Cheap ways to get fit and active in Brisbane suburbs
You hate gyms and don’t want a personal trainer yelling at you to do five more sit-ups, so what are the ways you can get and stay fit in Brisbane? Well, we’ve got some ideas to keep you moving.
Make use of the biketracks. Yes, I think we say this constantly but how long since you’ve been on two wheels? Feel what it’s like to push the pedals, enjoy the breeze and move faster than walking pace. Throwing some snacks into a backpack means you can enjoy a picnic wherever you please. There are hundreds of kilometres of bike tracks across Brisbane. Use the tracks to take a brisk walk or rollerblade too.
Get a pedometer. All the staff of ourbrisbane.com are wearing one and keeping a tally of their steps. It’s surprising how motivating it is to wear a pedometer and make note of how much you move around. For extra incentive you can join the 10000 steps program and keep track of how far you’ve walked. The idea is to keep active via incidental exercise and do just a little more each day to improve your figure (both numerically and physically!).
Council swimming pools open in late September (a few are heated and open all year round). For the entry price of just a few dollars, you can swim laps or do water running. Some pools have squad teams you can join or aqua aerobics sessions. Even just splashing about with the kids is good exercise. Time to get wet!
Join a walking group. There are dozens of walks across Brisbane almost every day from most suburbs, including the Gonewalking program. They are free, with different speeds and distances. You can socialise and exercise at the same time.
Save money on petrol and get some needed exercise. Can you replace one car trip a week with riding your bike or walking? Try it once and you may be surprised at how enjoyable and easy it is. Even better, take the kids with you and get them moving too. Start with short trips just to the local park, to get some milk or to the train station.
Go for a bushwalk. Our feature on Brisbane’s forests includes all the details about Toohey Forest, Downfall Creek, Hemmant Quarry or Anstead Reserve. There are lots of other bushwalking options within a short drive. Plus you burn more calories bushwalking and rock hopping than you will walking on a city footpath. Tackle a hill or two and you’ll get a decent workout.
Use equipment stolen from your kids. Take their skipping rope and aim for 100 skips a day. Steal their hula hoop and give it a try. Use their basketball and shoot some hoops. You’ll both have fun with all this stuff!
Get your feet moving to the rhythm. Go to a few dance classes to learn the steps and get your heart pumping. You’ll have so much fun listening to the music and dancing with your partner, you’ll hardly notice you are also exercising. There are classes for flamenco, belly dancing, jive, funk and more. Whatever your style, there’s a dance session for you. If you don’t want classes, just head out for a fun dancing night at a club or crank up your stereo at home and dance like no one’s watching.
If you want to get fit the ‘old fashioned’ way, join a local gym or hire a personal trainer.
