Explore the great outdoors

With more than 300 days of sunshine every year, make the most of Brisbane’s enviable lifestyle by taking your workout outdoors. Brisbane City Council offers a year-round program of free and paid classes at iconic City locations, including Zumba and Tai Chi in the City Botanic Gardens.

For the lyra-inclined, there are several great cycling tracks in and around The City, including the picturesque Riverwalk Floating Walkway bridging New Farm Park to The City and beyond, and the 4.8km Bicentennial Bikeway ‘superhighway’ from The City to Toowong. 

Brisbane is also home to cycle2city underneath King George Square; a first of its kind, end-of-ride centre providing quality, safe and secure bike parking, showers and laundry facilities for cyclists.

Cut laps in the pool

Make like a fish and take up swimming – it’s a great way to work your whole body and cardiovascular system. One of The City’s best-kept-secrets is Gardens Point Fitness and Aquatic at QUT Gardens Point, where you’ll find a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool plus state-of-the-art gym facilities and fitness classes. For inner-city workers, a Tattersall’s Club membership will get you access to the club’s Health & Wellness Centre, home to Queen Street Mall’s only 25m, four-lane, indoor heated swimming pool.   

Flex those muscles at a gym

If you prefer a more solitary workout on your own terms and timetable, The City is home to more than a dozen gyms. For those seeking 24/7 access, there’s Snap Fitness and Jetts on Adelaide St and Anytime Fitness clubs on both Eagle St and Roma St. 

If group classes are more your vibe, check out Fitness First on Elizabeth St and two Goodlife locations at the Wintergarden on Queen St Mall and on Edward St, where you’ll also find the three-level Olympia Transformations. 

If you like your training fast and functional, F45 on Charlotte St will have you worked-out and back at your desk in under an hour. 

For those wanting the best of both worlds, Club Aurora on Edward Street combines a 24/7 gym space and fitness classes plus a mineral spa and infrared sauna for some well-deserved of R&R.

Tone it down with yoga, Pilates and barre 

Escape the hustle and bustle and find your zen with yoga, Pilates or barre. The City is home to a range of boutique studios to suit all experience levels. At Stretch Yoga on Margaret St, classes range from ‘Gentle Stretch’ for beginners through to ‘Flowing Stretch’ advanced Vinyasa. For a more intense full-body workout, Studio Pilates on Ann St is a popular choice, with more than 60 instructor-led classes per week including lunchtime sessions. Movement Principle on Adelaide St keeps it intimate with one-on-one coaching and small group Mat, Reformer and TRX (total resistance exercise) classes.

Dance your way to fitness

Incorporate dance into your exercise regime and get fit while having fun, making friends and learning new skills. At Mad Dance House on Adelaide St, achieve the toned body of a dancer with a range of traditional classes including hip-hop, ballet, contemporary and jazz for all levels, or more fitness-oriented classes such as Zumba, dance boot camp, boxing and cardio. At The Pole Gym in Burnett Lane, learn a fun and safe progression of tricks and choreography in a pole, lyra, tissu or dance class. 

Punch it out by boxing

Strength, speed, agility, endurance and hand-eye coordination; boxing is a whole-body fitness activity that will help keep you in great shape. Give it a go at FitClub boxing studio on Albert St. The first rule of FitClub? You talk about FitClub. Tell your friends and have them join you.