8 Pretoria-Based Fitness Spots To Add To Your Workout Wishlist

An indoor workout doesn’t have to sacrifice on scenery. Not only does this Planet Fitness location sport clean, streamlined (and roomy) spaces to notch up your sweat sessions but large windows also bathe the luxe gym in natural light, giving you room to burpee without feeling cooped in. Highlights include the functional training area and sprawling cardio deck, replete with all the necessary machinery to get your blood pumping. But it’s not all reps and no rest. For your cooldown, head to the juice bar, steam room – or both – for a well-deserved post-workout pick-me-up.

Five-a-side football is an accessible spin on the world’s most beloved sport. Firstly, you won’t need the kind of stamina necessary to sprint across a full-sized pitch. Secondly, with smaller teams, pulling together a squad is as simple as texting a few mates and setting up a time. Thirdly, games are all action, zero downtime. Finally, venues like this one (situated on the roof of a parking lot) are springing up everywhere, so you won’t have to travel far to get your fix. Best part? With some real graft, you can burn up to 750 calories in an hour of playtime – the perfect intersection between getting fit and having fun.

There’s a common misconception that trampoline parks are just for kids. In reality, the chance to bounce around with your kids is a genius way to rack up those active hours. A stint of jumping works your back, core and leg muscles while packing a serious cardio punch. If aimless leaping isn’t your style, this gargantuan park (which features a variety of different spring-loaded amenities) also serves up high-tempo dodgeball games that’ll open the valve on your workday stress.

This new-age twist on high-intensity workouts armours you in an electrode-enabled bodysuit hooked up to an EMS device. But this isn’t an over-the-top sci-fi cosplay; this tech activates electrical impulses to trigger muscle contractions throughout your body. The goal is to max out stimulation in minimal time, letting you shave down your gym sessions to just 20 minutes. (Talk about efficiency.) Programmes are fully customisable based on your goals, so you can fine-tune each session. Check out our Body20 review here.

The naysayers called CrossFit a fad, but the bubble hasn’t burst yet. With new boxes springing up across the country, Menlyn Maine’s bastion of HIIT is one of our favourites for the Pretoria fitness scene. Featuring a stripped-down minimal space, there’s a Zen-like atmosphere to its weekly classes. The focus is on notching clean reps in a group setting and your commitment to the cause will yield impressive results. Light on your wallet, too: memberships start at just R800 per month.

Flexing in a high-temp environment has been proven to pack some serious health benefits. A study conducted
by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that logging frequent hot yoga classes can help hit the brakes on depression, anxiety and stress. Other studies have found a link between sweltering stretches and improved cardiovascular health. Consider this Glenwood location a pressure cooker for your mind and heart. You’ll be training in 37°C heat, completing a range of fitness-boosting asanas to the groove of relaxing beats. The studio has opened its doors to yogis of all levels, with instructors helping you navigate a variety of yoga styles at your own pace.

Wolwespruit is a lush trail run and mountain bike park located in Erasmuskloof. For cyclists, you’ll find plenty of rugged real estate to tear through with its 23km MTB single track featuring exhilarating drops, testing river crossings and a few big jumps along the way. It’s also the gathering spot for the Salomon Community Run. Runners meet weekly on Tuesday evenings to tackle a range of distances as a group. For newcomers, we recommend the Purple Trail which spans just under 5km.

Thrashers was built in 1996, making it one of the oldest skateparks in the country. But with regular maintenance and modifications, this arena isn’t showing its age. Recently, the location has diversified with the addition of decked-out Padel courts, drawing in numbers.

• Thrashers is open to boarders, BMXers and rollerblades. It features a range of different obstacles, including ledges, stairs, a pyramid, a menacingly-named death ramp and two quarter pipes.
• Padel is a tennis-like sport that shrinks the court, lowers the net and lets you play the ball off the walls. As a result, it’s far more accessible than its forefather, giving you a pick-up-and-play alternative to make good on your Wimbledon-esque ambitions.