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A new timetable with more offerings for group fitness classes at Ashburton District Council's EA Networks Centre will get more hearts pumping, with the first classes now starting at 5.50am.
Group classes have grown in attendance, from 50 when the recreation facility opened six years ago, to about 100 today.
The most popular workouts are back-to-back classes of sprint cycling and Body Pump.
Community Services Group Manager Steve Fabish said Council officers had been compiling requests from those enjoying all the group fitness classes and decided to make a few changes. The new timetable comes into effect on Monday, 12 July.
“While some classes are starting five minutes later and some 10 minutes earlier, we’ve actually been able to schedule more classes overall and there is more choice for people to workout in the way they want.
“We know people get into an exercise routine but we hope they might be encouraged to try something new.”
It is the first major timetable change to group classes since the centre opened.
The single most popular class at the moment is Les Mills Body Pump, which uses barbells to tone and strengthen. Sprint, a 30-minute high intensity bike workout, is next most popular.
The centre also offers group fitness aqua classes in the pool, as well as classes for youngsters and other Les Mills classes like Body Balance.
"Group fitness classes are a popular way for people to exercise and he hoped the new timetable will encourage more to be active," Fabish added.
Group fitness numbers in May were 325, up from 217 in May 2020 and 252 in May 2019.
Group fitness membership, with access to any class, costs $15.50 a week.