If there is one thing 2020 has taught us it's how moving our bodies is good for the soul.
Whether you opt to dance around your living room in fat pants or haul yourself up the Durie Hill steps, Whanganui has plenty of options for staying active, writes Lucy Drake.
Along with moving our bodies the lockdown and Covid-19 has taught us to appreciate what's on our back doorstep, something we may take for granted a little too often, Sport Whanganui's chief executive Danny Jonas believes.
"During that lockdown period it was so cool to see so many people out there walking and riding bikes and what would be ideal is that became the norm and a part of everyday life for people," he said.
Jonas says Whanganui has iconic venues which people wanting to get active can take advantage of; such as heading down to Kowhai Park or the bike park with the kids or going for a walk around Virginia Lake, Westmere Lake, up Durie Hill Tower or even venturing out into the suburbs to the playgrounds.
"Get outside and actually play with your kids, chuck away those devices and get out and head to the beach and build a sandcastle, go and find a tree you can climb, revisit your youth," Jonas says.
He says not only does moving your body through physical activity help to improve wellbeing but it helps build resilience, it can make you more patient and it helps to clear the air when you may be at home with the kids.
Whanganui District Health Board chief executive Russell Simpson says moving your body does not have to take a lot of effort, it can be the simple steps you make in your day that can make a big difference.
"If people aren't very active, even 15 minutes a day of walking can start to improve fitness," he says.
"The benefits of regular exercise are quite significant, not only the benefits on your cardiovascular system in terms of weight control and your metabolic balance but also for your mental state of mind and managing stress. Exercise is proven to lower stress levels and lower cortisol which is a stress hormone. It also helps with your sleep and just genuinely makes you feel better."
Simpson says there are plenty of opportunities to enable people to stay healthy and fit around the district.
"It can start from those who aren't very active in terms of parking their car further away from where they need to go, taking stairs instead of using elevators or lifts around town, short walks to and from the shops or at the beach.
"There's a range of parks and facilities around town for people to use that range from walks along the river, there's organised and team sports.
For those that want to test their abilities, Simpson said there is the Waitahinga trails, Mt Ruapehu and lots of trails and short hikes.
And someone who knows a lot about walking is Bill Charnock from the Neva Beans walking group.
"Whanganui is a great place for walking, just on Saturday, I walked for two and a half hours. You can walk basically from Aramoho Bridge to the sailing club without crossing the road."
He said he enjoys the group aspect of walking with the Neva Beans as it brings in a friendship aspect to it.
Charnock is also a big advocate for the weekly 5km Whanganui Riverbank parkrun that is held every Saturday at 8am that starts opposite 282 Taupo Quay.
It is a free event that is timed and allows you to compete against yourself.
One person who helped others to adapt to the changes of Covid-19 while keeping them fit was personal trainer Carla Tonks who started running virtual fitness classes.
"It's so important especially during these Covid times that everybody builds their health resilience and for me it's making sure you're eating sensibly, as un-processed as possible, getting enough sleep and rest and just movement, making sure you're doing something you actually enjoy," Tonks says.
Tonks runs a few group classes one of which is an outdoor class because she believes exercising outside and getting out in nature is very healthy for your mental health and wellbeing.
After moving here from the UK, she now volunteers with a women's mountain biking group that meets every Tuesday early evening and hit the tracks out near Lake Wiritoa.
She said dancing is also a fun way to move your body and you do not feel like you're exercising.
Irina Kapeli from Dance Whanganui says health and fitness should be a lifestyle.
"Our body is our most prized possession and if we let it go, we will struggle with everything else in life like work, relationships, hobbies and time with kids."
She said to start by writing down a main goal and break it down into smaller achievable ones and then tick them off as you achieve them.
"Any fitness activity, whether it is walking, running, sport, dance or anything else will only show results with a regular commitment of at least 3 times per week and you can expect to start seeing results in about 6 weeks' time."
She and her family have started to make some adjustments around the home to stay more active, and this includes not owning a couch and their TV is not plugged in so they are not tempted to sit down for half the day and watch it.
Our top activities to do to stay fit and healthy in Whanganui.
• Head down to Kai Iwi Beach or Castlecliff Beach, kick off your shoes and go for a long walk.
• If you have a kayak head down to the river and go for a paddle. Don't have one? Hire one from the Whanganui Top 10 Holiday Park.
• Join a local gym or CrossFit studio.
• Practise your sprints or long-distance running at Cooks Garden
• Get stuck into the garden, clean out the weeds and plant some new seeds
• Join a social or club sport in either winter or summer
• Climb the Durie Hill stairs
• Biking along the Mountains to the Sea Cycle Trail
• Learn to dance
