Canberra has once again proven that when it comes to exercise, the city truly shines as the nation’s capital with visitation to the city’s leisure centres increasing by a whopping 43% since March 2024.

This surge in activity is mirrored in the city’s passion for group exercise, with a remarkable 32% increase in group class attendance across Stromlo Leisure Centre, Lakeside Leisure Centre and Canberra Olympic Pool. Canberrans are embracing movement not only as a personal health choice but as a social experience.

Well known for their dedication to health and wellbeing, Canberrans beat out the rest of the country as the most active jurisdiction, with *71.5% of ACT adults (15 years +) ensuring they are active three or more times per week. 

This commitment to staying active was on full display during the Move It Canberra Challenge on Saturday, March 29, a city-wide effort to reach 15,000 active minutes in just one day. The response was overwhelming, with leisure centres packed with participants determined to contribute to the goal. In total, 863 community members participated, achieving an outstanding 51,880 active minutes across the three venues, smashing the target by 345.9%.

The challenge was simple—commit to just 30 minutes of movement at Stromlo Leisure Centre, Lakeside Leisure Centre or Canberra Olympic Pool to help the community hit the target. The venues offered free access to their gyms, pools and group fitness classes, with something for everyone, whether they were a fitness enthusiast or just getting started. 

Mathew Pole, ACT Business Operations Manager at Belgravia Leisure expressed his delight at the growing enthusiasm for health and fitness in Canberra. 

“These outstanding statistics across our leisure centres are a reflection of how much Canberrans like to move and also the hard work that our teams put into creating welcoming spaces at each venue so that they can continue to achieve their health and well-being goals. 

“I’m particularly thrilled with the results from the annual Move It Canberra event on the weekend. This event isn’t just about exercise—it’s about coming together as a community and creating new habits to ensure health and fitness is a part of everyday life.” 

The city’s favourite group fitness classes have also been revealed, with Aqua-Aerobics, Yoga / Chair Yoga and Body Pump leading the way in popularity across the four venues.  

“Not surprisingly, Aqua Aerobics continues to dominate as the most popular group exercise across all of our venues. Each week, about 900 participants don their swimsuits across Stromlo, Lakeside, Gungahlin and Canberra Olympic Pool to enjoy the benefits of this low impact, high-reward class that is doing wonders for the physical and mental health of those participating,” Mr Pole said. 

To further support the community, gold coin donations from onsite activities during the event will be donated to the Belgravia Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving access to sport, recreation and wellness programs for all.

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