Halifax indoors: 14 tips to well being

BASKETBALL

Halifax is often called the basketball capital of Canada and
Haligonians sure love their hoops. Whether you’re young or old, there
are lots of options for where to play ball in the city.

The city recreation department offers co-ed basketball nights at the
Chocolate Lake Centre (14 Purcell’s Cove, 490-4607) and women’s
basketball at the Citadel High Community Centre (1955 Trollope,
490-3895). The South Park YMCA (1565 South Park, 423-9622) has a
Friday night drop-in session for people 16 and over.

The Basketball Nova Scotia website (basketball.ns.ca) is the source for
online information about basketball in the province and posts
information and contacts for leagues.

For close to 40 years, Noon Hoops has featured the most
original mix of players and rules on the local scene. Weekdays at
Dalplex (6260 South, 494-3372), students, business people and
retired profs alike gather to play starting at 11:30am. Even provincial
New Democratic Party leader Darrell Dexter is known to play.

“What’s cool is you have 70-year-olds that play and 20-year-olds
that play,” says Andy Leiper. He’s been playing at Noon Hoops
for eight years. “It’s competitive, but not too competitive. It’s a
good break in the middle of the day.”

Teams of four are formed in order of arrival and teams play
half-court games on the two courts. Games go to 11 (by ones) and when
one game ends, every game ends. Teams who win head up a court and teams
that lose go down a court. Throw in other rules such as having to clear
the ball “foul-line extended” and you’ve got the best hoops spot in the
city.

Given the frequent mild stretches through the winter, outdoor ball
is a possibility. Local expert Graham North says the court
outside Citadel High features the best rims, meshes and caging in the
city, but the biggest setback is “a deadly harbour gust that would make
Michael Jordan call Halifax the windy city.” —Richard
Woodbury

BOWLING

It’s possible that the closest some people have been to an alley is
watching Ernie’s floppy comb-over in Kingpin or Jesus’
purple pants in The Big Lebowski. Don’t let Bill Murray or John
Turturro put you off one of the easiest to learn and most fun pastimes
out there. Be prepared to do a little stretching of arms, legs,
shoulders and glutes in advance, because bowling injuries are kind of
embarrassing.

You can try the licensed Fairlanes Bowling (Halifax Shopping
Centre, 455-5446) with its 34 lanes. It offers the only non-military
facility in town for five-pin bowling, if the bigger balls and the set
of 10 pins are too intimidating. There’s also cosmic bowling, if you
prefer bowling to be more of a nightclub experience, with glowing
lights and music.

Bayers Road Bowlerama (Bayers Road Shopping Centre, 455-1519)
offers 24 lanes of fun. There are leagues to join and tournaments and
Bowlerama also has a South Centre location, with 20 lanes (16
Dentith Road, 479-2695) and 18 lanes at Woodside (31 Atlantic
Street, Dartmouth, 466-4405).

There’s also the Bedford Sackville Super Bowl (300 Sackville
Drive, 864-6400), with 20 lanes and pool tables too, and 20 more at
Beazley Bowling Lanes (613 Main Street, Dartmouth). If you have
a group and want to reserve the whole place to yourselves, try the
friendly armed forces: six spit-polished five-pin bowling lanes at
Stadacona (721-8420) on Gottingen and eight at Shearwater (720-1075) in Dartmouth.

Wherever you bowl, inquire about all-you-can-bowl specials during
weekdays and maximize your lane time. —Carsten
Knox

CIRCUS LESSONS

If you want to be part of the circus, but without the bearded lady
and freaky clowns, check out Atlantic Cirque (30 Oland Court,
Dartmouth, 457-2227)—it’s the only place in Atlantic Canada where you
can learn the ins and outs of circus performance.

Founder and cirque expert Anaïs Guimond and her team of
professionals have been teaching their craft in HRM since 2002. While
Atlantic Cirque offers camps and programs for children, there’s plenty
of room for the big kids, too. Adult classes (for 18+) are 90 minutes
long and run on both Monday and Tuesday evenings. Cirque training is
good for improving strength and flexibility and isn’t just a sport, but
an art form.

First, you’ll be introduced to the many different avenues of circus
performance: You’ll have the chance to dabble in silks, trapeze, ropes,
contortion, trampoline, acrobatics and stilts. Near the end of the
course, students are given the opportunity to focus more on their
preferred techniques.

