Womens_Health_Australia_December_2016

Fridaynight.AsIwalktomeetafriendforourend-of-

week wind-down, I pass a group of twentysomethings

chattingexcitedlyoverwineoutsideapub.Likethem,

I’llsoonbewringingoutthestressesofthepastweek.

Forgetting it all in a fog of thumping music and banter.

Onlyinsteadofaglassinmyhand,there’llbedumbbells.

It’snotthatI’magainstanightatabar,it’sjustthat

overthepastcoupleofyears,mydesiretoworkouthas

eclipsed my desire to go out. Somewhere along the way

myfitnessbecamemysociallife.Ihaveformedbona

fidefriendshipswithpeopleI’vemetinchangerooms.I

WhatsappmyPT.I’vesacrificednightsoutfor7amgym

sessionsand,yes,someofthat’saboutcarvingmylong-

desired six-pack and the endorphin thrill of becoming

fitter – but a lot of it is to do with the sense of community

IfeelwhenIwalkintothegym.AndthereasonIknowI’m

partofagrowingtribeisrighthereat7.50pmonaFriday.

“I call them Faisal’s Friday Finishers,” laughs bootcamp

trainer Faisal Abdalla. “You’d think that it might be quiet

onFridaynight,butactuallyit’saclassthatalwaysgets

booked up within minutes. It’s a committed bunch of

peoplewantingtolettheirhairdown–andfor them

this is more fun than heading to the pub.”

Propping up the barre

WhileFridaynightdrinksisobviouslystillathing,alcohol

consumptioninAustraliaiscurrentlyata50-yearlow

and alcohol-free initiatives like Dry July and Hello Sunday

Morning are increasing in popularity. I know there are

people who gag at the thought of $30 for a class at a

boutique fitness studio, but that pales in comparison

whenyouclockupthecostofdrinks,clubentryandtaxis

onanightout.Iwanttospendmymoneyonsomething

thatmakesmefeelgood–notexhaustedandparanoid.

The reality is my generation doesn’t have the finances or

–atleastinmycase–theenergytoworkhardandplay

hard any more, so we make a savvier choice.

Ofcourse,ithelpsthatgymsareevolvingintomore

than workout-and-shower facilities. Boutique fitness

studios now come with everything from cold-press juice

bars to pop-up clothing shops. Their higher prices and

smaller class sizes mean the same faces become quickly

UB

NCER

CALLING
TIME

SOBER

BAR

BUDDIES

DECEMBER 2016 womenshealth.com.au 57

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