If you’re anything like us and spend most weekday evenings setting your alarm – and the following morning hitting snooze – then perhaps you could do with a little group motivation to get you into the early morning exercise routine. Parkrun organises free, weekly 5km runs in parks and scenic locations around the world, with local events happening in New Farm, South Bank, Stones Corner, Mitchelton, Sandgate and North Lakes from 7:00 am every Saturday morning. If you’re more of a walker than a jogger, join a Gonewalking group in your local area for good chat, group fitness and beautiful scenery. Those who have indulged in a little too much pudding this festive season can find a huge range of free fitness classes in suburbs around the city, from Bliss Walk, Tone and Stretch in West End and Zumba Fitness in New Farm Park, to Hip Hop Dance in the City Botanic Gardens this Saturday and a Centenary Highway Christmas Ride this Sunday. Head online to search classes by location and date.

For those who prefer to go it alone, Brisbane boasts a wealth of public parks, where you can take a relaxed walk, jog or cycle while tuning out to the pressures of the festive season. From the inner-city greenery of the City Botanic Gardens to West End’s Orleigh Park, the recently reopened New Farm Riverwalk and the butt-breaking Kangaroo Point Cliffs, locals can head online to search parks by suburb. More than 80 Brisbane City Council parks have free exercise equipment available, while more than 200 have basketball and netball facilities, 12 have BMX facilities and more than 40 have rebound walls for the solo tennis, soccer or handball enthusiast.

If you want to make a day of it, the 52-hectare Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha is free to enter seven days of the week, or take a drive northwest of Brisbane City to hike through Mount Glorious national park. Brisbane’s bay suburbs Wynnum, Manly, Shorncliffe and Sandgate, as well as Bribie Island a bit further north, offer free fitness activities upon the sand and sea, while Brisbane’s public pools across Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill and Coorparoo are perfect for cooling summer exercise. If bad weather has forced you indoors, Lululemon Athletica on James Street offers a complimentary yoga class every Sunday morning, including this Sunday December 21 from 8:30–9:30 am. Lorna Jane Active Living Room also celebrated its grand opening at The Barracks just last weekend, so stay tuned for updates on future classes.

Beyond Brisbane’s bounty of cost-free exercise destinations, a free fitness app was also recently launched right here in the Sunshine State. Zova has been designed specifically to help women work out more efficiently and enjoyably, teaming custom-made music with exercise science, and helping users to track and review their progress. Download the app for free online.