Want to tone up for summer? Don't want to pay big bucks to a fancy gym? Alice Hudson finds 20 ways you can get fit for nothing (or almost nothing)
1 Cone-heads Feel like Ed Hillary when he knocked the bastard off. Auckland swarms with 50 volcanic cones (some are holes, others hills). From Mangere Mountain and Mt Wellington to One Tree Hill and Devonport's Mt Victoria, take the family and see how many you can conquer in one day. Or week.
2 Walk the dog Nothing like an eager four-legged friend to set the pace round the local park. And you don't even have to own a dog: Auckland SPCA relies on volunteers as personal trainers for its pooches. If said canine's cute, you may even attract attention from fellow park-goers of the opposite sex. Ph 256 2523.
3 Boogie nights Dust off that favourite record or switch on the iPod and let loose in the living-room. Great opportunity to try out new moves (probably best to pull the curtains first). Throw in lots of arm lifts and leg lifts for ultimate effect. But don't throw the back out.
4 Play pool You don't have to don Speedos and swim lengths to burn calories. Splash around, walk some lengths or try a width or two underwater to get the heart pumping. Bonus points: you stay cool, and Manukau's council pools are free.
5 Baby shambles Mums ? and dads ? with tots to tow should find out about organised pram-walking groups. Sport Auckland has a schedule that takes in some of the prettiest spots in the region. Ph 815 4725 or see www.sportauckland.org.nz
6 Party like it's 1989 Rent Aerobics Oz Style and take a fitness trip down Memory Lane. Revel in the era of jazz funk, big hair and fluoro lycra g-strings. (Do not mimic the costumes, certainly not in neo-minimalist Borat style.) For the more ... er, adventurous, Carmen Electra's cardio-dance video will get the heart rate up. So will some of her others, but we're not going there.
7 Dah dah dah Gonna Fly Now Auckland Boxing Association has group training sessions for the bargain price of $2 per session. Take your stress out and raise fitness levels on the other end of a punchbag, or try sparring. There are youth groups and women are signing up in droves. Ngahura St, Eden Terrace. Ph 307 0720.
8 The David Brent Workout Programme Do some sneaky exercise at the office. Make a conscious effort to take the stairs and avoid the lift (whilst lugging A4 paper), go and speak to people rather than emailing them, take liberal stretching breaks, volunteer to run errands. If you dare, use an exercise ball instead of an office chair.
9Dance with the Singstars C'mon you Singstar regulars (we know you're out there): step it up a level and challenge yourself ? and the rest of the flat. There's nothing like a sing-off and dance-off rolled into one. Guaranted to end up high-aerobic if not high note.
10 Watching TV Watching TV is for couch potatos? Burn calories by doing tummy crunches or press-ups for the length of an ad break. And aren't they long these days?
11Tai time Tai chi, practised in China for hundreds of years, includes gentle, fluid movements for maintaining mobility and flexibility. Heck, even ACC recommend it. You can get to a class for $2 or $3. Check out www.acc.co.nz (type tai chi in search box) for sites.
12 Space cadets Head to the spacies' arcade (walk instead of taking the bus) and try that dancing game with the flashing lights, downhill skiing, an enthusiastic game of air hockey or basketball for a good upper-body workout.
13 Green party Head to Motuihe Island on one of their fortnightly volunteer trips and be part of a unique conservation project. Enjoy the ferry trip at a special rate, plant trees for half a day, tuck into a rewarding lunch and spend the afternoon exploring the island. Suitable for the whole family. Info 0800 MOTUIHE or www.motuihe.org.nz
14 Waterfront stadium A beach game of touch, cricket or frisbee. You'll burn about 690 calories an hour (touch) or 302 (ultimate frisbee). Body surfing's a cracker, as is boogie boarding. Or run up the dunes.
15 Make a Hash of it "A club for drinkers with a running problem," this eccentric mob are a social version of Hare and Hounds, where one joins a pack of hounds (runners) to chase down the trail set by a hare or hares (other runners). At the end, everyone gathers for a bit of social activity. Which may undo the good. Or not. Go to www.nzhhh.co.nz
16Rollerblade Dust off those old roller skates or inline blades, throw on appropriate (or inappropriate) gear and cruise Tamaki Drive. Watch out for runners, loose stones and cyclists; soak up gorgeous views of Rangitoto and the bays.
17 Get on the grass Mow the lawns. Mix up running and walking and use the mower for resistance. Works even better with a manual push mower but no, a ride-on doesn't count.
18 Making tracks An oldie but a goodie. Tracks abound throughout the region. One fave is the Panmure Basin's 3.6km trail circling the lagoon. It's pretty easy-going, it's paved, has two kiddie parks, a skate park and, for the grown-ups, a series of fitness stations. And it's pretty in winter or summer at high tide when the lagoon's full.
19 Manic Monday Begin the week with half an hour to an hour of vigorous housework with music turned up LOUD. Vacuum, mop, clean windows, wipe paintwork ... set a time limit and keep the tempo up. Outside? Windows again, or scrub the deck. Music? Oh, that cool Housework Songs CD. All together now: "I want to break free-ee-ee ..."
20 Stair master We've found Jacob's Ladder, behind St Mary's College, Freemans Bay, is best for this. Otherwise find stairs (at least six flights). Run up two at a time for at least a few flights. Then walk down. Repeat as many times as you can (yes, you should hear the Rocky theme again about now). Great for toning legs and buttocks. Add more stairs each session.
Let's get physical Aucklanders now have a website dedicated to finding new and, hopefully, exciting ways of keeping active. PlayDay Everyday is a free, interactive site where you can find information on anything physical going on in your area. It ranges from tai chi to table tennis, bowls to water polo, organised clubs or the local tennis court. PlayDay also links to the MAXX travel website. Visit: www.playday.org.nz
Bend me, shape me
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