01 October 2024
| THE HEARTBEAT OF WOMEN'S SPORT

Natalie Tries: Aqua-Spinning

November 6, 2024
aqua-spinning-1

How can you make spinning classes even more intense? Submerge the bike in water of course! Aquallure have introduced the craze of underwater spinning to the UK with their intensive 45-minute classes, complete with sprinting, endurance cycling… and a lot of splashing.

aqua-spinning-1

What’s the point?

Surely spinning, the original form, is an incredible workout in it’s own right. Is there any real benefit in making this well-loved fitness class wetter? Aquallure claims there is.

Combining low-impact with high-resistance makes this class both incredibly effective, but also very gentle on the body. Your muscles work hard against the resistance of the water without having to put any strain whatsoever on your joints. This makes it perfect for pregnant women, athletes recovering from injury, or those who are new to exercise.

It’s anything but easy. Despite being low-impact you will certainly feel the burn. The water resistance really challenges your leg and bum muscles, helping you to tone up and you can burn up to 800 calories per class. But you won’t cramp up – the muscles produce less lactic acid because of the massaging effect of the water – so you can keep going for even longer.

aqua-spinning-2

And it isn’t just your legs that feel the effects. You are constantly engaging your core in order to balance on the bike and stop your limbs from floating where they’re not supposed to be. Core strength is vital for any form of sport, and it will ultimately help to improve your balance and stability.

The constant motion of the water can even help to improve blood circulation and improve the tone of the skin, reducing cellulite and tightening up those problem areas.

What to expect

After wheeling your special bike into the water, you hop into the comfortably warm water, hop on your bike – and you’re away. The instructor sits above you on dry land, blasts out some music and shouts instructions – just like you would expect in a regular spinning class.

aqua-spinning-3

Alternating sitting and standing, sprinting and gentle cycling, you give it all you’ve got for 45 minutes. Your legs never stop moving for the whole session – but the instructor makes sure to focus on both upper and lower body to give you a complete experience.

After some brutal sprint sessions, we moved onto the dumbbells and working our arms and upper body with a range of slightly bizarre swimming and scooping motions, using the water as resistance. It’s great to get the entire body involved – but the technique of the arm movements was somewhat lost in our manic attempts to keep our balance whilst floating on our bikes.

We finished with a cool down and a stretching session, and I was surprised by how exhausted I was. The gentle lapping of the water is deceptive and disguises just how hard you’re working. You leave the pool with that lovely all-over body ache that you only really get in the water.

Need to know…

Wear: A swimming costume, bikini, or shorts and a sports bra will do – anything you can get wet!

Bring water: Just because you’re in a pool doesn’t mean you won’t get thirsty – have a bottle handy to keep you hydrated.

Don’t worry: You don’t have to get your hair wet, so if you’re running to work straight after, you won’t have a hair dryer nightmare.

You can try out these classes at Aquallure in Dolphin Square, Pimlico, for £20 per session. Go to aquallure.co.uk/aqua-cycling for more information or to book a class.

Natalie Morris, Sportsister
The Women’s Sport Magazine

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Natalie tries - I’m the Sportsister Guinea Pig!

Sportsister's Natalie, lifelong netballer and reluctant jogger is breaking out of her comfort zone and trying all of the latest and greatest fitness crazes. From new fitness classes to obscure sports, there's nothing Natalie won't try. Follow her journey as she gives you a beginners perspective on activities you might want to try!
TO READ THIS BLOG IN FULL CLICK HERE

Select a sport

Find out how to get started, training plans and expert advice.