Not sure you’re circus material? You don’t need to have any
experience to join this class. Atlantic Cirque also offers private and
semi-private lessons if you want extra attention, or can’t slot weekly
classes into your schedule. They’re on demand and charge an hourly
rate. Atlantic Cirque can also play host for corporate parties and
special events.

If you’re fit for the big top, or want to learn more, feast your
eyes on atlanticcirque.com.

—Allison Saunders

CURLING

If Men With Brooms is the extent of your curling knowledge,
don’t worry. Jeremiah Anderson, executive director of the
Nova Scotia Curling Association, says curling’s the type of game
that doesn’t take a lot of skill to enjoy. Also: winners of a game buy
the losers a drink!

The season runs from October to March and a casual player can rent
sheets of ice with equipment. All clubs offer one-night-a-week
options.

Halifax Curling Club (948 South Bland, 423-7857) is the
oldest active club in Canada and rents sheets for $60/hour. A season of
unlimited curling costs $399 for newbies and $549 for the experienced.
It’s about half price to join after Christmas.

Dartmouth Curling Club (35 Canal Street, 466-2770) has a full
membership that drops to $330 after Christmas. Renting will cost $104
for two hours.

Mayflower Curling Club (3000 Monaghan, 454-0085) drops full
memberships to $320 in January, or you can get two hours on a sheet for
$96.

CFB Halifax Curling Club (Building 68 Windsor Park, 455-1444)
rents the cheapest sheets of ice in the city at $90 for two hours,
equipment included. Their full membership is also cheapest, at $410 for
the season.

Lakeshore Curling Club (406 Glendale Drive, Lower Sackville,
869-2875) is the newest addition to the rinks. Full membership is $450
(tax not included). Memberships are also pro-rated.

—Holly Gordon

DANCE

The first place anyone looking to learn a few new steps should go is
dancens.ca, where you can
search for lessons and classes by style, teacher or school.

Belinda of Belindance (453-2888) once had a space at the West
End Mall, but now operates out of the Ready to Rhumba dance
studio (225 Herring Cove Road, 444-3129) that also offers ballroom,
latin dancing, salsa fit and pole dancing, among other ways to shake
your booty. Belinda suggests beginners to belly dancing try the 11am
Saturday class, which is just for women, but there’s also the unisex
belly fit, which makes use of the moves of belly dancing for aerobic
effect.

Belly dancing is also offered at Halifax Dance (1505
Barrington, 422-2006), along with ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap, modern
dance and a series of dancing-for-fitness options, with pilates as
well. A slew of different styles are offered at the Maritime
Conservatory (6199 Chebucto, 423-6995) including ballet (regular
and pre-professional), Cecchetti classical ballet and dance for
seniors, if you happen to be one. The Maritime Dance Academy (117 Kearney Lake, 443-3144, and at Sunnyside Mall, Bedford, 835-5776)
has hip-hop and ballet for adults and Michel Dubé brings
the ballroom, salsa and swing instruction at Dancing With Michel
& Company. Call Bernadette (422-1040) to register for
classes.

If you get your inspiration from sunny Spain, El Viento Flamenco
School of Dance has a winter class that started last week—and
going into April—at the King’s College gymnasium. Call Megan
(422-8978) for availability. Or try the Maria Osende Flamenco
School (2540 Agricola, 476-8482).

Studio In Essence (1717 Barrington, 405-5500) is a “creative
dance, Pilates and wellness centre” offering tribal-fusion belly dance
taught by Best of Halifax winner Monique Ryan. You can burn
calories with a hula hoop, pole dancing, break dancing and retro boot
camp, the “best of In Essence” in a single class.
—C.K.

HALIFAX SPORT & SOCIAL CLUB

Welcome (back) to gym class! If somewhere along the way team sports
got too competitive for you, this may be the answer. The Halifax
Sport & Social Club (431-8326) kicked off last September with
about 320 participants, slightly more than the Ottawa club boasted in
its debut season five years ago. The Ottawa club now has over 6,000
members and a similar explosion could happen in HRM once the word gets
out.

“Our first season was a huge success,” says HSSC Sport Manager
Andrew White, “and we’re looking at a big increase in
participation this winter. Once we get that base of people widened, we
can offer more sports on more nights.”

