Where To Get Your Sweat On In Brisbane

Almost every week a new fitness following emerges from social media and makes its way around the water cooler. Your neighbour is on a 30 day challenge. Your pal is doing Doga with her pooch. The weird guy in the office has taken to crunning – wait, what?

Home shopping network vibration machines aside, the brave explorers of new physical activities do seem to be having fun, meeting interesting people and even learning new skills (varying in usefulness – pole dancing, anyone?). It got me thinking about my own dull fitness routine – routine being the operative word – so I went in search of new exercise experiences. Do you ever feel like you’re in a fitness rut? Why not try mixing it up with one of these:

Rock Climbing

Brisbane’s Urban Climb venues are hubs of fitness and enthusiasm for budding climbers! There are also fitness classes designed for climber strength and conditioning (think chest, back and arms) so you don’t have to be permanently glued to a rock wall to get results. This hipster hangout also has yoga, so you can meditate atop the virtual mountain after your climb. Seriously though, combine yoga and climb classes on the regular and you’ll be discovering muscles you never thought you had. All while training among other adventurous spirits in this cool hangout! Get vertical in West End, Milton and Newstead.

Personal Training

Real You facilities provide unlimited customised small team training for less than the cost of one personal training session a week! Real You’s focus is on improving strength and capabilities of both the mind and the body, based on goal setting and monitoring progress. You will want to keep an eye on your progress too, as the holistic training system will have your brain and body achieving things you never thought possible! The Real You functional movement training helps its clients lay down new wiring and tissue in the brain and reverse age-related loss of skill and balance. Where do we go to benefit from these holistic gurus, you ask? Real You coaches are an elite group of dedicated fitness practitioners operating locally, so look them up on social media. There are currently facilities in Morningside, West End, Red Hill and the Sunshine Coast. Keep an eye out for more popping up!

MMA Training

Whether you love it or hate it, MMA (mixed martial arts) has gained huge popularity as a spectator sport, most notably in the American-based UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Behind the glamour and gore of the professional punters is a lean and mean all-over workout, putting strength, fitness and coordination to the test no matter what level of athlete you are. Many have become hooked on martial arts training for body conditioning, and MMA takes training to the next level.
Fightcross has multiple sites in Brisbane’s north and is very welcoming of newcomers wanting to give combat sports a try. You can train as a kickboxer, take a boot camp or even try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu which is a ground-based (yes, grappling) art, and arguably the real champion in the MMA toolkit. You may even learn some life skills in self discipline and self defence.

Kayaking

An amazing way to get out and appreciate nature without leaving the city limits is to get on that big river under the Brisbane bridges and go kayaking. Insert beachside youth nostalgia and add super friendly instant network of fellow kayakers, and you’ve got yourself a club membership!
Nature plus community plus upper body workout… This is Brisbane’s answer to a surf life saving club. So if that’s your thing, or if it’s love at first paddle, Brisbane Canoeing offers Intro to Kayaking sessions so you can get the basics. There is a waiting list, so get in there! Group paddles every Saturday.

Dance Fitness

I’m not one for the old school ‘step’ class at the gym, but they say you don’t need the coordination of an air traffic controller to achieve some style in dance! Mad Dance House many genres to adults of all fitness and ability levels, with 15 different types of dance to be exact.
If you’re up for the challenge, give Girly Hip Hop in Heels a try, or Krump-ography! Try all of them and you’ll be sure to find your fun alternative to attain strength and fitness, as well as that coveted flexibility. Short term and casual passes available.

Obstacle Courses

Some people need a goal to work towards, and obstacle courses are on the rise. Of course, it’s all the training you put in prior to event day which determines your success. But if you need that end date in mind to keep you from pulling up the bed covers at 5am, try signing up for one of these epic challenges.

Tough Mudder has proven so influential, it is now a regular event on the calendar of 11 countries around the world! The Queensland Tough Mudder event is set in the stunning hills of Woodford on the Sunshine Coast in May, but don’t think it’s too early to start preparing for this mudder of all events! Why put yourself through the muddy torture? Founding organiser Will Dean says it may be resistance to the risk-averse, desk-bound contemporary society. It’s also an amazing team building/group bonding activity for your workmates or social circle as they encourage group registrations. Download the free training guide and prepare to get muddy!

With obstacle races’ segue into mainstream popularity, True Grit has built an epic obstacle race of military extract. If you want to have your day in khaki, drop and give me 20 now! True Grit offers specialised boot camps in preparation for its events held in Brisbane as well as Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. Sign up for free training guide emails or go all-in with the complete obstacle conditioning program (including nutritional guide) for $49.95 via the website. The name says it all – you’ll need true grit to make it to the finish line.

Spartan Race is an obstacle course of biblical proportions which has been commanding the attention of endurance fitness junkies all over America. This brainchild of writer and fitness guru Joe De Sena has now landed in Australia, with races scheduled in Sydney and Melbourne in 2018. Need some inspiration? Get a copy of De Sena’s book Spartan Fit! to understand the stoic philosophy behind endurance racing and how to break down those pesky mental barriers.

Aerial Yoga

Just when you thought you’d tried all the yoga varietals, yoga goes next level – literally. It’s exactly what it sounds like; gravity-defying yoga. Suspend yourself in a silk hammock and gently drift your way to flexibility and relaxation in this low-impact adaptation of our favourite mind and body exercise. Transport yourself to a sea of calm at Bend and Fly’s West End studio. Their 35 classes a week also include Vinyasa yoga and hot yoga, and you can try them all on a two week trial for $45.

So if you want to get off the perpetual treadmill, dare yourself to try something new. Grab a friend and a water bottle and take your pick from these – or take on the challenge of trying all of them in 2018!

Image: Bend and Fly