How to keep fit in Bali: The Canggu Club, Bob Breen, Hammerhead gym and more
Despite its reputation as party central, one of the most popular places to go in Bali costs less than a tenner and is completely hangover free.
Despite its reputation as party central, holidaying in Bali and staying fit go together like, well, bacon and cheese. From an upside-down kind of yoga, to a three-dimensional version of pilates, to gyms frequented by major Australian celebrities, we look at the seven novel ways to stay fit on the island of the Gods.
1) ANTI-GRAVITY YOGA
The latest in a series of yoga hybrids that see yogis bend and stretch on paddle boards or heated studios, anti-gravity yoga combines the ancient form of strength training with the motions of dance. Held in outdoor yoga pavilions or in air-conditioned studios at the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay using heavy-duty hammocks, anti-gravity yoga encourages blood circulation, lengthens the spine and improves flexibility. “A lot of the yoga classes in Bali are ‘meditative’ where people go into their own head space to work on breathing and posture,” says spokesperson Marion Carroll. “But Whenever I see an anti-gravity yoga class in action, everyone is smiling, chatting
and laughing.” $60 per person or $200 for a family of four. Fourseasons.com
2) THE CANGGU CLUB
They may make a great burger and the waterslides are endless fun, but the Canggu Club is Bali’s ultimate fitness venue. There are tennis courts, squash courts, a trampoline park and gym outfitted with state-of-the-art weight machines, free weights and a row of treadmills overlooking a sparkling 25-metre pool. Prefer working out in a group? Join one of 19 fitness classes per week, with options like body pump, zumba, swimfit and cycle core. New for this summer at the Canggu Club is ‘fitness measuring’ — a half-hour hi-tech fitness consultation that looks at complex indicators like bone-mass and bio-age. Entry $30. Fitness measuring $25. Cangguclub.com
3) HAMMERHEAD GYM
The weights are old and rusty. The carpet is frayed. The air conditioning barely works. But this massive 600sqm gym around in Legian filled with more than more than a hundred exercise stations is one of the most popular places to work out in Bali. Hammerhead attracts a steady mix of locals, tourists, Instagram-junkies who seem to spend more time posing for selfies than working out plus the odd celebrity. In 2012, only weeks before filming of The Wolverine began, a super-buff Hugh Jackman was seen pumping iron here. Cardio combat session, belly dancing and zumba are offered in the evening in a studio downstairs. Entry $9. Balifitnesscenter.com
4) BOB BREEN
When Shannan Ponton of The Biggest Loser holidays in Bali, he trains with Bob Breen at the Seaside Restaurant & Gym in Legian. A super-fit 68-year-old Kiwi with more than 50 years experience in sports and exercise, Breen is renowned for helping clients get superhuman results. “I’ve helped bodybuilders double their strength, I can get people running at speeds they could never have imagined and I can show middle-aged women how to do pull-ups,” Breen says. “Ask anyone in the industry — I will take the Pepsi test and pass it every time. I never fail in making people stronger, fitter and faster.” Hour-long personal training sessions for $45. Seasidesuitesbali.com
5) GYROTONIC
An ‘evolved’ exercise method that encompasses elements of yoga, dance, swimming, tai chi and gymnastics, Gyrotonic was developed by a Romanian ballet dancer to help deal with his personal struggle with chronic injury and is now practised in 52 countries, including Indonesia. “The first thing you will notice after practising Gyrotonic is a more sensible spine and more flexibility in the shoulder and knee joints,” says Sook Fun Chen, a professional dancer from Singapore who runs Movement Matters, Bali’s only Gyrotonic studios in Ubud and Seminyak. “Think of it as a three-dimensional version of pilates.” $15 for group classes or $65 for private sessions. MovementMatters-Bali.com
6) BODIKU RECHARGE RETREATS
Held in a luxury villa in Seminyak, Bodiku Recharge Retreat help guests improve their health, fitness, mood — and tan — at the same. Ranging in length from three to seven days, retreats feature individually tailored fitness programs, meditation classes, daily massages, organic health elixirs, two meals a day designed by in-house nutritionists, and one-on-one personal training sessions with six-times Indonesian bodybuilding champion Komang Arnawa. And unlike some health retreats where internet is a no-no, the wi-fi at Bodiku is fast and free. “Rather than avoid outside interference, our goal is to help guests live in harmony with the challenges of the modern-day lifestyle,” says wellness director Natalie Peterson. Five-night retreats from $2000. Bodiku.com
7) WARRIOR ARTS
Set in the backstreets of hipster-central Canggu, Bali MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and Muay Thai Training Camp is a one-stop-shop for martial training and fitness. It’s run by a team of 10 professional fighters from Australia, Asia and the U.S. with classes catering to just about anybody. Beginners can try basic boxing and Brazilian Ju-Jitsu fundamentals, while the more experienced can punch it out in advanced striking, advanced MMA or No-Gi grappling classes — a form of combat wrestling from Japan. Travelling with kids? Then bring along to Bali MMA for one of five weekly ‘kid’s aikido’ or ‘kid’s ju jitsu’ classes. $15 per class. balimma.com
ASK THE EXPERT
We ask Dane Ferguson, sport and recreation director at the Canggu Club, about the challenges of working out in the tropics.
“The biggest challenges are the heat and humidity and the associated effects it has on the body’s cardiovascular system. It results in a rapid rise in core body temperature, which means your muscles won’t be able to perform like they do at home — unless you live in Darwin. So if you decide to go for a 10km run in Bali, don’t expect to feel the same at the end of it, or even finish it in the same time you run at home. Luckily, Bali is famous for its ‘Kelapa Muda’ or young coconut, which is readily available and costs about $1 and offers a perfect combination of natural sugars, electrolytes, minerals, amino-acids and enzymes to help your body recover.”
ESCAPE ROUTE
BALI
Jetstar flies daily from Sydney from $209, Perth from $129 and Darwin from $119. Jetstar.com
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