Group exercise in Canberra
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As Anzac Day signals permission for Canberrans to turn on their heaters, the end of summer really is the last time you can blame glutton eating, drinking to excess and generally lazing around on the silly season/summer holidays/it’s-still-warm-so-I-need-an-arvo-beer – isn’t it?
So-where to start? Hopefully you saw Ashleigh’s Get Specific post of a few weeks ago – I did, and it made sense (as I was hacking off a piece of washed rind brie and trying not to spill red wine over my iPhone).
I’ve been injured over the holidays and was on a slow rehab program to return to running. This layoff from my beloved exercise of choice forced me to diversify my training with road cycling and mountain biking, walking and swimming. No hardship over summer but I felt a little demotivated – what to train for if I can’t run? After reading Ashleigh’s article I ‘got specific’ and signed up for a triathlon at the end of February. Might as well put the forced cross-training to some use!
As Ashleigh explained in her article, there’s plenty of ways to ‘get specific’ and embrace health and fitness at the same time, whichever way suits you best. Here’s a few ideas for training programs and groups:
Running
Canberra is blessed with many running groups for those wanting to push it to the next level. There are a bunch of clubs for group running, including Females in Training (FIT), Parkrun and various local athletics clubs. One of Canberra’s most popular groups is the YMCA Runners Club of Canberra (formerly the ACT Cross Country Club, now the YCRC) with around 1,000 members whose abilities range from new runners through to veterans, most with half marathons and marathons under their belts.
The YCRC has five kilometre and half marathon (21.1km) training groups starting next month, each of which will support and guide you through a structured program. And for those just over the border, I’ve been asked to make special mention of the Queanbeyan Deadly Runners, an inspiring group who look like they are having way too much fun! Check out their Facebook page for details if you’d like to get involved.
Triathlon
There’s heaps of tri clubs in the Canberra region – Bilbys, Tridents and Vikings and others offer novice training programs in the three disciplines of swim/ride/run. The aforementioned FIT group runs women-only groups for road riding, swimming and running, as well as a specific FIT triathlon novice training program each year. A good place to start is the Triathlon ACT website, which has lots of long, short and novice events in different formats (duathlon, triathlon). A list of local clubs is also available.
Cycling
A little out of my comfort zone here – I only ride when I can’t run, so I can’t say I’ve got the best association with riding! But the state of my knees mean I better start falling in love with it soon… I can however highly recommend the Cycle Education team who run fabulous courses for novice riders, mountain and road. And there’s the super-fun Dirt de Femme event, the female-only MTB held at Mt Majura Vineyards in May. As a latecomer to MTB this was my first proper event – I had a ball!
Canberra has a fantastic network of bike paths and roads, so needless to say cycling is BIG here. A visit to the Cycling ACT website will set you on the right path to finding your type of cycling and a club or event that takes your fancy. I’ve always found bunch riders a bit of a mystery – the lycra, the clack-clack of their cleats as they unclip from their pedals at a set of traffic lights … If you know a cyclist, perhaps ask them how to they got started and some easy, well-known routes you could try.
Cycling ACT also supports the She Rides program, which aims to restore confidence to women to take up cycling and ride regularly for fitness and social connections – details of upcoming courses are on their website.
Cross Training
The group cross training choice is endless – CrossFit, bootcamps, boxing classes, gyms, spin classes and yoga studios – hell there’s even a stand up paddleboard bootcamp!
Hit Google to find a provider in your local area and talk to the experts about getting specific. Looking for a stronger core? Summer arms? Stunning bum? Elastic hammies? Choose a focus area and a time frame and go for it.
For Mamas
Just because you have a little one in tow doesn’t mean you can’t join a group exercise program. Think of it as an active mothers group!
Here’s a couple of groups catering to the active mama: Canberra Mums Exercise Group offers a range of exercise options for new mums where the kids can join in the fun too. The YMCA Fit for Mums program covers the exercise and free childcare for kids aged 0-5. Enrolment is term-based, so check out the website for details.
Now that’s it’s coming to the end of summer, have a think about how you can set a specific goal for fun, fitness and healthy living in 2016. And if group training is your thing, I hope the ideas above inspire you to sign up and get specific. Now, back to my hammock for just a couple more days….
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