William’s ActiveLife

BarreConcept Class with Adele

I arrived about 10 minutes before the class and was delighted to meet Adele again who had helped me with the Fitness Yoga class.

I was glad to have arrived in good time as I wasn’t quite sure what was required in this class which was very new for me.

Quoting from the Pickaquoy Centre web site:

“BarreConcept classes use a combination of postures inspired by ballet and other disciplines like yoga and Pilates. The barre or a chair can be used as a prop to balance while doing exercises that focus on isometric strength training combined with high reps of small range-of-motion movements.”

Adele explained to me that I would find the class a mix of pilates, dance and yoga with a cardio endurance component as well due to the continuous nature of the class.

The room is set up with a number of waist high bars and you collect a soft ball and small hand weights and put them near your position on the bar.  For the sake of the bar’s stability, participants are arranged each side of the bar in an even manner as you can see in the photo. Adele helps to get people into the best position.

As with other classes Adele is largely on stage with a face mic and guided us through the wide range of exercises at a good pace.  I had to keep my eyes glued on her as we expertly flowed through the movements.

She was quick to spot clients needing a little help or guidance and provided what was required. She also moved to the opposite side of the hall sometimes to assist in her teaching.

I found that I exercised in some very unusual positions for me, a stiff-hipped endurance runner, and trained a lot of my supportive musculature and my pelvic floor had a good workout too. When I couldn’t get into certain positions Adele brought a chair for me which was lower than the bar and made things easier.

Adele was certainly right about the cardio component of the class too, as everyone had to work hard at various points during the 45 minutes duration of this class.

William’s ActiveLife: Cycle Express Class

 

ActiveLife – Get more people, more active, more often

ActiveLife is Orkney’s exciting leisure scheme offering unlimited access to 12 different sports and leisure venues across the county. The scheme by the Pickaquoy Centre Trust gives members access to Picky and 11 Council-owned fitness facilities. This includes access to health and fitness classes, swimming and health suite, kids activities, climbing wall, usage of the track and much more.

There is also ActiveIslands, a membership that gives islanders access to gym facilities and fitness classes on their specific island at a low monthly rate. You can find out all about ActiveLife and its benefits by visiting www.pickaquoy.co.uk/activelife.