There's no stopping fitness fans as Moray Sports Centre moves gym outdoors
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A LOCAL sports centre's innovative outdoor gym and classes are proving to be an ideal winter warm-up for many of its members.
Elgin's Moray Sports Centre reopened after the Christmas break on Sunday, December 27, as a purely outdoor exercise facility for the duration of the Scotland-wide level-four lockdown – making it the only operational sports centre in Grampian at present.
The centre had reopened in August after its enforced five-month closure due to the pandemic this year.
Determined to find ways to deliver on its purpose to "work for a fitter future for Moray", the centre has set up an outdoor gym as well as a programme of outdoor and online exercise classes to keep it and its members moving while Moray remains in level four.
And members are showing that they are more than willing to brave the chilly weather to keep their fitness levels up, with the outdoor classes fully subscribed and a waiting list of people looking to join in.
Kathryn Evans, Moray Sports Centre chief executive, said staff were forced to think out of the box after the shock of the pre-Christmas announcement that they faced another Covid-19 closure for three weeks from Boxing Day.
Kathryn said: "We were determined to make sure that those who wanted to work out could.
"The team looked at what could be done and brainstormed. A few of the instructors immediately said we will do online classes and then we said, how about working out outside?
"Safety is at the forefront of our minds in everything we're doing. We waited until we were absolutely confident we could make it work before offering the outdoor services.
"The classes are now maxed out with a waiting list. They've been very popular with so many people off work at the moment, but our opening hours are restricted to daylight hours, 9am-3pm, to ensure people are kept safe."
One-hour sessions are available at the outdoor gym's eight stations at the overhang area at the back of the Linkwood Road centre, each fitted out with a bench, barbell and weights. The individual stations are booked by household and time is factored in for the sanitisation of all equipment between slots.
Classes, including i-cycle, Body Pump and circuits among others, are being held at the covered entrance. These are restricted to a maximum number of 30.
Kathryn added that social media had been invaluable for keeping both the centre and members motivated and the online camaraderie highlighted the social aspect as well as physical fitness for people's wellbeing.
The staff are keeping fingers crossed that the sports centre will be back operating at full strength from mid-January.
