the end of the 11 weeks, her assessment was 75.

"I lost five years in my biological age," she said.

"But that wasn't the point. The point was when my husband died I did not have a reason for being here. "

Mrs Lowrie said she would continue to build up strength, join a gym close to home and was looking forward to staying in her own home rather than moving into care.

Angela Saville, of Savvy Fitness, said all the participants had been able to achieve great personal outcomes.

Mrs Saville said the initial participants had made so many friends and achieved such great results that 70 people had already registered for the second cohort starting in a couple of months.

She said the total weight loss for the first 40 participants was 66.7kg, circumferences reduced by 414 centimetres, the number of push-ups they could do increased by 569 and the total number of healthy years added was 172.