wellness
Oakleigh Residents Launch Free Walking Groups to Build Fitness and Community
Oakleigh residents are forming small walking groups on local streets to build fitness and connections without equipment or fees.
How we reported this
Oakleigh residents launched three new neighbourhood walking groups in June 2026 along streets near the Oakleigh Recreation Reserve.
Interest has grown because many locals want low-cost ways to exercise after months of disrupted routines from network outages and indoor habits. Groups meet outdoors at set times and require no gym membership or special gear beyond comfortable shoes.
One group starts at the corner of Warrigal Road and Eaton Street every Tuesday at 7am and covers a 4-kilometre loop past the Oakleigh Community Hub. Another meets Thursdays at 6:30pm outside the Oakleigh Library on Drummond Street before heading toward the Dandenong Creek trail entrance on Huntingdale Road. Both routes stay on footpaths and avoid major roads where possible.
Planning the first meet-up
Organisers print simple flyers at the Oakleigh Post Office for $8 and post them on community noticeboards at the Oakleigh Market on Station Street. A 2025 Monash Health report found that adults who walk in groups at least three times a week record an average 28 per cent increase in weekly steps after eight weeks. Groups set a recurring date on the same day each week so members can plan around work or family schedules.
Keeping the group going
After the first walk, leaders collect phone numbers on a shared list and send a single reminder message the day before each outing. No formal registration with the council is needed for groups under 12 people on public footpaths. New members join by turning up at the starting point, and the pace stays at a conversational level so beginners can keep up. By late July the existing groups plan to add a Saturday morning option starting from the same Eaton Street corner.