From the court to the coast, Tāmaki Makaurau is teeming with ways to stay active and thrive. If your New Year’s resolution is to make 2025 the 'Year of You’ by focusing on health and wellbeing – or if you simply want to change up your current fitness routine – these Auckland activities will help you raise your heart rate while also making your heart sing.

Parks and respiration

If you plan to pair your exercise with a dose of vitamin D, there are plenty of parks and maunga that are the perfect location for you to step into action. Many parks around Auckland also have outdoor exercise equipment available, ranging from calisthenics equipment for training using your body weight, to outdoor machines such as a leg press and an arm cycle. If you’d prefer to have options for rainy days, then consider joining a gym at your local Auckland Council Pool and Leisure Centre.

At Marlborough Park in Glenfield, you can try out the exercise equipment such as the leg press while the rest of the family plays on the basketball court or playground.

Take it to the court

Keen to make some net gains in your exercise routines? Consider smashing your fitness goals on the court. Tennis is fantastic cardiovascular exercise and it’s also good for strength, agility and mental stamina – especially when you’re challenging a friend to a match. There are more than 60 tennis courts around the region ready to serve. If you need racquets, why not visit your local Community Recycling Centre to find an ace second-hand option.

There are many tennis courts around Auckland great for a smashing good game, including at Mt Eden’s Nicholson Park.

Want to try something new? Try Pickleball. This fast-growing sport can be played at several Auckland Council Pool and Leisure Centres, and is a hybrid of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Played using a paddle and a wiffle ball, this fun sport is good for all ages, but it is especially suitable for seniors as the serve is underarm (easier on shoulders) and the court is slightly smaller.

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports and is good for all ages.

Class action

Whether you’re hooked on BoxFit, kicking into gear at Body Combat or getting your fitness en pointe in a Barre class, there are a multitude of group fitness classes held at Auckland Council Pool and Leisure Centres across Auckland. Working out in a group is a great way to stay motivated, form an exercise routine and have fun, and there are classes dedicated to all fitness levels and age groups.

A FlexiFIT group class is a fun way to stay limber.

Make a splash

Take your workout to new lengths by swimming in one of Auckland Council’s public pools. Swimming is a full-body workout that is also low impact due to the buoyancy of the water. There are pools across the region, and in summer there are also locations such as Parnell Baths and Point Erin Pool – ideal for beating the heat.

The outdoor swimming lanes at Point Erin Pool are great way to cool off in summer while getting a dose of vitamin D.

Aqua fitness classes are a low-impact option well suited to those living with arthritis, struggling with obesity, recovering from an injury – or who simply like to cool off while exercising.

Run the world

Hit the ground running in 2025 by pounding the pavement or the tracks. AKL Paths can help you find a path near you – the website helpfully states the amount of kilometres, walking steps and minutes of each track to help you meet your goals.

Okahu Bay Reserve is a great running spot.

For added motivation, why not set yourself the long-term goal of running in the Auckland Marathon in November? And to take your mind off your burning legs, try listening to an audiobook from Auckland Libraries while on the move.

All at sea

With around 3200km of coastline, Auckland’s harbours, beaches and rivers are beautiful places to keep fit. Surfing or boogie boarding is not only fun but also an excellent workout – paddling exercises your shoulders, back, chest and arms, and balancing on the board works the core. The crumbly waves and beach breaks at Omaha and Ōrewa make them good options for beginner surfers. Piha is an internally renowned surfing beach, but due to its strong currents it’s best suited to advanced surfers.

There are lots of other ways to keep fit on the Auckland coast such as stand up paddleboarding at Takapuna Beach or kayaking at Ōrākei Basin (check the flushing schedule).

Before taking to the water always check the conditions at Safeswim and if there are lifeguards on the beach make sure to swim between the flags.

Ōrākei Basin is a great spot for kayaking. The flushing schedule shows when the basin will be tidal and the online schedule also shows when the basin is used for waterskiing.