Looking to separate itself from the dozens of spinning studios in the Sultanate, Aqua Cycle BN has introduced the first aqua cycling class that claims to offer the same results but with lower impact on the joints.
The classes are currently conducted at Ba’adiah Hotel’s swimming pool – with the same high energy music and moves seen in a spinning studio – but with the stationary bicycles submerged underwater, while the spinner’s upper body remaining above water.
“There is already a rise in spinning studios in Brunei so we thought we would do something different that would attract the same crowd as well,” said manager of Aqua Cycle BN Karyn Ho who is also one of their four instructors.
“With aqua cycling, there is no impact on the knees, joints and back as the legs are submerged underwater the whole time – so you can still have a high intensity while reducing your likelihood of injury.”
The one-hour classes with up to 25 bikes were introduced in September last year at $10 per person – and $5 during promotional periods. Private classes begin at $80 per hour for a minimum of 10 people.
Karyn explained the underwater bikes are built for purpose – they are made of stainless steel to avoid rusting and are lighter to make moving them out of the pool easier. But the biggest difference between regular stationary bikes and the ones used for aqua cycling is that the latter doesn’t have resistance settings – with riders paddling against the natural water resistance inside the pool.
Aqua cycling – similar to swimming – also provides another alternative in improving cardio endurance; the heart rate while exercising underwater is typically lower than on land, but with both having comparable effectiveness in lowering your resting heart rate with repeated bouts of exercise.
“When your heart rate is lower, there’s more room to push yourself,” explained Karyn. “Swimming has the same benefits, but with spinning, you are doing it as a group, in a class (with music and movement) so an hour of doing spinning in water may not feel as long than swimming alone.”
She added that Aqua Cycle are focused on building their customer base at Badi’ah Hotel before looking into expanding into other pools, and are currently offering a promotional rate of $5 per person (per class) until March 31
For more information follow @aquacyclebn on Instagram and Facebook or contact +6738902121 for booking inquiries. Aqua Cycle BN typically hosts open classes at 5.30pm and 7.30pm on weekdays, and at 8.30am as well on Sundays.
