Fun ways to get fit in Gwent

With generations raised by the sights and sounds of digital technology, it’s easy to be lured into a sedentary lifestyle and poor health, with fitness falling by the wayside.

While a survey by charity Action for Children revealed a fifth of Welsh parents fear their children are becoming “addicted to screens” (2015) the problem is equally relevant for adults.

For many leisure organisations and fitness companies, the answer is to inject a dose of “fun” into workouts, replacing (admittedly) laborious solo treadmill runs with something more appealing.

From creatively inspired aerobics and dance to trampolining, climbing or even horse-riding, there are myriad ways to get your fitness fix in Gwent.

In a challenge to find out more, I embarked on a quest to test my limits and try something new, trading my suit for a pair of dusty tracksuit bottoms and leaping into the world of fun fitness.

My first stop was a visit to the bright and vibrant world of Go Vertical — one of the new facilities at Cwmbran Stadium, a product of the stadium’s £2million revamp.

In May, 2015, Torfaen Leisure Trust (TLT) opened the new development, which also includes a 500swm soft play structure call ‘Go Play’ which can cater up to 150 children at one time.

However, the 19-element vertical adventure climbing playground is star attraction, with vibrant walls adorned with colour and creativity and themes ranging from sci-fi and board games to Tetris.

Using an auto belay system — which helps keep climbers safe by lowering them to the floor — guest climbers are able to traverse the walls independently while under the supervision of staff.

The “fun” aspect really shines in wall challenges, ranging from racing up both sides of a clear perspex climb against a friend, to climbing in darkness inside a hollowed out mock-castle.

Go Vertical crew member, Brett Jones, 31, has been working at the wall for two years and said that Saturdays are typically busy and “fast paced with lots of people having fun”.

“The fun aspect is what it’s all about really, plus it’s a great alternative to going to the gym,” he said.

Alongside Go Vertical, TLT also offers a range of other fun activities, from ski-slope sessions at the Pontypool Ski and Snowboarding centre, to exercise groups across their portfolio of leisure centres.

CEO of TLT, Sally Church, said: “People who want to be fit will do it anyway and we want to focus on the people who don’t want to do it.

“A lot of people haven’t got the confidence or haven’t tried sports before. Obviously parents come in with their children and as a result, we have seen an increase around people using the facilities.

“If you look in our gyms they’re full of different shapes, sizes and ages and I think that makes a big difference. That is to do with the way staff offer support.”

She added: “The key thing we’re trying to do is to make everything fun. If you don’t enjoy your experience you’re not going to come back again.”

One fitness trend that has bounced into the public consciousness is the trampoline park model — mixing trampoline based fitness with family-friendly fun.

With the indoor trampoline park industry booming and almost 100 parks springing up across the UK in the space of a year, I decided to visit Newport’s offering at Spytty Retail Park to find out more.

The 20,000 sq ft centre boasts 100 trampolines — including an Olympic-grade one—eight climbing walls, foam pits, basketball hoops and a giant airbag decorated with a Welsh flag.

Operations manager at the park, Chris Spencer, aged 25, has been at the centre since it opened and believes that safety, fun and fitness are at the heart of what Energi does.

He said: “We want to provide the best customer experience, get involved with our customers and encourage them to come back again.

“300 seconds a day of trampolining will increase cellular oxygenation, strengthen weak muscles, improve aerobic capacity and cleanse and detoxify the lymphatic system.”

The centre also regularly hosts toddler-friendly sessions as well as catering to larger parties, children on the autistic spectrum and children with learning difficulties.

The Valleys Gymnastics Academy (VGA) have also benefited from providing a fun alternative to traditional sports by working with charity StreetGames to host “freestyle sessions”.

The sessions — a combination of parkour, free running and gymnastics — have captured the interest of 140 youngsters aged between 7 – 14 years.

In response to the popularity, existing gymnastics coaches have been upskilled, with sessions expanding to Crumlin and ‘Go Gym’ at Cwmbran Stadium.

Referencing the “amazing” work of VGA, director of StreetGames Wales, Caro Wild, added: “They have dramatically changed the way people perceive gymnastics and made it much more accessible.

“This has been crucial to their success and they should be rightly applauded for it.”

Many leisure organisations, including Newport Live, aim to encourage people to get fit with a range of exercise classes, from high-intensity group workouts to more quirky events like “Aqua Zumba”.

Fitness instructor Louise Cawte, of ‘Strictly Loufit’, describes herself as “one of only a few instructors teaching Aqua Zumba in the Gwent area” and teaches weekly classes at Newport Centre.

She said: “Aqua Zumba is different to aqua aerobics as you’re doing something different for the verse, chorus and even bridge of a song.

“If you want to get a little fitter and are the sort of person who has to swing their hips to the right song, then Aqua Zumba is for you.”

For those looking for something more theatrical, burlesque-themed fitness classes take place every Monday at Cwmbran Rugby Club, Off Station Rd, Cwmbran, between 7.15pm – 8pm.

While fitness is a focus, organisers state the classes attempt to harness the “sexy, confident and beautiful woman inside of you”. Classes are open to females only.

People looking to get fit in a fun, social and supportive environment should also consider Crossfit —a sports trend that has become a popular choice with a people across the world.

The concept is defined as constantly varied, functional movement, executed at high intensity — with weightlifting, gymnastics, Olympic lifting and track running all rolled into one routine.

A large draw for the Crossfit community is how exercises can be tailored to your own ability level, with clubs priding themselves on their inclusivity and an encouraging fitness environment.

In response to the trend, many clubs have sprung up across Gwent from Newport-based Celtic Crossfit and the Shadow Valley Crossfit in Mamhilad Park estate, Pontypool to Oblivion in Abercarn.

Blaenau Gwent’s Aneurin Leisure, also offer a range exercise classes at their centres from martial arts-inspired ‘Bodycombat’ to the 3G pitch and swimming facilities at the Ebbw Vale Sports Centre.

While many may dismiss fun fitness drives as fads, the sheer variety of exercises and classes in Gwent mean that there really is something for everyone.

A path to fitness doesn’t have to be an ordeal. It can be fun and exhilarating while challenging you to leave your comfort zone.

For every intimidating budget gym and long solo slog on the treadmill, there are passionate people working to provide an alternative, if you know where to look.