For those who have packed away their holiday decorations and need something to remedy the January blues, City of Nanaimo’s parks and recreation department suggests getting active.
People are known to take up fitness as a new year’s resolution and according to Chelsea Barr, parks and rec communications clerk, an Active Pass can be used for a number of recreational activities.
“Not only can you get in the pool for the ‘everyone welcome swim,’ the length swimming, aquafit classes, any skating session, [rec] hockey, volleyball, badminton, the ‘everyone welcome’ gym sessions and even the kids drop-in sessions at Oliver Woods you can use with your Active Pass,” said Barr.
Varying your exercise routine can make it more enjoyable and break the monotony that the dreary, early months of the year, Barr said.
“It’ll give you diverse options,” said Barr. “Sometimes with fitness routines, you can get a bit bored … with the Active Pass, it allows you to beat boredom and stay active with your family, but also do independent workouts and it just gives you a variety and allows you to build different muscles and endurance.”
There is a variety of pricing options. A yearly pass costs $500 for adults, $378 for students and seniors, $270 for children and $999 for families. One-month passes are also available with $42 for students and seniors, $56 for adults, $30 for children and $112 for families.
“Really, with the Active Pass, we want to encourage people to stay fit, but have fun,” said Barr. “So if you’re having fun and there’s variety, you’re more likely to workout and be more successful. Your more likely to stick with it and stay active if your not bored and doing the same old thing.”
Barr said anyone can purchase the pass, but age requirements will apply to facilities. Children under the age of seven going to the pool must be accompanied by an adult as an example, she said.
Megan Lum, city recreation coordinator, agrees with Barr about exercise variety.
“The biggest part of being active for life is switching it up,” said Lum. “It’s a simple as that I think and it builds all those skills, especially for kids. If they are exposed to swimming and exposed to skating and exposed to gymnasium activities early on, it builds physical literacy and that’s just an important way to stay active.”
Barr said there was a spike of close to 4,800 people using city gyms, pools and rinks when comparing rec facility numbers from January 2018 to November 2017. December numbers are skewed, as there are numerous special events and statutory holidays.
“My family and I have purchased the Active Pass before and in the winter, on a weekend, or even in the evenings, my kids haven’t had a lot of exercise where it’s just really miserable out, because normally we like to stay outside, but it just gives us something to do in the winter,” said Barr. “We just look up when an ‘everyone welcome’ skate is on, the pools are open until 10 p.m. … it just always gives us something to do as a family when we have that pass.”
To find out more about city rec facilities and opportunities, visit www.nanaimo.ca and click on the recreation and parks tab. The city’s fall and winter activity guide can be viewed or downloaded as well..
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