Water aerobicsCategoriesYour Membership

Aqua Fit, Swim Fitness and Aqua Natal: What is the difference?

Aqua Fit, Swim Fitness and Aqua Natal: What is the difference?

Based on their class names alone it can be difficult to know the difference between our water-based group exercise classes at Sport & Fitness. To help, we’ve put together a brief overview of each class, so you can get a better idea of what to expect when heading down to the pool!

Aqua Fit

With five classes throughout the week, Aqua Fit is our most regular Group Exercise class in the pool. Mostly taught from the poolside, Aqua Fit is an instructor-led 45-minute aerobics class that provides a full-body toning workout.

Using the resistance of the water, as well as aqua equipment (such as inflatable dumbbells!), Aqua Fit provides a fun, thorough workout, whilst keeping any impact on your joints to a minimum.

The lack of significant weight on your joints makes Aqua Fit popular with those new to Group Exercise and looking to improve their movement, or anyone returning from injury, but it really is for everyone! Each class is taught to a lively playlist that will make your time in the pool fly by!

Swim Fitness

If you’re looking for a Group Exercise class that incorporates swimming, Swim Fitness is the class for you! Coached by our qualified level two swim teachers, you’ll be led through a structured lane swimming session each week. Swim Fit is designed to build speed and endurance, by combining different strokes and intensity levels at each session. 

Due to the nature of Swim Fitness, it is recommended that you are a confident front crawl swimmer prior to attending. There is no requirement for a specific speed or pace; everything is based of your effort level rather than swimming speed.

We offer three Swim Fitness classes throughout the week, so whether you’re a daily swimmer looking to add some variation to your routine, or just looking for a weekly workout in the pool, Swim Fitness will have what you’re looking for.

Aqua Natal

As you may guess from its name, Aqua Natal is a class for those that are pregnant! Aqua Natal offers a gentle exercise programme for those wishing to continue a light form of exercise whilst pregnant.

During Aqua Natal, the instructor is likely to teach from within the pool, guiding participants through each exercise whilst discussing the various stages of pregnancy. A blend of exercise, relaxation and fun in the water, Aqua Fit is perfect for anyone looking for gentle exercise to keep them active throughout their pregnancy.

With over 150 classes per week at Sport & Fitness, there is something for everyone. Our popular exercise classes are inclusive and suitable for all abilities. Discover our exercise class timetable.

ramadan and exerciseCategoriesNutrition Physiology Psychology

Keeping fit during Ramadan

Muslims who choose to fast during Ramadan will abstain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset each day for one month.

It’s a busy time for those who have to fit in their regular daily tasks along with prayer time, but should this schedule and the limitations on consumption mean that you can’t keep exercising during this period?

Although Ramadan may not be a time to push your limits or set personal records, there are definitely still ways to maintain your workouts and schedules. As it’s a time for worship, self-reflection and an opportunity to become a better person, Muslims across the world use this holy month of fasting and prayer to restore not only their relationship with God but their relationship with themselves. One of the main aspects of preparing for Ramadan is to figure out ways to better yourself and implement them during the holy month.

We chatted to our Personal Trainers at Sport & Fitness, to find out a bit more about sports nutrition during Ramadan, what they recommend doing, and when.

Sessions undertaken in the morning after sunrise

Not only does this get the workout done early when you might feel your most energetic, but you’ll have a good amount of fuel to go on.

Pros: You will benefit from eating and drinking from the previous evening and before dawn

Cons: There’s little opportunity to refuel, rehydrate, and recover after these sessions

  • Suhour (the last meal before the beginning of the day’s fast) should be eaten as close as possible to sunrise and athletes should choose foods that contribute to sport nutrition needs for the day. Low GI carbohydrate choices are recommended to allow slow release of glucose.

  • Higher sodium foods at Suhour may be beneficial to promote fluid retention and aid hydration.

  • Eating some slow-digesting casein protein (e.g. Cottage cheese, greek yoghurt, other dairy products) immediately before sunrise will provide your body with a continuous source of amino acids for the hours to come.

  • Consumption of ‘‘slow’’ proteins at meals consumed before dawn to help with protein balance over the day is advised.  Sufficient fluids and electrolytes (especially sodium) should be consumed after sunset and before sunrise to ensure full replacement of sweat losses and to prevent progressive dehydration.

Sessions undertaken in the evening, scheduled to finish just before Iftar

Potentially the best time for Muslims to exercise during Ramadan is right before sunset when they will have the opportunity to refuel and recover straight away afterwards.

