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Best Ways To Shake Up Your Fitness Routine In Canberra

Image sourced from the F45 Training Canberra City Facebook Page
Image sourced from the F45 Training Canberra City Facebook Page

If you’re looking for something new and motivating that doesn’t adhere to your “usual” (and somewhat boring) fitness routine, we are with you. The gym doesn’t necessarily always cut it anymore – especially with outdoors-ey options diminishing as the weather gets colder, and all of the gyms are packed beyond capacity.

The last thing that you want to do in a gym is stand around, waiting for half an hour for the next treadmill to be free, or for the bodybuilders to finish up with the weights that you have been wanting to use for the entire time you’ve been there.

And, let’s face it, gyms can get pretty boring, pretty quickly. Well, at least that’s my view, anyway. I get that there’s the whole leg/back/arms “days”, but then you just do the same thing next week anyway. It can become a bit repetitive and, well… dry. And that is where you lose motivation to persevere.

So, without further ado, here are some of the “gym-free” alternatives to keep you fit in these colder months.

Option One: F45 Training

Overview: F45 is a 45 minute circuit-based training course that utilises the method of functional fitness to get the whole body moving, through both strength/resistance-based training and intense cardio. There are currently two locations open in Canberra, one in the Canberra City and one in Braddon. F45 are also opening up six other locations, beginning in Phillip.

Classes: There are three different types of classes available through F45: the “Flamingo: Athletica”, which is a cardio-based circuit, the “Romans: Resistance”, which is a strength and resistance-based circuit, and the “Hollywood Supercircuit”, which encompasses a bit of both.

Cost: You can buy a 10-session pass for $220, which will last you 4 months after the purchase date. Although it may seem expensive, F45 offer a 2 week free trial, which I would personally recommend, and then you can make up your own mind about whether this is the type of training for you.

Verdict: After completing just one Hollywood Supercircuit, I was thoroughly hooked on this type of training – it is very challenging, and you work your butt off for the full 45 minutes, but at no point did I feel overworked or that I could not continue for fear of throwing up (let’s face it, we’ve all been there).

Oh, and they have a live DJ.

 

Option Two: YMCA Running Club

Overview: The Canberra YMCA have a “running club“, which ranges from beginners to marathon runners, who train several days a week with training sessions ranging from 2km to half marathons.

It’s a great way to force yourself to go for that run as you have a set time, date and place that you meet with other like-minded people. It’s almost a form of exercise peer-pressure.

Once you are a member of the YMCA Running Club, you will have free entry to the majority of club races, and you will be eligible to participate in training groups at your choosing. It’s also a great way to make new friends, if the social circle you’re currently in doesn’t share the same passion for a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Cost: An annual membership for the YMCA Running Club is $45 for adults, $30 for Juniors (under 20s), or $75 for a Family Membership.

Verdict: Having a group of like-minded people endure the cold with you can make running seem easy. It is almost impossible to drag yourself out of the comfort of your heated home in Winter to go for a run, but having that set time and place where you are expected to be will make it much easier to persevere.

 

Option Three: Bootcamp

Overview: I know. The first time somebody mentioned the word “Bootcamp” to me, I laughed and walked away. However, I spent two months attending one of Canberra’s smaller bootcamps called “Grunt Fit“, and now I am thoroughly addicted.

Grunt Fit is on hiatus until Spring (sadly), but there are plenty of other fantastic groups out there that operate through all of Winter, and I can guarantee you will be feeling shredded and fabulous by the time Summer rolls around. Plus, getting dirty while you’re working out is kind of fun.

My personal recommendation would be Original Bootcamp – who have a fantastic program called “8 Weeks To Wow!”, which includes a fitness and dietary program.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have not attended an Original Bootcamp session, but a close friend of mine has been training with them for 12 weeks and has currently lost 6 inches of fat off his stomach, and gained an average of 3 inches of muscle everywhere else.

Cost: Varies between different bootcamps, but Original Bootcamp charges $195 for your first month, then $175 after that. Again, this may seem expensive, but you only need to look at their results to know that it’s well and truly worth it.

Verdict: Boot camp is honestly the best decision I have ever made when it comes to my fitness. It is a challenging way to keep fit, with the added bonus of getting down and (very) dirty into the mud while doing it. I’m not quite sure why, but there’s something quite exhilarating about exercising in mud. Perhaps it’s that feeling of getting clean in the shower after.

 

Option Four: Yoga

Overview: Yoga does not get nearly enough credit as it should. It is a strength-building, fat-burning workout and anybody who thinks that it is “easy” has clearly been doing it wrong.

If you want a fantastic yoga workout to tighten those tummies and increase strength, flexibility and absorb some overall good vibes, the Higher Function in the Canberra City offer classes a few days a week – including classes for mums & bubs, as well as prenatal classes.

There are also a few Bikram Yoga studios across Canberra, which is essentially the same workout, but in a room where the temperature is set to approximately 40 degrees. This will be perfect in the Winter months, as it will be a nice climate change from the chilly outdoors, and you will be sweating up a storm in a short period of time.

Cost: Higher Function charges $20 per class, and Bikram Yoga is also around $20 per class – but there are memberships and packages available for both, which may work out to be cheaper if you will be attending more than one class per week. Bikram Yoga offers a ‘membership package’, which costs $39 per annum for the membership, then $12 per class after that. In the long run, this could save you a pretty penny. Higher Function in Canberra also have a ‘membership pass’, where you can buy around 10 classes for $17.50 each. Again, if you’re planning on attending several classes, this could save you those few extra dollars.

Verdict: Yoga is a great way to keep fit, without really feeling like you are going to lapse into cardiac arrest at any second. It is also great to keep you strong and balanced, both mentally and physically.

 

What are you waiting for?

With all of these fantastic options that Canberra offers (that don’t involve the inconveniences of a gym), there’s no reason why fitness can’t be a top priority this Winter. Keep active!

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