Five fitness trends for 2018 and the best places to try them out in Sydney

All of us living in this hemisphere are plagued with the unfortunate luck of having the silly season to coincide with beach body time. This means no ugly Christmas sweater to hide the festive feasting we’ve partaken all December long. So before you reach for that second mince pie, check out our predictions for 2018’s fitness trends and where in Sydney you can get your dose of endorphins. We’ve even grabbed the thoughts of some fitness regulars so they can tell us in their own words what makes these places and their activities tick.

Bush Walk & Brunch

Less of a trend and more of an evergreen past time here down under is the glorious bush walk. The beauty of being a Sydneysider is you barely need to leave the comfort of the city to meander off on some of the world’s most beautiful paths. We love the Bondi to Bronte to Coogee walk for a good trek and some reflective thinking while the waves crash just beneath your feet. For something a little less touristy and a little more heart racing, give the Spit to Manly walk a try. You’ll be well rewarded for your efforts at the end as Manly is home to some great dining options such as Papi Chulo and Fika Swedish Kitchen.

The view from dobroyd head out to north head made the hike worth every step – Jeff K.

Address: Everywhere
Websitesydney.com

Kickbox & Chill

Vault Boxing is Chippendale’s newest fit kid on the block, owned and run by MMA fighter, former Oceania champion and fitness author, Sam Atkinson. The gym boasts an arsenal of seasoned trainers ranging from boxing to Muay Thai  so you know you’re learning from experienced fighters. As for the gym itself, you’ll love the incredibly sharp New York-style and street aesthetic that wraps around this three-storey facility. The best part is the inclusive community that Vault has already been able to build in such a short amount of time and the huge number of classes to suit all range of fitness levels and martial arts interests.

I love the convenience of its location! It also feels more indie and less commercial than other boxing gyms. – Michele W.

Address: 26 Queen Street, Chippendale, NSW
Website: vaultboxing.com.au

Do the Downward Dog 

Yoga never really went out of style but we’re becoming increasingly spoiled with the number of studios to visit and the different styles of yoga you can try. Humming Puppy in Redfern draws their inspiration from all different lineages of yoga with fundamental principles of breath-pranayama, movement-asana and awareness-meditation’. With an ethos of providing ‘yoga that resonates’ the studio is all about the holistic experience from the moment you sign up online to the last post you perform on your yoga mat.

Every time I go to humming puppy I think to myself ‘I wish I lived here’. It’s such a tastefully designed space. The perks don’t hurt either: free coconut water, free hair ties, no need to bring mats or towels, the soothing humming sound, and the ability to book a mat (so you can always have your favourite spot in the studio). – Sarah H.

Address: Levels 1 & 2/146 Abercrombie Street, Redfern, NSW
Website: hummingpuppy.com

Salsa and Dance the Night Away

Finally tick that bucket list off with dance lessons at Latin Motion. The dance school is located in the heart of the city makes it a breeze to get to for an afterwork cha-cha-cha. The school aims to inspire the dancer that lives in everyone through nurturing creativity, self-esteem and self confidence. All teachers are highly experienced and have developed talent for both recreational and professional levels. Latin Motion offers a variety of dance styles including salsa, samba and bachata. And if you don’t know the difference between them, pick up a class or two and find out.

What I love about Latin Motion, is it gives people a fun, vibrant and safe environment learn the most natural form of human expression, dance! Under the watchful guidance of World Salsa and Bachata Champions Oliver Pineda and Mitch Bilic and the professional team of instructors at Latin Motion, you can rest assured knowing that you’re building a solid foundation. – Chris N.

Address: Level 2, 127 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW
Website:  latinmotion.com.au

Climb Stronger with Bouldering

Rock climbing is becoming a fairly standard activity, but have you tried bouldering? Bouldering is a social style of rock climbing that requires no ropes or harnesses as climbers scale shorter walls and are protected by a thick, padded floor. Nomad Bouldering is the latest Inner West location to offer this and likely the best spot in Sydney for a good bouldering session in. The gym provides 1000 square metres of climbing area including the largest bouldering arch in the Southern Hemisphere. All of Nomad’s walls are designed and engineered by Walltopia, the world leader in artificial climbing wall construction. When you’re tired of playing Spiderman, unwind in the lounge, which offers 74 retro arcade games, table tennis and a café with single origin coffee, sushi and snacks.

I’ve only been to Nomad once but I distinctly remember the cute dogs and community atmosphere. Everyone shares chalk! There’s also the overhanging wall in the centre that’s an interesting challenge – Cynthia L.

Address: Unit 7/12 Chester St, Annandale, NSW
Website: nomadbouldering.com

———-

This content has recently been ported from its original home on The AU Review: Food & Lifestyle and may have formatting errors – images may not be showing up, or duplicated, and galleries may not be working. We are slowly fixing these issue. If you spot any major malfunctions making it impossible to read the content, however, please let us know at editor AT theaureview.com.