Four Ways to Have a Healthy Winter in Bondi

Winter in Bondi doesn’t have to be all about vitamin C dosing and chapped lips. There’s plenty to do. You’ve got mulled wine to drink at Bondi Bowling Club and Vivid’s spellbinding projections to gawk at. The pubs are never dry, cafés are never short of beans (or brownies), and the number of restaurants to stuff your face at grows larger every day. But that doesn’t mean you have to. There is such a thing as a healthy Winter.

Here are four simple ways to have a healthy Winter. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to single out these four, but the following list tells you WHERE you can get it done in Bondi.

Sweat

It’s hard to avoid the proverbial Winter coat … really hard. Having an exercise routine is obviously the best way to keep the old Winter coat from getting too thick. “Routine” being the operative word.

Squeezing in a couple of strength and conditioning, and yoga or pilates sessions in every week equals high fives all round. There’s no shortage of gyms in Bondi, like Speedo Fitness Club, and there’s even the outdoor bars at North Bondi that are free to use and a great place to flex at random strangers. Alike the abundance of gyms, there is certainly no shortage of yoga and pilates studios either. 

Remember, it’s easy to keep a routine once in a routine. Getting in one is the hard part.

Run or Walk

The Bondi to Coogee walk is one of the best you’ll find. Wandering in, out and around the city beaches and headlands with stunningly expansive ocean views along the way is golden. And now that it’s whale watching season (May-November), there’s a good chance you’ll spot a humpback, and if you’re really lucky, an orca, bryde or southern right whale.

The City to Surf might not be until September, but that doesn’t mean you can’t run the Hyde Park to Bondi Beach course. The challenging route goes through Double Bay, Rose Bay and the infamous Heartbreak Hill.

Surf

Any surfer will tell you that once you’re out of the water, warm and dry, you feel like a million bucks. Post-exercise endorphins are coursing through your veins and your skin is tingling as it thaws. If you’ve had a good surf, and say, got absolutely shacked, you’ll feel even better.

Bondi is best on a small to medium swell and on an almost high tide. Anything too big or on a low tide and there’s more chance you’ll be dealing with close outs. If you’re a beginner, then the northern end of the beach (opposite end to Icebergs) will probably be your playground. If you’re well versed in the art of wave riding, check the wind and go hunting.

Eat (healthy)

Bondi does good eating. And thanks to its high numbers of neo hippies, boho hipsters and clean living/party hard people, it also does good healthy eating. There’s a whole mushroom stack of vegetarian restaurants in Bondi; places that sell nourishing omnivorous grub, like The Depot, Little Jean, Envii, Bondi Wholefoods, Earth Food Store and Cali Press; as well as more smoothie bars and acai bowls than you can throw an orange at. Note – dodge the super sugary smoothies and bowls. 

Again, consistency is key here. Accept that blowouts will happen in the form of seven-hour espresso martini sessions and next-day piggery. If you can keep those to a minimum, and stick to the healthy eating for the most part, you’re doing well.

Bondi also has an ethical side if you’re looking to keep a healthy conscience, and there always health trends, like ketogenics and probiotics, floating about.

words by niall roeder