Glen Waverley Residents Transform Parks Into Dog-Friendly Fitness Hubs

Glen Waverley Park on the corner of Springvale Road and High Street Road now hosts daily dog-friendly fitness sessions that draw 80 to 110 people each weekday morning.

The shift comes as Monash City Council data from March 2026 recorded a 37 percent rise in park permits for organised group activities compared with the same quarter two years earlier, driven by residents seeking low-cost outdoor options after indoor gym memberships climbed above $45 a week.

Two sites anchor the trend. At Glen Waverley Park, the local group Active Paws runs a 7 am circuit class three mornings a week that alternates between resistance bands and agility drills while dogs remain on lead along the perimeter path. Further north, the reserve at Coleman Parade and Stephensons Road, known as Central Reserve, runs a Tuesday and Thursday evening program called FetchFit that combines 30-minute dog walks with body-weight intervals on the open grass.

Program costs and participation numbers

Active Paws charges $12 per session or $45 for a four-week pass, while FetchFit remains free through a council grant that expires in December 2026. A council summary released last month showed 1,240 unique participants logged across both sites between January and May, with dog owners accounting for 62 percent of the total.

Trainers at the sites report that the dual-use model reduces isolation for new residents and keeps older adults active without requiring transport to larger facilities such as the Monash Aquatic and Recreation Centre.

How to join a session

Anyone can register through the Active Paws website or by turning up at Central Reserve on Tuesday evenings with a current dog registration tag. Participants are asked to bring their own mat or towel and to keep dogs on a short lead during the fitness blocks. The next new-member intake for both programs begins the week of 20 July.