Published: Friday, 4th April, 2008 4:30pm

Gym fans go crazy for Bodycombat

BODYCOMBAT is a relatively new form of exercise taking Inverclyde by storm. Each week, 230 Inverclyde folk lace up their trainers for an hour of tough - but fun - exercise at centres across the district. ELAINE BOWERS popped along to the Waterfront Leisure Complex in Greenock to find out what all the hype is about...

WHEN Charlie Forbes was looking for a way of boosting his stamina in preparation for a 250-mile sponsored cycle in Israel, he turned to Bodycombat.

Charlie found the non-contact, martial arts-based programme soon had him in tip-top condition for his gruelling challenge.

Bodycombat features moves drawn from karate, Tae Kwon Do, kung fu, kick-boxing, Muay Thai and T"ai Chi and it is the latest fitness craze to grab the attention of Inverclyde"s fitness fanatics.

Charlie, 55, a volunteer worker with the Salvation Army, said: 'I have been doing classes for two years. I was getting fitter and losing weight. I decided to take up Bodycombat because I was going to Israel for a bike ride.'

He joined 22 other keen cyclists from around the UK to compete the tough cycle over five days last November, raising £6,000 for the Inverclyde Christian Initiative"s healing, prayer rooms and street pastors.

Charlie was in peak condition at the start, thanks to his commitment to attending Bodycombat classes.

He said: 'It helps with cardiovascular and keeps you fit and the instructors motivate you. They are brilliant.'

Charlie added a lot of people were put off going to the sports centre because they think everyone who uses the gym is fit.

He said: 'They need to remember the majority of people who come to the gym were not fit when they started. I was very heavy. I lost five stones. You meet lots of nice people and the instructors are superb.'

Instructor Aileen Gillen is delighted with the enthusiasm shown by her class. She explained Bodycombat programmes are constantly changing so nobody can complain of getting bored of the routines, which are choreographed to 10 tracks of music.

Aileen and three other instructors have to go to Glasgow for a weekend every 12 weeks to learn a new programme, which they then teach to their class.

The programme is taught at sports centres throughout the UK, with classes all over the country following the same routines at the same time. A new Bodycombat session is released by the Les Mills programme every three months, with new music and choreography.

Two other classes - Bodyattack and Bodypump - are also proving popular.

Aileen said: 'We have been doing the Bodycombat classes for two years now and they are getting more popular. It is the "in thing" and people enjoy it because they are exercising in a group and they get encouragement. It is the social aspect. Some people go to the gym for an hour, but get fed up after just half an hour, but with Bodycombat there are 30 people in the class and the classes are changing every 12 weeks.'

Isabel Blair, 45, from Gourock, enjoys attending the lunchtime Bodycombat class at the Waterfront on a Thursday. She said: 'It keeps me fit in my lunch break. If I stayed at work I would eat.'

Isabel, who works as a cleaner in the college halls of residence near the sports centre, finds the 45-minute workout is easy to fit into her daily routine.

She said: 'I also do the Bodyattack classes and Bodypump. I love it all.

'You can see a difference when you are doing it and I am much fitter.'

Agnes Green, from Greenock, has been been doing Bodycombat for two years.

She works as a care assistant at Bagatelle Nursing Home, in Greenock, and attends classes twice a week.

Lesley Hallam, from Gourock, who is PA to John Higgins, the chief executive of Inverclyde Leisure, is another fitness enthusiast who likes to make the most of her lunchtime break. She said: 'We are encouraged to attend classes.'

Body combat is said to provide an exhilarating experience, while delivering ultra-fast results.