Balloons, barbells and bunny hops. Personal trainer Glenn Hardinge likes to mix it up at his weekly Wednesday afternoon boot camp, upstairs at the Motueka Recreation Centre.
He’s old school but his fitness class is anything but. Most of the more than 20 participants are homeschooled kids, with a few mothers getting involved as well.
Glenn’s connection with the Motueka Waka Ama Club led to the hour-long sessions starting up.
“He’s good at creating a range of creative activities and keeping everyone engaged. The kids get to see their mums have still got strength too,” enthuses club committee member Lucy Bryant.
“Glenn calls it boot camp and he pushes us hard, but he is a big marshmallow at heart.”
The age range at the final class of the year went from six to 61 and the message was simple – keep fit, keep strong, keep well and keep coming back.
“It is all about strength, power and high intensity but I do read the room. It is ok to tap out and then tap back in,” says Glenn, who agrees he’s a product of the school of hard knocks.
After the standard warm-up, Glenn gets funky with his balloon drills. It turns out, blowing up the balloons is the easiest part.
“I get them to do press ups and sit ups while the balloons are floating above them,” says the 63-year-old, who has a background in martial arts training and competitive paddling.
Arwen Simcic has been coming to the classes since they began two years ago.
“It is a really good environment and the atmosphere is usually quite supportive. Glenn likes to mix fun with exercise,” declares the 15-year-old after competing in the tug of war.
The regular workouts are set to return in 2026 in the second and third terms.
