By Ian Johnston

Organised, indoor workouts are comfortable and convenient but they’re often expensive. So drop the gym and get fit without the fee.

The last thing you want to be paying for now is exercise. Especially when the Klang Valley is full of opportunities to keep in shape without splashing your cash. Here’s our guide to the city’s best activity for absolutely nothing (plus a couple of cheap alternatives). 

DUMP: the spinning class
JOIN: the city cyclists
In terms of calories burnt, the gyms’ spinning classes are admittedly hard to beat. But they can also be pretty tedious. Get out into the jungle or onto the roads and enjoy cycling proper. The Pedalholics Cycling Club (www.pcc-cycling.freeservers.com) rides every weekend. It’s free to join and you can choose between Mud + Dirt (mountain biking) or Tar + Grime (road cycling) routes which typically cover ten-100km. If you don’t want to commit to buying your own machine, check out PCC’s Spare Wheels Project for secondhand bikes to try. And to keep up to date with the club’s weekly events, sign up online for the newsletter, Spokes & Nipples.
    Alternatively, for a cheap organised ride, look to the Kuala Lumpur Mountain Bike Hash (bikehash.freeservers.com). Bashes (bicycle hashes, get it?) take place on the last Sunday of every month and guests can participate for RM10 each (annual membership is RM50). Each bash consists of a short, beginner-friendly scenic route and a more challenging long ride. Helmets are, of course, compulsory.

DUMP: the treadmill
JOIN: the running ranks
KL’s rolling roads beat staring straight at a wall/mirror/TV every time. Running on the road also forces a more varied tempo so you’ll end up with a better workout by dropping the treadmill and taking up the tarmac. The majority of the city’s races happen around the Lake Gardens (Jalan Parlimen) and Bukit Tunku so dig up some old route maps and head out for a brisk five, ten or 15K. Otherwise turn up on weekday evenings or weekend mornings and follow the regulars. Runners of all abilities gather around the main lake and national monument after work midweek – ask for their advice; they may be pleased with the company.
    If you’re unsure about going it alone, however, meet up with the Pacesetters Athletics Club (03 7981 5895/www.pacesetters.com.my). There is a membership fee (RM10 to join; RM3 per month) but group runs take place weekly at a number of Klang Valley locations and members are eligible to represent Pacesetters at road and track events.

DUMP: the dumb bells
JOIN: the park pushers
The Klang Valley is awash with exercise apparatus that hardly ever gets used properly. At the same time KL-ites complain about fuel or food hikes before blowing hundreds of ringgit per month on gym memberships or exercise classes. Put two and two together and you have a solution: save money, lose the pounds. Most public parks offer basic stations for push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups, but our favourite is Taman Lembah Kiara (Jalan Abang Haji Openg, Taman Tun Dr Ismail). It offers the most extensive workout area with bars, platforms and slopes designed to work your entire body. What’s more, there are instructions regarding correct exercises and form at each piece so you can dump the personal trainer too.
    Plus you can combine your weight training with a cardio workout – there’s both a shaded running (or skating) track around the lake and also the Bukit Kiara network of trails connected to the park. It really is an outdoor gym in itself. For free. Now where’s your excuse?

DUMP: the indoor courts
JOIN: the street shooters
Indoor sports centres may provide a cool climate, well-maintained hoops and perhaps even a café but basketball should be played on the public courts. They’re free, usually offer a good level of competition and are open for anyone to turn up and pick up. Why travel to pay an hourly fee when these places can be found in your own neighbourhood? They get busy, of course, in the evenings (and at night if you’re fortunate enough to be near a floodlit one), however, joining in with other groups is half the fun. Street basketball is as much about the social side as it is improving your game and fitness.
    Wander down to your local court to check out the standard or, for reliably good courts, head to PJ SS3 (Jalan SS3/14, PJ) – the surface isn’t ideal but it does boast a roof – or Sri Hartamas (Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Taman Sri Hartamas) – there’s no roof but the surface is good. If you’re looking for a higher standard though, make your way to KL’s best centre: the Balakong basketball courts (Jalan Indah 1/6, Off Jalan Besar, Cheras Batu 11). The two full-size courts and practice hoops, all under cover, get very crowded but if you want to test the best, this is the place to come.