New to Canberra? How to Keep Training When You Arrive on a Posting

Canberra gets a lot of new arrivals. Diplomats and embassy staff on postings. Public servants moving for a new role. Doctors starting at a new hospital. Families following a partner’s job.

A move is one of the easiest ways to lose a training habit. New house, new job, new commute, no gym and no routine. By the time you’ve unpacked, three months have gone and you’re starting from scratch.

It doesn’t have to go that way. Here’s how to keep training through the move and settle into a routine quickly.

Before you arrive: keep a minimum plan

Pick a short routine you can do anywhere: a hotel room, an empty apartment, a park. Twenty minutes, bodyweight, three times a week. It won’t build much, but it keeps the habit alive while everything else is in boxes.

If you want someone checking in through the move, online coaching can start before you land. Your program sits in the app, so it travels with you.

Week one: get outside

Canberra is built for walking. A loop of Lake Burley Griffin’s central basin, the climb up Mount Ainslie or a walk on Red Hill is a good way to learn the city and keep moving while you settle in.

Fair warning if you arrive in winter: Canberra mornings get properly cold, often below zero. Layers help. So does a training time that isn’t 6am in July.

Choose a gym near where your day happens

The best gym is the one on your way. If you work in Barton, the Parliamentary Triangle or near the embassies in Yarralumla and O’Malley, Deakin is close. If you work in the city, Civic is a short walk from most offices.

If your days are unpredictable, training at home might be easier for the first few months. We come to homes across most of Canberra.

Book fixed times before your calendar fills

In a new job, your calendar fills quickly. Lock in your training times in the first week, before it does. Same days, same times. Training becomes part of how your week works, rather than something you squeeze in when there’s room.

Plan for the next move too

If you’re here on a posting, you’ll probably move again. Build a routine that can come with you: a program in an app, a coach who can switch to online, and a minimum you can keep anywhere.

That’s how you avoid starting over every time you change cities.

How we coach busy professionals in Canberra

If you’ve just arrived, or you’re about to, book a complimentary Back Yourself Session. We’ll talk about your new routine and build a plan that fits it, in person, at home or online.