Four extreme fitness activities to try

What is it? Freerun Terrain Park
Try it at: Bounce Glen Iris

To master the terrain park at Bounce – the land of trampoline joy – you’d basically need to be Trinity from The Matrix. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. The elasticised obstacle course involves scaling a 2.7-metre wall, traversing next-level monkey bars, bouncing over blocks, climbing walls and zip-lining to the finish line. It’s breathless, sweaty fun; after an hour you won’t have any calories left to burn.

What is it? Aerial yoga
Try it at: Bodyflow Yoga

Even if your yoga teacher knows your middle name, you’re still not prepared for aerial yoga. For an hour, you’ll perform traditional yoga postures while suspended from a length of white silk which hangs from the ceiling. And while the silk hurts (particularly when you’re draped over it in a facsimile of a downward-facing dog), the opportunity to swing upside down and perform inverted poses that are normally beyond reach (like a proper headstand) makes this super fun.

What is it? Bouldering
Try it at: The Lactic Factory

Sweaty palms and vertigo don’t have to go hand in hand with rock climbing. You won’t ascend more than four metres at a bouldering park; the aim is to scale the wall sideways, giving you a brilliant full-body workout. It’s not easy, which is why the ground is padded with mattresses that are waiting to catch you should you put your faith in the wrong climbing hold.

What is it? Flowrider
Try it at: Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

Let’s be real, Melbourne: we’re not a surfing people. That said, we do love an opportunity to get wet, which makes the Flowrider surfing simulator at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre the perfect way to trick your body into working out. You begin lying down and holding your board at the bottom of a canvas-covered ramp, before two massive jets of water, pumping at 55km per hour, propel you upwards. You won’t get up on the board on your first (or fifth) try, but when the moment happens, it’s something to text your mum about.