Location, Location

The Sunday Age

Sunday January 4, 2009

Michael Green

Looking for a beat other than the indoor gym to work your heart rate? Three exercise experts tell Michael Green where the best spots are for Melbourne's top 10 alternative workouts.

1 Tennis CENTRE Don't just watch the tennis, play it. Melbourne Park has indoor and outdoor courts for hire.

"A lot of people have been tortured at some stage with exercise and they feel that it should be painful and boring," Melbourne trainer Donna Aston says. She insists that fitness need not be dull - chasing a ball can help keep your mind off your shaking legs.

Aston also recommends taking lessons because better skills mean more fun. "If you've got a coach you're more likely to enjoy it," she says. "Fitness becomes secondary."

Court hire from $26 per hour.

mopt.com.au

2 Sandringham beach commando Sand isn't just for sunbaking. Nathan Schrag, director of Consort Fitness, says Sandringham Beach is ideal for his military-style bootcamp classes. The ex-navy physical training instructor sets up commando circuits for eager clients.

They sprint up the stairs, do push-ups on the benches, run back down and across the beach, swim 50 metres, emerge, then do it all again.

Planning your own course? "The more activities you can chuck in, the more you cover everybody's favourite," Schrag says. Variety is the spice of fatigue.

consortfitness.com.au

3 Rock climbing Scaling walls will test your mind and your body. You'll hone your focus as well as your strength, balance and agility. Never fear the altitude: Schrag says that when practised carefully, the sport is safe for everyone. "Rock climbing is an awesome activity for a grandma right through to an elite athlete."

In the city, visit the spectacular Hardrock indoor climbing centre on the corner of Swanston and Franklin streets. Thanks to the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, passers-by can watch your white-knuckled stretch for the next hold.

Entry for adults from $17.

hardrock.com.au

4 Carlton Gardens Parkour will get you fit, strong and agile as a cat, says Matthew Campbell, president of the Australian Parkour Association. His sport is about "moving quickly and efficiently to get from A to B", motivated by finding the best route to escape a situation, or reach someone in need. (The name comes from the French word for journey or course.)

In practice, that means astonishing athleticism - running, jumping, crawling, climbing and vaulting over whatever's in your way. Carlton Gardens, Campbell says, is the perfect place for beginners, with large areas to run, as well as obstacles such as trees, stones and walls.

With Parkour, function trumps fashion: wear shoes with good grip.

Classes $10 for non-members.

parkour.asn.au

5 Birrarung Marr With a bit of parkour experience under your belt, progress to Birrarung Marr, where the association runs classes on Sundays for first-timers through to spring-heeled experts. About 50 men and women show up every week, vaulting over the giant boulders or blitzing the stairs. It's an excellent site for strength and conditioning training.

"That gradient gives you increased difficulty," says Australian Parkour Association president Matthew Campbell. Try sprints, crawls, wheelbarrows, fireman's carries and push-ups up and down the stairs - "anything to make it harder for you".

6 Southbank cityscape As the best parkour location in Melbourne, according to Matthew Campbell, Southbank offers everything a traceur - someone who practises the sport - could want. Traceurs can vault up the stairs and walls, leap the water and the rails, jump into the trees, and spring between the multiple levels.

"We use Southbank as our gym," says Campbell. "We use the architecture and the trees as our equipment."

With its combination of daring, athleticism and surprise, parkour has featured in documentaries, video clips and movies, most famously in the Bond movie Casino Royale.

But Campbell maintains that it's a sport for anyone. "It's not about adrenalin," he says. "It's about trying to do things safely."

7 Pole dancing When you're weary of the sunshine, sashay indoors and dim the lights. "People are absolutely loving pole dancing," says Donna Aston. "It's a hell of a workout."

She says manipulating yourself around the pole builds both core and upper body strength, while demanding stamina and flexibility.

Pole dancing studios are springing up all over Melbourne - do a Google search. "A lot of girls do it in groups because it's funny. They find it quite amusing," Aston says. "(The instructors) have all sorts of strange names for the positions they hold."

Casual classes start from about $30.

8 Bayside walkway Walk the path from Port Melbourne to Elwood. "Some people find running too hard on their body," Nathan Schrag says. So strap on a heavy backpack, lift your pace and your seaside stroll will become a vigorous, low-impact stride.

It doesn't have to take all day. "After 20 or 30 minutes, you may be knackered," says Schrag. He recommends beginning with an extra five or 10 kilograms.

Schrag and his former navy trainers carry much more. "We march with anywhere from 25 to 40 kilograms, depending on how far we want to go." The bayside track boasts pleasing views, fresh air, and no nasty hills.

9 Tai chi There's more to wellbeing than a cardiovascular workout, so slow the pace with free tai chi on Tuesday mornings in Federation Square.

According to Tai Chi Australia, the tranquil, gentle movements have been practised for health and fitness since the 16th century. Aston says it's good for the mind, body and spirit.

Consider the old Chinese saying: "Whoever practises tai chi regularly will in time gain the suppleness of a child, the health of a lion, and the peace of mind of a sage." Wear flat shoes and comfortable clothes.

Tai Chi Tuesdays, Fed Square, 7.30am.

fedsq.com

taichiaustralia.com.au

10 Circus Fly through the air with the greatest of ease at Circus Oz's Port Melbourne HQ. They offer classes from tumbling and unicycle to handstands and flying trapeze.

Aston recommends the big top to thrill-seekers and reluctant movers alike. "People who don't usually enjoy exercise will love it because you're so focused on what you're doing, it doesn't feel like you're getting fit."

"It's an adrenalin rush," Aston says. "You walk out of there feeling very excited and confident because you can conquer things that you never thought you could." Remember to hold on tight.

Summer courses from $85.

www.circusoz.com

donnaaston.com

Match an activity to your inner self this summer

Olympian

Come Try Rowing

Even lay down Sallys are welcome at this regular, all-ages introduction to rowing on Albert Park Lake. Work all muscle groups while learning in an Olympic-style "shell" (boat).

First Sunday of every month, 10am-11.30am. Y Rowing Centre, Powerhouse Building, Lakeside Drive, St Kilda. $10. ozonline.com.au/ywca-rowing

guru

Yoga

If contemporary dancers can't teach you how to stretch, who can? Learn yoga from the masters at Chunky Move's public classes starting again this month.

Weekly evening and weekend classes start Jan 27. Chunky Move Studios, 111 Sturt St, Southbank. Around $16 per class. chunkymove.com

Movie star

Bollywood Dancing

This summer course at CAE promises to transform beginners into Bollywood stars. At the very least, though, you will transform fat into energy.

Thursdays 7.30pm-9pm, three sessions starting January 15. CAE Building B, 253 Flinders Lane, city. $89. cae.edu.au

Altruist

Melbourne Summer Cycle

This 40-kilometre ride takes in Hobsons Bay and Flemington Racecourse. Help raise money for people living with multiple sclerosis.

February 22, staggered start time 7.30am-8.30am. Princes Park, cnr Royal Parade and Walker Street, Carlton North. Early-bird rates $45/$21, entry on the day $55/$30. msaustralia.org.au/msc

TV chef

Farmers Markets

Buy organic fruit and vegies or free-range meat and eggs - they're better for you. You might be carrying a recycled bag, but you don't need to look like one.

Fourth Saturday of every month, 8am-1pm. Abbotsford Convent, St Heliers Street, Abbotsford. $2. mfm.com.au/slowfood.htm

© 2009 The Sunday Age

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