The lineup this winter (January 26 through March 27) includes weekly
basketball, dodgeball, floor hockey, indoor soccer and volleyball. All
teams are co-ed with mandated gender ratios and all games are
self-officiated. That’s because the club’s goal is fun, as opposed to
humiliating your competition. The ideal HSSC evening involves working
up a sweat before joining teammates and opponents alike at one of the
sponsor bars for a beverage and munchies. C’mon, doesn’t “dodgeball and
drinks” sound a lot better than your usual Monday night?

In case you were wondering why you haven’t seen the HSSC
building on one of Halifax’s main arteries, the club is a friendly
organization, not a location. It books gyms across HRM, then divvies
them up post-registration as demand dictates. Most games take place on
peninsular Halifax, with none further than a 20-minute drive from
downtown.

The Friday, January 16 deadline for this winter’s sports applies to
both individuals and teams. Would-be gym rats should note that
discounts apply when you sign up for multiple sports, so consider this
before you renew your health club membership. Check the website,
halifaxsport.ca, for
further specifics and online registration.

—Tim Roberts

HEALTH CLUB DEALS

Exercise supposedly makes you happy, but in light of the current
economic situation, spending money on a membership is a bit of a
downer. Luckily, there’s a way to put some lightness in your step and
on your wallet.

If you’re a student, a membership at the YMCA (1565 South
Park, 423-9622) costs $26/month (compared with the regular $45.74) with
a valid ID and if you’re on social assistance, the YMCA creates a
membership fee you can afford.

For anyone feeling the economic crunch, there are volunteering
opportunities such as helping with group fitness or childcare programs
in exchange for free memberships. Just fill out an application online
or in person at the Y.

If you’re willing to get your hands dirty, Nubody’s (Park Lane Mall,
5657 Spring Garden, 425-2348) or the women-only location (Park
Victoria, 1333 South Park, 422-6696) offer free memberships in exchange
for folding towels or cleaning gym equipment a couple hours a week.
Goodlife (3601 Joseph Howe, 453-7724) offers the same incentive for a
free membership, as well as volunteering for their childcare
program.

If you’re interested in gaining some career experience along with a
free membership, Nubody’s and Goodlife offer volunteer
opportunities for marketing, administrative work and job-shadowing.
Contact Lisa from the Parklane Nubody’s (225-7776), Melissa from the
Women’s Nubody’s (468-8920 ext.226) or Anna from Goodlife at (453-7724)
for more info.

There’s no excuse not to get a new body and live the good life in
2009, ’cause it’s fun to stay at the YMCA! —Angelina
Chapin

HOCKEY

It’s trite to say Canadians are obsessed with hockey, but the
scarcity of available indoor ice in HRM suggests there’s truth to the
stereotype.

Most arenas are booked during prime weekday hours (4-11pm) and
weekends, when youth organizations rule the roost. But renting ice
isn’t impossible. If you can round up the players, ice can be yours for
$100-$200/hour, depending on the time. Friday and Saturday nights are
probably your best bet, but try sniffing around halifax.ca/recreation/otherarenas and you could scoop up a late cancellation.

Don’t write off joining an established game. Goalies are always in
demand and being a ringer never hurts, either. Networking skills also
help. Finding a game can be as easy as forming a loose social link to
the person collecting the cash.

Shinny is a frequent afternoon offering for $5-$10/person, with
participants varying by venue. The Metro Centre (421-1302),
noon-1pm on Tuesday and Thursday, is dominated by the downtown business
scene, Sackville Arena (91 First Lake Drive, 865-8898) caters to
the 50-and-over crowd with a 1-2pm game on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
and the Dartmouth Sportsplex (110 Wyse Road, 464-2600) maxes out
at 30 players for its noon-1pm shinny on Monday, Wednesday and
Friday.

Dal and SMU students have it easy, since athletic fees cover the
cost of shinny. Both Dal’s Memorial Arena (reservations@dal.ca) and SMU’s
Alumni Arena (420-5440) rent ice to the public, but folks
running both facilities admit the bulk of ice time is reserved for
student programs.

—T.R.

MARTIAL ARTS

It’s 2009, and the perfect time to live out your New Year’s
resolution of being more like Chuck Norris.

If you’ve rung in the New Year with pent-up energy, check out
Uechi-Ryu Karate Academy (2156 Windsor, 425-1645), a style of
karate that comes from Chinese temple fighting. It’s a combination of
hard and soft movements and focuses on the pointed toe kick, circular
block and the single knuckle punch (which is supposed to instantly kill
you hours later). If kung fu is more your speed, become proficient in
the art of Chinese boxing at the Halifax Academy of the Wei Chin
School at the Citadel Community Centre (864-4211).

