These events and deals will make sticking to that New Year’s fitness resolution easier.
Join a free dance class as part of Dance Days, which runs January 19-28. Photo: Raino Dance & Helene Cyr Photography.
If you’ve resolved to focus more on your fitness this year, signing up to participate in a local fitness event — or knowing about a few of the local studios that offer great deals, especially for new students — might help if you’re already losing a little of your drive.
5 Local Fitness Events
What: Mountain Equipment Co-op hosts five races, each at a different picturesque location, throughout the year. The first race is on Sunday, January 14 and the fifth on October 28. There are a variety of distances, from 5 km to 21.1 km, so you pick what kind of challenge you want.
When: Various dates throughout 2018
The deal: These might be the most affordable running races out there. A single race costs $15.
What: Dance Victoria’s eighth annual Dance Days event includes dance shows and a reception, but it also includes 10 days of free dance classes in a variety of genres. You can register to learn everything from flamenco to West African to ballet.
When: January 19-28, 2018
The deal: All the dance classes are free.
What: The sixth annual conference is a weekend-long fitness event where you can take a variety of yoga, strength and meditation classes.
When: February 9-11, 2018
The deal: You get a lot. Your weekend pass gives you access to over 50 classes, live music, a gala evening and a marketplace where you can shop more than 30 vendors’ booths.
Elk Lake Triathlon, Duathlon and Aquabike
What: You choose whether you want to swim-bike-run or run-bike-run or swim-bike to the finish line. Yes, it’s challenging, but the multisport event takes place at Elk Lake, so know that you can enjoy those views as you push yourself. Register for this race and you have motivation to start training now so you’re ready for the big event in August.
When: August 5, 2018
The deal: Register before April 2 and you’ll score the early bird price.
GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon
What: It’s the biggest running event on the Island, and if you set yourself the goal of finishing a marathon (or a half marathon or an 8km race) in 2018, then opt for this race. When you’re out training during the year, you can run portions of the route to prepare for race day — and you’ll know exactly where you want your family to stand when they cheer you on.
When: October 7, 2018
The deal: Register before May 15 and get the early bird pricing.
6 Fitness Studios With Great Deals
This fitness studio offers just about any fitness class you could want. The studio has barre, yoga, pilates, aerial, pole and SUP yoga classes. If you’re a first timer, you can purchase one month of unlimited access to Alive Mindbody’s drop-in fitness classes for $49.
This yoga studio in Chinatown’s Fan Tan Alley has a couple of deals that are hard to pass up. If you’ve never been to the studio before, your first class is free (if you live in Southern Vancouver Island.) If, after that, you feel like this is the studio for you, new members pay $75 for one month of unlimited drop-in yoga classes.
If you’ve never been to this yoga studio on Fort Street before, you can register for its “Intro Month” deal, where you’ll get 30 days of yoga for $40.
At this fitness studio, you’ll get an hour-long cardio workout as well as strength training. You’re connected to heart rate monitors the whole time so that your level of intensity can be tracked. New students can try their first class for free.
Cycling out in the rain isn’t for everyone. SpinCo, a spin studio on Pandora, offers a two-week deal for its new students. Pay $50 and get two weeks of unlimited spin classes.
Workouts here are on a whole body vibrating machine, meaning a 20-minute workout here has the benefits of a 50-minute workout off the machine. New students get their first week free.