Nine free fitness spots with a view

Posted on 30 November, 2020

It might be warming up, but summer is still a brilliant time to exercise outside—especially in the morning or evening.

With the right gear, it’s a great time to get outdoors and take your workout with you. Here are nine of our favourite (completely free!) outdoor fitness stations across Canberra.

Deakin Fitness Station

If you live or work near Deakin, Deakin Fitness Station is a great facility to add into your fitness routine. It’s right near parkland and walking trails, so it’s easy to add in some strength work mid-run or work, or even to make a bit of a circuit.

Do a few sets of bodyweight exercises and then go for a short run; then repeat. There are handy boards showing you how to use the equipment just nearby, and some good stretch instructions, too.

Glebe Park

Glebe Park is a great option for those looking for an outdoor lunchtime workout – most days you’ll see packs of joggers making their way through its leafy environs, and small boot camps doing their thing. But it’s easy to make your own workout here – you can walk or run its trails, do some shuttle runs, some walking lunges, grab a park bench for some modified press-ups – there are heaps of options!

Oh, and it’s great if you’ve got kids – they can play on the equipment while you work out nearby…

Weston Fitness Station

Weston Fitness Station is a beauty – it’s a little tucked away (which is good if you suffer from performance anxiety) but right near other recreation facilities in Dillon Close neighbourhood park.

This station has equipment for one of my favourite exercises – the corkscrew – this may be because it’s the closest you get to dance in a fitness circuit! It’s a great way to work your abs, bum and thighs…and it’s fun! You’ll also find lots of other equipment nearby, so the rest of your body can join the party.

Kambah Fitness Station

Kambah Fitness Station is a compact facility, well kitted out with modern equipment like a chin-up bar (don’t freak out – you can do jump chins if you can’t quite get the full movement), a sit-up bench and horizontal bars.

These pieces of equipment may sound basic, but they lend themselves to a whole array of exercises.

Lakeside at Yarralumla

The facilities here at Yarralumla aren’t fancy and new, but they’re perfect for adding some strength work in to your run or walk – or stretching out afterwards.

It’s just a stunning spot, looking out over Lake Burley Griffin, and Autumn is the perfect time to enjoy it.

John Knight Memorial Park

Make sure you slide down the slippery slides here, they’re heaps of fun! That’s probably the best thing about John Knight Memorial Park in Belconnen – it has some great dedicated fitness facilities, like bars and benches, but there are oodles of things to occupy the kids just nearby.

There’s also a big open space for running, groundwork, and whatever else you choose to do. Oh, and there’s a lake view here, too. Nice.

Fadden Pines

Fadden Pines is another great spot for exercising if you’ve got the kids with you. What an amazing facility! Heaps of fitness options and just an all-around beautiful park.

Even though it’s not in our neighbourhood, I’ve made this a regular jaunt for the kids and me.

Crace Recreation Park

Crace Recreation Park is almost enough to make me want to move northside. It’s amazing! Just like an outdoor gym… You’ll find pretty much all the ‘fixed weight’ equipment you’d find in a standard gym here, but it’s outside, free and accessible to anyone.

You could easily DIY a strength training circuit here a few times per week, mix it up with some walking/running/walking on the other days, and that’s you sorted.

Chifley Fitness Station

I decided to round out this article with Chifley Fitness Station for a few reasons. Firstly, because it has a great range of activities – from balance beams to parallel bars and more.

Plus it’s just near a great big oval and a cracker of a park (and there’s really good coffee just nearby!)