Dubai: There's a new fitness workout in Dubai and it's taking fitness buffs out of the gym and into the pool.
Aquabiking classes called Aquaspin at Fairmont The Palm are held in the resort hotel's outdoor private pool and involve stationary bicycles submerged in water. Participants - waist-deep in water - then pedal using water resistance to exercise.
Aquabiking has been around for years but this is the first time that an outdoor aquabiking exercise is made available in Dubai, said Aquaspin founder Alicia Antonuccio.
"While normal spinning provides various benefits for the body, such as legs, thighs and abs toning in addition to losing up to 350 calories within 45 minutes, Aquaspin defies gravity and reduces pressure on joints, while losing up to 800 calories during the same duration," Antonuccio told Gulf News.
The 26-year-old self-confessed "aquabiking addict" picked up the fitness workout after it helped her recover from a sport injury. "I was into contact sports when I injured myself. My coach said I needed a workout that wasn't going to strain me too much. I tried aquabiking and got hooked ever since," she said.
In time, she developed her own aquabiking programme with the idea that "exercise in general and Aquaspin in particular helps reduce stress and improve well-being".
"Cycling in water offers what is in effect a hydromassage to the body that helps you reduce cellulite more effectively," she said, adding that the water supports body weight, which eases the strain on joints. She recommends aquabiking to anyone looking for a low- to no-impact exercise and as a possible exercise alternative for those with injuries.
Classes are done in small groups of up to 12 people "because we want to make sure people are comfortable and really getting the kind of exercise they need", Antonuccio said.
It seems that people are picking up the fitness rage, with Fairmont The Palm having to increase the weekly outdoor morning and evening classes from nine to thirteen.
Try it
What: Aquaspin classes
Where: Fairmont The Palm
Cost: Dh75 per session
Contact: 04 4573330 or palm.healthclub@fairmont.com
