Retiring to a place in the sun………everyone’s dream.

Sitting out on your terrace under almost permanent blue skies, sipping wine, eating good food, getting fat and unfit…

GETTING FAT AND UNFIT!!!

Well, it does happen! For every cause there’s an effect and if we’re not careful the good life can bite you in the bum.  There’s no doubt that a sedentary lifestyle ages you even quicker than Old Father Time.

But if there’s an effect for every cause there’s a solution to every problem.  You can enjoy the lifestyle, and still help yourself to stay fit and trim simply by joining us at the twice-weekly Keep Fit Class at Amovate.

We happen to believe that, thanks to the efforts of organiser Bob Packham, we now have perhaps the best-equipped gymnasium on the west coast of the Algarve, although we do stand to be corrected should anyone know better.

As you can see from the photographs here we use two adjoining rooms for each session. And you have use of a multi-gym, two professional-standard running or walking treadmills, cross-trainers, exercise bikes, rowing machine, weight benches, abdominal crunchers, a variety of equipment to tone up or strengthen various parts of your body and a large assortment of free weights.

There’s no pressure on anyone—you need do only what you can do and it is up to you how you develop your routines as time passes, in your search for better fitness, strength, mobility and agility levels.

Begun more than nine years ago by Bob’s son, professional fitness coach Chris Packham, the class was taken over by Bob when Chris moved back to the UK to take up a hospital physiotherapy appointment.

Chris keeps in touch with Bob with suggestions and ideas for the classes, and Bob has since been joined in organising and running the classes by Ian Bedford who once took fitness and coaching sessions for semi-professional and amateur football teams.

The classes are held twice a week, at 11.30am on Monday and Wednesday at the Old Schoolhouse, situated where the road forks outside Vales, towards Arrifana to the left and Vale da Telha to the right.

We have a hard core of around 12-15 enthusiasts, with an average attendance probably of 10 to 12.

Each session lasts for one hour and normally begins with a 10-minute aerobics warm-up to music, followed by around 40-45 minutes of exercises using the equipment, weights and floor mats you can see in the accompanying pictures.  The routines are changed for each session so there’s no risk of anyone getting bored and the entire session comes with a background of enjoyable music.

It’s fun to be fit…and these classes make it fun to get fit!

So come along and see for yourselves:

All are welcome. No membership fee is required and the cost per session is just €2.50. If you would like further information please do not hesitate to call Ian Bedford on 282995249 or Bob Packham on 917961555