How to find free fitness activities

No matter where you live in Australia, chances are there are plenty of free fitness events and outdoor activities happening in your local community. This is a fantastic way to get active – out in the fresh air, in a social and welcoming environment, with a group of like-minded people.

So how do you find out about all these events? There’s always the old-fashioned way – checking out flyers on local noticeboards, or talking to your neighbours. Or, you know, waiting for the events to pop up on your Facebook feed. But to increase your chances of finding activities you’re interested in, online directories can be your best friend.

Here are some of our favourite ways to find out about classes, groups and activities in our local area.

1. Active in Parks

This award-winning online directory by the People and Parks Foundation brings together details of outdoor community activities being held all around Australia. There’s something for all ages and interests – fitness classes, walking groups, sports teams, social games, playgrounds and playgroups, nature tours, outdoor adventure trips and more.

Many of the events listed are free, and you can choose to show only free activities in your search. Community groups can also list their activities for free, making it easy to spread the word. Medibank is proud to be a major sponsor of this fantastic resource.

2. MeetUp

There’s a reason MeetUp is such a popular tool all around the world – it’s a great way to find like-minded people doing activities you enjoy. Search for fitness activities in your local area and you’re sure to find plenty of groups, classes, training sessions and outings you can get involved in.

Whether you’re looking for a group to go for a weekend bike ride with, a free bootcamp session to kickstart your fitness, or somewhere you can try stand-up paddleboarding for the first time, this massive database of social groups is an excellent place to start.

3. Around You

This huge directory lists events, attractions, businesses and useful tips and articles for all locations around Australia. Search to find yoga classes, training groups, bootcamps and running clubs near you. It can take a little more digging around to find the free stuff – but with so much on offer, it’s certainly there.

The clean interface makes it easy to find what you’re looking for, and there’s plenty on offer for all different fitness levels and interests. It’s a great tool for Victorians, and we’d love to see similar apps for the rest of Australia.