It's time for women in the Bay to put a spring in their step and try something new.

Sport Bay of Plenty is encouraging women to try a new sport or recreational activity as part of its Spring Starter Series.

Now in its third year, the popular series offers women a range of low-cost or free beginners' activities across four, five or six-week blocks in the Western, Eastern and Central Bay of Plenty.

This year's activities include everything from golf and yoga to Pilates, rock climbing and swimming lessons.

Registration for this years' Spring Starter Series has closed, but The Weekend Sun has two female journalists that have stepped up to the challenge and will be trying something new.

Sharnae Hope will be taking up rock climbing at Rocktopia, while Cayla-Fay Euinton will be putting herself to the test with CrossCore at Float Fitness.

I have never been particularly interested in traditional physical activity – as someone who manages to find anything (and occasionally nothing) to trip on, team and individual sports that require finesse and coordination were not things I was considered good at.

Having a dicky knee doesn't help the situation much – at any time when running the patella can dislocate and then it's a whole new type of falling over, and a fairly painful one too.

So I had pretty much resigned myself to a life of gentle walks and not really much else. But the Bay of Plenty Sport Spring Starter Series showed me something that might be low-impact enough for my knees and appears to require little skill. Float Fitness in Mount Maunganui run CrossCore Classes along with Anti-Gravity Yoga classes.

The CrossCore caught my attention because it is advertised as training that allows the body to move naturally without limitations – that and any way to tone and tighten sounds like a good idea to me!

I'm excited to see how six weeks will make a difference, and how the training goes with my limitations.

- Cayla-Fay Euinton

The idea of regular exercise in a gym lifting weights or sweating up a storm on a rowing machine has never appealed to me – mostly because I find it boring staring at a wall or at myself in the mirror.

For exercise I normally do things like running and walking, so I have something pretty to look at or more physical exercises that are also fun like swimming. This is why the Bay of Plenty Sport Spring Starter Series rock climbing session seemed right up my alley.

Rock Climbing was my top choice because it not only has physical benefits, like building endurance, muscle and flexibility, but also reduces stress - and everyone needs a bit of that!

I know it's going to be hard work, but I'm hoping that over the six weeks I will build my upper body strength while having a blast.

- Sharnae Hope