The Department of Sports Medicine, Universiti Malaya, successfully hosted the 2nd Keeping Fit and Healthy for Older Adults Workshop 2026 from 8 to 9 August 2026 at The Cube, Faculty of Medicine, bringing together older adults and caregivers for practical, evidence-based sessions on healthy ageing, strength, mobility, nutrition and caregiving.
Two years after its debut, the Department of Sports Medicine, Universiti Malaya (UM), brought back its signature healthy ageing initiative with a larger two-day format. The 2nd Keeping Fit and Healthy for Older Adults Workshop 2026 was held from 8 to 9 August 2026 at The Cube, Faculty of Medicine, UM, expanding from the single-day format introduced in 2024 (read here).
More than fifty older adults and caregivers attended, matching the strong turnout of the inaugural edition and underscoring continued community interest in accessible, evidence-based education on ageing.
Compared with the first workshop, which packed its lectures and hands-on sessions into a single Saturday, the 2026 edition gave each topic more space across two days. Day One opened with a morning workout at Centrepoint before moving into The Cube, where Associate Professor Dr Mohd Nahar Azmi Mohamed, Consultant Sports Physician at UM, set the tone with ‘Age Strong: Keep Your Muscles, Keep Your Independence’. Ms Poh Kai Ling, Clinical Dietitian at UMMC, followed with ‘Muscle & Protein: The Foundation of Healthy Ageing’, before Associate Professor Dr Terence Ong Ing Wei, Consultant Geriatrician at UM, rounded off the morning with ‘Preventing Frailty: Healthy Ageing’.
Just before the lunch break, the morning’s final session, ‘Caring with Confidence’, was once again led by Associate Professor Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi together with Dr Mohd Fadzil Mohd Hussin (DrPH Candidate), both from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, UM. The afternoon then shifted to practice, with Associate Professor Dr Mohd Nahar leading ‘Strong Knees, Active Life’, a hands-on session that guided participants through exercises to support knee health and mobility.
Day Two carried the momentum forward with a strength and resistance morning workout, followed by Dr Lim Yi Zhen’s session on ‘Strong Back, Better Movement’. The workshop concluded with a circuit workout designed specifically for older adults, reinforcing the message that safe, structured movement can be built into everyday healthy ageing.
The most meaningful upgrade this year was not only on the programme sheet, but also in the content itself. The ‘Caring with Confidence’ session returned with insights from newly published local research led by Dr Mohd Fadzil Mohd Hussin, Associate Professor Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi and Dr Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh on loneliness among urban-dwelling older persons in Kuala Lumpur. Published in the IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia in July 2026, the study highlighted that loneliness is a real and common experience among older persons, and that caregiving involves more than tending to physical needs. It also requires attention to the emotional and social well-being of those in care.
Readers may access the newly published paper in the IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia for further details on the study and its findings. [Mohd Hussin, M. F., Mohd Hairi, F., & Mohd Salleh, N. A. (2026). Prevalence and Factors Associated with Loneliness Among Urban-Dwelling Older Persons in Kuala Lumpur. IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 25(03). https://doi.org/10.31436/imjm.v25i03.3136 ]
One thing has not changed since 2024: the workshop remains grounded in the belief that healthy ageing is a shared responsibility between older adults and the people who care for them. Both groups deserve practical, evidence-based knowledge. Participants left with more than a resistance band in hand; they also gained useful ideas and skills they can apply in daily life to support healthy and meaningful ageing.
This write-up was prepared by Dr Mohd Fadzil Mohd Hussin and Associate Professor Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi, with acknowledgement to Dr Siti Sarah Fadzil for materials provided on dementia awareness for the ‘Caring with Confidence’ session.
Participants and facilitators of the 2nd Keeping Fit and Healthy for Older Adults Workshop 2026 gathered at The Centrepoint and The Cube, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, for two days of practical learning on healthy ageing, movement, nutrition and caregiving.
Associate Professor Dr Mohd Nahar Azmi Mohamed, Consultant Sports Physician at UM, delivering the ‘Age Strong: Keep Your Muscles, Keep Your Independence’ session and sharing practical strategies to support strength, mobility and independence in later life. And Associate Professor Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi receiving a token of appreciation from Associate Professor Dr Mohd Nahar Azmi Mohamed in recognition of her contribution to the ‘Caring with Confidence’ session.
Three lucky participants received copies of Panduan Penjaga Warga Emas, published by UM Press and edited by Associate Professor Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi, Professor Dr Noran Naqiah and Professor Claire Choo Wan Yuen, after successfully answering the workshop quiz.
This book, ‘Panduan Penjaga Warga Emas’ is available for purchase here.
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