Another five Canberra fitness activities you may not have tried yet…

Posted on 11 June, 2014

Over the past three years, we’ve roadtested an amazing array of fitness activities around Canberra – we’ve done everything from Xtend Barre to SkateFit to Anti-gravity Yoga and more. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve recapped 10 fitness activities you may not have tried…and this week we have five more! Give them a go – they’re fun!

Zumba

If you’ve been a HerCanberra reader for a while, you may know that I’m a Zumba instructor with Latin Beat Fitness. I discovered Zumba about four years ago and it (honestly) changed my life. Everyone has their ‘thing’ when it comes to exercise…some like to run (personally, I’d rather stick pins in my eyes)…others love Spin classes (see last comment). My thing is Zumba.

So, what is Zumba? It’s dance fitness to latin and world music. In the course of a class, you could salsa, samba, merengue, get a little bit hip-hop or even channel some Bollywood. The choreography is drawn from lots of different cultures. But, and this is important, you don’t need to be able to dance to do Zumba. Think more along the lines of what we know as ‘aerobics’ with a lot of spice, energy, and shimmying!

I won’t lie to you…you probably won’t get all the moves the first class. Maybe not even the second. But as you learn the songs, the styles, and the choreography, you can work harder and just let yourself go with the music. And you can burn up to 700 calories in a class! And you know what? If you don’t know the steps, it doesn’t matter…do your own thing! Seriously, everyone is so focussed on their own dancing that they’re not watching you. And, hey, you can always hide up the back if you’re really shy…

the essentials

What:  Zumba Latin Beat Fitness
When: 6pm Monday (Reid)
Where: St Peter’s Lutheran Church, Boolee Street, Reid (just opposite Glebe Park) – it’s the little hall tucked away at the back (just follow the music!)
How much: First class FREE! From then on, classes are $15 each or you can buy an 11 class pass for $150.
Web: www.latinbeatfitness.com

Bootcamp

If you’ve avoided bootcamp because it sounded…well…all too hard, Bodyrite’s Small Group Personal Training may just change your mind. Even early mornings are easier to take…

We’re talking Frisbee throwing, squats and skipping, kettle bells swings and lunges…and chaseys! You’ll hardly notice how much exercise you’re doing because you’re having so much fun. That amusing, playful element is one of the things that make Bodyrite so unique.

Participants say they look forward to their sessions, saying they struggled with more aggressive boot camps in the past, and particularly enjoy Patti’s gentle approach. Nobody had a bad word to say, and were nothing but friendly and happy. It’s hard to be a grumpy morning person when you’re surrounded by smiles and laughter.

the essentials

What: Bodyrite Personal Training
When: 6:15am Tuesday and Thursday (Bootcamp – Ainslie); 6:15am Monday, Wednesday and Friday (Group Training – Downer); 7pm Wednesday (Stretch and Core Class – Downer); 9:30am Friday and 8:30am Sunday (Horsey Park); 6pm Monday (Strength & Stretch – Downer)
Where: Corroboree Park, Ainslie (Tuesday and Thursday) and Downer Oval and Community Centre (Monday, Wednesday and Friday); Horsey Park, behind the O’Connor Co-operative School (Friday and Sunday)
Web: www.facebook.com/bodyritepersonaltraining
How much: First session free for those that quote “HerCanberra” article.

Power Plate

Fernwood Fitness hardly needs an introduction – but Fernwood Woden has something pretty unique – Power Plate.  Power what? If you haven’t heard of it, Power Plate is a machine that features a large vibrating ‘plate’ that you can stand, sit or lie on. This plate vibrates in three different directions, and these tiny movements cause the body to be put off balance. To correct this imbalance, the muscles unconsciously make very rapid reflex contractions so that they are almost continuously contracted.

As training on a Power Plate machine is so extremely effective, the time spent exercising is reduced to around 25 – 30 minutes. The classes are small – a maximum of four to a class – and you can expect to do kettle bell work, squats, lunges, and more in a session. At the end of 30 minutes, my legs felt like I’d done a Pump class. The next day, my muscles were saying ‘what the heck was that?’ My brain might have known I’d done just one 30 minute session, but my body was certain there’d been some kind of trickery going on.

I liked it. The vibration takes a bit of getting used to, but the post-exercise muscle soreness speaks volumes for the workout. And for a time poor person, the thought of getting my exercise in just 30 minutes is almost irresistible!

the essentials

What: Fernwood Woden
When: 5:30am-8pm Monday to Thursday; 5:30am-7pm Friday; 8am-1pm & 3-6pm Saturday; 9am-12noon & 3-6pm Sunday.
Where: 2/21 Bowes Street, Phillip. It can be a little tricky to find the first time, but it’s nestled beside the Westfield Shopping Centre in the Cosmopolitan Building on the ground level, right next to the Woden Bus Interchange.
Phone: 02 6281 7199
Email: wodenmanager@fernwoodfitness.com.au

Running

You may know Maple + Clove because of their clean healthy approach to food…but they really do walk the talk…or rather, run it. If you’ve ever seen the sign on their chalkboard that reads “Runners’ Group, every Tuesday and Thursday at 6.15am”, stop making excuses – it’s worth the early start!

A sociable, supportive and warm group runs five or six kilometres twice a week, starting from the front of the café, around the Parliamentary Triangle, to Lake Burley Griffin and back. You really get to make the most of our beautiful city, running through leafy streets, past the misty lake, passing groups of boot campers and other active Canberrans. There’s a real community vibe and it feels pretty fabulous to be a part of it.

The group runs every Tuesday and Thursday, even through frosty Canberra winters. Sound like your version of hell? It’s a lot easier to keep active in the winter when you have the company and support of others. And let’s not forget the prospect of a toasty warm coffee waiting for you at the end.

the essentials

What: Maple + Clove Runners’ Group
When: 6:15am every Tuesday and Thursday
Where: Starts from Maple + Clove, Burbury Close, Barton
Web: www.mapleandclove.com/runners-group

Clinical Pilates

If your balance and core strength are sorely neglected, you may not feel at home lying in Higher Function Clinical Pilates‘ studio, balancing on a foam roller positioned below your spine, lifting and lowering your legs into the air. Challenging? Absolutely. But when it comes to fitness, overcoming challenge is what makes us improve and reach our goals.

Identifying individual weaknesses is one of the key ingredients that makes Higher Function different from other Pilates studios. Clinical Pilates is heavily based on research, and taught by experts in the field. – prior to beginning classes, students are treated to a 45 minute one-on-one individual Physiotherapy assessment that can reveal directional preferences or anatomical issues requiring treatment.

After your assessment, you move onto a class – foam mats lie next discs, straps, foam rollers and to brightly coloured weighted balls. Janet helps set up, choosing weights to suit your level of strength and providing additional equipment to assist with your individual needs. She then takes you through a series of exercises, many of which are executed while balancing on a disc or a foam roller. It’s a fantastic way to improve function and prevent injury. By activating the deep stabilising muscles closer to the axis of rotation for the joint, you enhance and support the strengthening of the exterior strength muscles.

the essentials

What: Higher Function Clinical Pilates
Where:  23 Petrie Plaza, Canberra City (lift access via LJ Hooker Entrance)
When: Classes Monday to Saturday – view the timetable here.
Phone:  02 6262 9664
Email: reception@higherfunction.com.au