Pros: You’ll benefit from the ability to eat for recovery at Iftar (breaking fast) and during the rest of the evening

Cons: These sessions are undertaken with minimal pre-exercise nutritional support

  • When training or competition are scheduled late in the day, athletes should be careful to limit glycogen depletion and sweat losses by restricting activity levels and exposure to warm environments during the day.

  • Carbohydrate-rich foods should be consumed at the break of fast.

  • Athletes should try to consume at least 20 g of rapidly digested and absorbed high-quality protein soon after exercise whenever possible, as well as high-quality protein-rich foods at each meal opportunity during the evening and before dawn.

Sessions undertaken in the evening after breaking fast

A good option for those with less free time, working out after eating can be beneficial.

Pros: 2 – 3 hours after the break of the fast gives the best opportunities to fuel and hydrate before, during, and after

Cons: It must be balanced against the importance of sleep!

  • Strength training is best performed later in the day to ensure protein can be consumed soon after exercise in order to maximise training adaptations.

  • Consume small amounts of carbohydrate during exercise undertaken after the fast is broken, even if there is little need for additional fuel.

Finding an exercise routine that fits around this time can be difficult, and should only be taken on by people who are used to exercise. If you’re continuing to work out during Ramadan, cardio and heavy weights are not recommended – your body isn’t functioning on its usual fuel, and exercise could be dangerous if taken too far. If you’d like to chat with one of our Personal Trainers regarding training that works around your lifestyle, email the Gym team today. And remember, if you’re feeling unwell due to illness or fasting, please do not take part in exercise until you feel fully well and able!

Peter and Hasan discussing training in the officeCategoriesNutrition Physiology Psychology

Staying healthy during the Christmas period

The holiday season can be a great time to unwind, especially during the world’s current ups and downs. Food and exercise can take a nose dive, however all does not have to be lost according to our resident fitness instructor and registered nutritionist Peter Antonio.

When exercising over the holiday period, try and be as prepared as possible. Check your local gym and pool in regard to opening times and guest pass options. This way, if family and friends would like to join you, then it can be a great way to have quality time, as well as keeping that heart rate up.

Eating is often a focal point at Christmas, and things can revolve a lot around food. This is a great activity to feel close with and connected to your loved ones, and should be part of this season. However, try and include other activities which are not food-focused. This might include going for a walk, attending a carol service, playing board games, watching a classic movie, or even just talking all together with some background seasonal tunes on. We rarely get time to properly catch up with one-an-other, so take the time to see how your loved ones are really doing.

If all those extra calories are of a concern this year, then take the time to research lighter options which might not be weighing you down months down the road. There are endless recipe options out there, so when you find one which you like the sound of, and is a lighter option than what you would usually have, stop the search and just go with it. Sometimes we can lose so much time trying to sift through the bottomless pit of options, that we don’t see the perfectly good ones right in front of us.

It is easy for many of us to feel like the holiday period will be some sort of ‘step backwards’ regarding our waist line and training routine/goals. This certainly does not have to be the case when looked at from a broader vantage point.

For many of us, moving our bodies and getting our heart rate up is just as important for our physical self, as much as our mental self. There is no reason why, with just your own body weight, you cannot do exactly that. It will not be the same as what you are used to, but this does not have to be a bad thing.

Often, we get stuck in the same kind of training and movement patterns, and our bodies are incredibly good at getting used to what we always do. Moving the goal post and doing something different forces our bodies to adapt (i.e., get stronger in some new way). Not only is this good for building on a new area of strength, but our usual routine, and the effect that has had on our bodies, can have a much-needed rest.

We all need genuine down time in order to adapt. Fact. If you do not choose to make this a priority, then your body will make this decision for you. Indeed, this is true for all areas of your life. Try and prioritise your fruit and vegetable intake, sleep, stretching/mobility, and water intake.

Take a step back and recognise if you have been allowing sufficient down time in your own exercise routine. Please feel free to talk to a member of the Gym or Swim team if you are unsure, and for ideas on what you can do exercise wise during the holiday season.

Life is a balancing act, and we can often find ourselves on the floor after having lost our step, in regard to what is important to us, and our families. You, and the relationship you have with yourself and others, is arguably the most important thing there is. Nurture the things that are important to you during this holiday season, and try not to get too caught up in the materialistic side of Christmas. This is called a holiday period for a reason, and shouldn’t leave you more stressed at the end of it.