Choi Kwang Do Halifax (5303 Tobin, 441-3469) offers a
non-competitive branch of tae kwan do that focuses on physical and
mental health instead of training intensity, if you’re more of a lover
than a fighter. The movements are easy on the body and light contact
only, though can be used as real self-defence skills. With classes that
incorporate students ranging from three to 90 years old, anyone can
trade their leather belt for a black one. Visit ckdhalifax.com for more info. Or
perhaps a more Taoist approach is right for you. Call the Taoist Tai
Chi Society (2029 North Park, 422-8142) for instruction on
spiritual and “soft style” martial art.

And if the Canadian winter’s getting you down, turn up the heat with
Capoeira, a Brazilian creation that’s part dance and part
fighting. Pernambulando Dance Studio (2827 Isleville, 431-9377)
offers regular and advanced evening classes Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays. Think things can’t get hotter? Teachers Ross Burns (of
Gypsophilia) and Zak Miller (of Zumbini Circus) play traditional
instruments to accompany the practice. —A.C.

SKATING

Halifax’s unpredictable-by-the-day winters never allow its citizens
to skate on frozen lakes and ponds for too long. Luckily, the city’s
public skate programs abound. There are more than 15 different arenas
in the HRM—go to halifax.ca/recreation/arenas/skating to see them.

On a lunch-hour break, grab your skates and head to the Halifax
Metro Centre (1800 Argyle, 421-8000, halifaxmetrocentre.com) Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays for the noon-12:50pm skate. It’s $3, and a
10-day pass is $25. It’s for those 16 and over, and check the website
to make sure the skate’s happening each day—Metro Centre events take
precedence.

The Devonshire Arena (3395 Devonshire, 490-4633) has a free
public skate Wednesdays from 4-5pm. It’s for everyone, but bring your
own, sharp skates—there’s no option to rent or sharpen. The
Bedford Arena (36 Holland Road, 490-4664) has an open family
skate that’s so popular, it’s capped at 200 participants. It’s Sunday
from 2pm-2:50pm, and costs $2. Get there early!

The Dartmouth Sportsplex (110 Wyse Road, 464-2600) offers
public skates Tuesdays 6:30pm-7:45pm, Saturdays 5:30pm-6:45pm and
Sundays 3:30pm-4:45pm. It’s $4 for kids, $4.50 for adults and $9 for
the family. You can’t rent skates here, but you can get them
sharpened.

Want to have your own skating party? Call a rink and ask for ice
rental prices. Some give discounts for late-night rentals—the
Halifax Forum (2901 Windsor, 490-4500) gives cheaper prices for
after-midnight rentals, and the attached Civic Centre does the
same after 11pm. —H.G.SQUASH

Squash is an extremely fast and fun racquet game, anointed in 2003
by Forbes magazine as the healthiest, most cardiovascular
sport.

If you are keen to try smacking that little black ball around,
Squash Nova Scotia vice president Andrew Sleigh suggests
getting some coaching right off—he offers group and private lessons
around the city (see below for more deets or call 830-6400). He’s
observed an interesting gender split with lessons: Women are more
liable to take them while men won’t admit they need the help and
just play with their buddies, pick up bad habits, then look for help to
improve later when their skills plateau. Guys can be so dumb.

Dalhousie’s Dalplex (6260 South, 494-3372) has leagues and
tournaments held in its five courts, and Sleigh will be teaching winter
adult group lessons starting in the third week of January on Monday
nights, Tuesday nights at the Saint Mary’s sports facility The
Tower (920 Tower, 420-5555), and potentially on Wednesdays at one
of the four courts at Cole Harbour Place (51 Forest Hills Road,
Dartmouth, 464-5100). The Dartmouth Sportsplex (110 Wyse Road,
464-2600) has a single court if you want to try it out, and there are
two courts at the Dalhousie’s Sexton Campus (1334
Barrington, 494-6053).

To get in a little deeper, Squash Nova Scotia has a helpful
and informative website, squashns.ca.
And if you’ve always wondered about squash’s dark sibling sport,
racquetball, it’s out there, but with far fewer places to play in town.
Check out West Point Racquet & Fitness Centre (6965 Bayers,
455-4016) or the YMCA (1565 South Park, 423-9622).
—C.K.

