Fitness programs and mall-walking form part of the community programs that many centres have in place, offering shoppers a different way to interact with their local mall.

In many cases, these programs offer members of the community a safe and weather-proof area where they can exercise, and the initiative can often be a welcome alternative to those who may not otherwise be able to afford gym memberships.

At Westfield WestCity in New Zealand, the WestCity Rampage community fitness group – which includes members of the centre management team – runs twice-weekly dawn training sessions in the centre’s undercover multi-level car park. In addition to donating sports equipment, Westfield WestCity has also provided an onsite storage unit for the team’s gear.

A number of other centres run mall-walking programs, whereby active community members make good use of the centres’ often considerable size – and do a spot of window-shopping at the same time!