Step into Summer: Stay Active in Mount Maunganui
General Interest
The Bay of Plenty, known for its healthy lifestyle opportunities, offers an abundance of exercise and wellbeing options and treatments. Summer is naturally a time when we feel more motivated to get on our feet, and out and about. Here’s our insider’s guide to exercise options and what’s on offer – right on your doorstep. Not only will you feel refreshed and invigorated, but you’ll also meet new people, connect with yourself, and hopefully have some fun!
As we age, our risk of falling increases. But you can both have fun, stay fit, and limit your risk of falls by engaging in a plethora of strength and balance classes available across the Tauranga region.
A comprehensive guide to such classes can be found at the Live Stronger For Longer website - www.livestronger.org.nz.
You’ll find a vast list of options across the Bay of Plenty, but we've included some options that are close to our villages. These classes have the ‘endorsement tick’ that vouch for the providers and acknowledge that they meet the clinical criteria required to make a difference to your strength and balance in a healthy way.
Classes are developed to suit seniors, with some playing music to help motivate and get you moving, and others offering a quieter environment to suit all preferences. With a casual dress code, make sure you wear something comfortable that you can move in. If you prefer a gym environment, gyms across Tauranga cater well, with a wide range of senior group classes.
Club Aspire in Bethlehem provides an excellent senior circuit, including aqua aerobics, Pilates, and yoga. The group fitness timetable is readily available online via the Aspire website and shows over 60 group fitness classes per week from which to choose. The changing facilities and cafés on site are excellent too.
Get Fit
Where: Papamoa Sport and Recreation Centre, 80 Alice Way, Papamoa When: Thursdays, 10:15- 11:15am Cost: $5 Contact: Vivienne Deval richviv@xtra. co.nz 07 542 2732
Keep on your feet with Proactive4Health
Where: Proactive4health Physio, Papamoa Plaza, 7 Gravatt Road When: Tuesday and Fridays 2pm-3pm (first class 12th Feb) Cost: $6 Contact: Rowyn Falken rowyn.falken@ proactive4health.co.nz 07 281 0496
Strong & Stable
Where: Papamoa Sport & Recreation Centre, 80 Alice Way, Papamoa When: Wednesday, 2pm-3pm Cost: $6 Contact: bodywisetrainer@gmail.com 021 060 3828
YMCA GoldFit
Where: Papamoa Community Centre When: Tuesdays 9am-10am and 10:15-11:15am Fridays 9:30am-10:30am Cost: $8 casual; $37.50 for 5 classes; $70 for 10 classes Contact: YMCA recreation@ymcatauranga.org.nz 07 578 9272 Club Aspire 07 579 3993 info@ clubaspire.co.nz www.clubaspire.co.nz
Meditation – Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga
Mindfulness has now been a buzzword for a while and taking time to reconnect the body and the mind through a form of meditation or a ‘pause’ from life cultivates health and wellbeing.
Tai chi is a series of gentle physical exercises and stretches. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion. Tai chi is sometimes described as meditation in motion because it promotes serenity through gentle movements — connecting the mind and body.
At Te Puke Health and Fitness, upright tai chi classes are offered for those suffering from arthritis. The classes are geared for beginners, so don’t be afraid to head along and give it a go – just remember to book ahead. Several centres are offering both Pilates and yoga in Papamoa and beyond.
The difference? Pilates is an exercise system that works from the inside out, strengthening your entire body by focussing on core strength first. This helps to improve general fitness, but it can also reshape your body over time by lengthening your body and stretching your stomach muscles. It can also lead to better posture, improve circulation, and realignment. Similarly, yoga concentrates on posture, balance and flexibility.
Both Pilates and yoga are low impact exercises. But the main difference is that when practicing yoga, you normally adopt a position and hold it or flow into a different position. In Pilates, when you adopt a position, you then challenge your core by moving your arms and legs. This requires the stabilising of your core and can often involve Pilates machines.
The Pilates Loft on Devonport Road focuses on authentic Pilates with both one-on-one sessions to pinpoint specific needs and classes for all ages and stages. For all types of yoga, check out House of Yoga at the Mount.
Tai Chi for Arthritis
When: Thursdays 8am-9am Where: Te Puke Health and Fitness Centre, 3 No 3 Road Contact: Te Puke Health and Fitness Centre 07 573 5855 tepukeiftness@gmail.com
The Pilates Loft
Where: 77 Devonport Road Contact: Pilates Loft 027 962 6127 pilates@ thepilatesloft.co.nz House of Yoga Where: 3 Newton Street, Mount Maunganui Contact: House of Yoga 07 572 4994 hello@houseofyoga.co.nz
Walking groups
We are blessed with a vast array of walking groups in the Bay, so take your pick! Walking might seem a simple, humble thing to do, but it’s a giant when done regularly to improve health.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, walking wards off heart disease, brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston showed postmenopausal women who walk just one to two miles per day can lower their blood pressure by nearly 11 points in 24 weeks, while women who walk 30 minutes a day can reduce their risk of stroke by 20 percent and by 40 percent when they step up the pace.
Other benefits of walking include slowing the loss of bone mass for those with osteoporosis, relief of insomnia, improvement in energy levels, and better tone and muscle mass. One study at California State University has suggested that walking even releases painkilling endorphins in the body, improving moods.
As for local walking tracks, we’ve nothing to complain about. For short or long walks, just a few suggestions include, Papamoa Hills, Mauao, Kaiate Falls, Tuahu Kauri near Katikati, McLaren Falls, TECT All Terrain Park, Waikareao Estuary, and Gordon Carmichael Reserve.
Walking Groups in Tauranga
AGE CONCERN: Tauranga, Wed (AM), 07-578-2631
CITY ON ITS FEET: (COIF) (BIA) For days and time phone Sport Bay of Plenty 07-578-0016
STEPPING OUT JOGGING CLUB: Mon, Wed (AM), (IA), 07-544-0316
FOREST & BIRD SOCIETY: Secretary, Tauranga. branch @forestandbird.org.nz, Tauranga
HEALTHY HEART CLUB: Mon, Wed, Fri (AM), (B), YMCA, 07-578-5891
KAIMAI RAMBLERS TRAMPING GROUP: Wed, Roger 07-544-1622
Y’s WALKERS: Mon, Wed, Fri (AM), YMCA, 07-578-5891
MOUNT RUNNERS & WALKERS: Tue, Fri, Sun, info@mtrunnersandwalkers.co.nz , www.mtrunnersandwalkers.co.nz
ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION: Mon (AM), 07-576-2469
NORDIC WALKING AT THE MOUNT: Mon, Wed, Sat, Steffi 07-574-7527
NORDIC WALKING IN TAURANGA: Mon, Wed, Mary 07-577-0711
MT MAUNGANUI RSA WALKING CLUB: Tue, Thu, Sun (AM), (BIA), Kieran Jensen 07-572-0626 50
FORWARD WALKING GROUPS: Sport Bay of Plenty 07-578-0016
TAURANGA MID-WEEK TRAMPING GROUP: Pat 07-544-0670
TAURANGA ROAD RUNNERS: Sun (AM), Simon 027-577-1450
TAURANGA RAMBLERS: Malcolm 07-544-2369 or Rod Taylor 07-576-4207
TAURANGA TRAMPERS NETWORK: Natalie Bird 07-576-0016
TAURANGA TRAMPING CLUB: Christine Rawnsley 07-578-9984
PAK N BOOTS: packnboots@gmail.com
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