SWIMMING

Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve slapped on the ol’ water-wings
and taken a dip into a community pool. If you’re bored of your New
Year’s resolution already, trade in the treadmill for a swim. Swimming
is a different way to get a workout, and it’s not only good for your
cardio—a trip to the pool can be a full body workout.

Aqua-fitness (or aqua-aerobics) is a fun and challenging element to
add to your fitness regime, but if you’re more into working on your
butterfly stroke alone, lane swims allow you to go at your own pace.
The HRM is brimming with quality places take the plunge.

DalPlex (6260 South, 494-3372), Dartmouth Sportsplex (110 Wyse Road, 464-2600), Sackville Sports Stadium (409
Glendale Drive, 869-4141), Cole Harbour Place (51 Forest Hills
Road, 464-5100), YMCA (1565 South Park, 423-9622) and
Centennial Pool (1979 Gottingen, 440-7219) all have Aqua-fit and
open lane swimming multiple days and times a week.

These pools also teach a range of adult swimming lessons—from
little to no experience in the water, to stroke improvement for
seasoned swimmers. These courses usually run 10 sessions. For the
aspiring Michael Phelpses out there, Cole Harbour Place and Sackville
Sports Stadium have Master’s swimming programs and the Dartmouth
Sportsplex offers Tri-Aqua-letes classes (good for triathletes and
fitness swimmers).

And just for fun, test out your skills against the artificial surf
during a wave swim at Spryfield Wave Pool (10 Kidston Road,
477-7665). —A.S.

Wii FIT

It may seem to you like the sneakiest way to get people off their
couches, but Nintendo’s Wii Fit is a phenomenon that blurs the line
between video gaming and exercise.

The Fit game is just a board on the floor. You provide some personal
details to the software (your weight and fitness goals, for instance)
and it gives you a series of options, calculating your centre of
gravity, measuring how you shift your feet (or hands) on the pad and
translating that into movements on the screen. You can try yoga,
strength training, aerobics and balance games, skiing, jogging, hula
hoops, dance and more. Be aware though, the popularity of the game
makes it a scarcity in local stores. (EB Games [6061 Young,
454-4913] offers them for $99.99 plus tax, but is out of stock after
the holidays. Says the salesperson: “We don’t know when they’re coming
in.”)

Maybe the best part about it is its group potential, for families or
friends. Web designer and former Coast contributor Iain MacLeod is a
Wii Fit fan, in that it allows him and his partner more flexibility to
exercise and have fun together, especially with their two-year-old
daughter. “We’re former gym-goers, and we thought this was perfect, a
step in the right direction. We like that it gives you a certain amount
of activities to do and as you get more involved it ‘unlocks’ more
things to do.” MacLeod also likes that it’s less intimidating than a
health club, which really isn’t his scene. “It’s a bit more interactive
than the gym experience. It’s social in a different way.”
—C.K.

YOGA

Despite being a full body workout, great at relieving stress,
improving flexibility and strengthening muscles, yoga hasn’t caught on
with men in Canada. A recent Canadian Press Harris/Decima survey found
that six women practice yoga regularly for every man who does. Men are
missing out.

The gender gap is shrinking, though. “It might take a decade, but
you’ll start to see equality in the classroom,” says Jody Manley of
Ashtanga Yoga Halifax (2375 June, 225-2036). Manley thinks
getting the message out that yoga is a great workout—whether as one’s
sole form of exercise or in cross-training—will help break down this
divide.

“It’s a completely balanced workout,” says Manley. “Every muscle
from the head to the toe is being worked.”

Not many other forms of exercise can make that boast, while also
being gentle on the body. There are lots of places in Halifax to do
yoga, with some occasionally offering reduced-price classes to help you
get started.

The Yoga Loft (5663 Cornwallis, Suite 301, 429-3330) offers
two Community Yoga Classes every week for only $5 a class, and
discounts for students all the time. Between January 19 and 25 all
classes are free in celebration of the Loft’s 5th birthday.
Lululemon (5486 Spring Garden, 422-6641) has a free Sunday
morning class inside the store, or if hot yoga is your thing, Moksha
Yoga Halifax (1512 Dresden, 420-0888) offers a karma class Fridays.
It’s pay-what-you-can with a minimum donation of $5 and all proceeds go
to charity.

Local gyms such as Nubody’s (various locations) and
Dalplex (6260 South, 494-3372) include yoga classes in the
membership fees. Also check out the Yellow Pages or simply google to
find a Halifax yoga studio convenient for you. —R.W.

This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2009.