Focus on Fitness

It’s true what they say about the Aussies, they are a nation of sporty, exercise-loving, endorphin-chasing, fitness fanatics and this is one thing I have come to admire about Australia and the active lifestyle here.

When I first arrived in Perth back in March, I was stunned by their sheer dedication to working out in the furious heat. In excess of 40 degrees, I’d see joggers, runners and cyclists on a mission in their stretch-lycra sports gear parading their toned, tanned bodies in Perth’s parks, along riversides, beachfronts and on cycle paths clearly visible from my balcony at varying times of the day (including those powerful peak hours of 10-3pm)! In more recent weeks, I’ve witnessed women on dark, chilly mornings strutting along the streets with their yoga mats tucked under their arms at 7am on a Sunday morning. That’s commitment for you! And it’s not just the young taking to the outdoors to get their fitness fix. I’m seeing lots of the senior citizens of Perth jogging, cycling, kayaking, dog-running, even mummys (but surprisingly more daddys), jogging whilst pushing a pram with one arm and pulling their dog’s lead with the other - talk about multi-tasking!

 In awe of the Aussie attitude to exercise and my original goal to get fitter in Oz, I registered myself and Micky for Perth’s annual City to Surf run taking place at the end of August. Last year 42,000 people took part. The race starts from the city area and ends at City Beach. Also, I researched some exercise classes and enrolled in my first Pilates and Yoga classes at LivPilates in nearby Maylands, just a 5 min drive from home.  All I can say is that after a mix of six or so classes of both, I still have aching muscles I never knew I had. This must be good, activating these sleeping muscles of mine.  Where Yoga I’m told is all about balancing the mind and body through a series of poses, exercises and relaxation techniques, Pilates is more to do with conditioning the body by building flexibility, muscle, strength and endurance through the core and limbs. The classes so far have been challengingly fun; stretching this and pulsing that, squeezing here and clenching there and trying to maintain a number of tricky poses in beginners’ Yoga.

Anyway, I am feeling good about my new fitness regime and with the spring and the long summer months soon approaching; this requires us to spend more time outdoors in fewer clothes. So with this in mind, I am preparing myself for my first Australian summer with an Aussie-inspired approach.