Gayle joins an 80s-themed spin class with a difference at The Shed Health Club in Aberdeenshire.
It’s Friday night and the 80s tunes are pumping.
I’m at a disco spin class at The Shed Health Club in the heart of rural Aberdeenshire – and the grin on my face couldn’t be any wider.
The tunes blasting through the speakers are classic 80s singalong hits – A-ha’s Take On Me, Kylie’s I Should Be So Lucky, Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax, Wham’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, and the absolute anthem, Come on Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Runners, to name but a few.
I’m up at the front of the class, led by instructor Mark Stephen, and I’m feeling pretty damn good.
“Who needs the pub on a Friday?” beams fellow spinner Helen Spark. “This is our kind of party!”
She’s spot on. Here, surrounded by fellow revellers and fitness fans, we’re all in our absolute element.
We’re pedalling in darkness, with only the beam from a UV light shining on us, lighting up our glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets, and anything else that happens to be bright and neon (like my leg warmers, leggings and top).
Heart-pumping fun
It’s heart-pumping, sweat-inducing, fat-burning fun – and it happens at The Shed every Friday night.
Themes change every week and while tonight’s is 80s, previous sessions have included a Magaluf Foam Party (folk wore clubbing gear and were sprayed with bubbles as they cycled) and a Burns Night (with tartan and jimmy hats to the fore).
I’m super-glad to be at the 80s session, although I had to borrow most of my gear from friends, including the pink leg warmers, zany multicoloured leggings and canary yellow vest.
I needn’t have worried though – the venue has loads of props, and I was able to wear a funky pair of unicorn sunglasses, while other folk sported frizzy wigs, sweatbands and more.
It’s been a long time since I took part in a spin class – the last time was an outdoors one, also here at The Shed, in April 2021 – and I need help setting up my bike so I’m sitting comfortably.
Mark is happy to oblige, and within a few seconds, we’re ready to get started.
It’s tempting to go full at it, and push yourself to the max when you hear the first, hugely uplifting few tunes during the warm-up section, but it’s best to hold back or you’ll be knackered.
It’s a 45 minute session, and Mark ramps things up with hill climbs, sprints, and turns of our resistance knobs up and down. We sit, stand, and even do press-ups on the bikes, all while belting out the lyrics to much-loved 80s tunes.
Uplifting
I’m almost hoarse by the time You Are Always On My Mind by the Pet Shop Boys comes on – what a cracking, goosebumps, moment.
It’s such an incredibly uplifting party atmosphere, with adrenalin levels shooting through the roof.
Prior to going along, I was feeling pretty run down, but the class, which is full of friendly, encouraging faces, seems to magically perk you up.
And while spin classes often have the reputation for being pretty tough, you can choose just how far you push yourself here – you don’t feel judged or self-conscious because you’re doing it in the dark!
The session ends with a section of furious pedalling and then a few minutes of recovery, a cool down and stretching, before a few of us enjoy coffee and a chat.
Mark tells me he has plenty of ideas for future Friday night disco themes, but while he’s off to Australia for five weeks, classes will be taken by a fellow instructor. Importantly, they’ll remain loosely disco-focused!
There’s talk of an Easter spin session – I’m thinking bunnies, eggs and maybe a chocolate reward – and I can well imagine 60s, 70s and 90s spin sessions in the future.
Worth a visit
For anyone who hasn’t been to The Shed, it’s well worth a visit. It’s in a fantastic location – in the middle of a field at South Ythsie near Tarves, and with stunning views of trees, rolling hills and surrounding pastureland.
There are major plans to expand its offerings, too, with a coffee shop, spa area, rooms for physiotherapy and sports massage, multi-purpose outdoors training space, and more to come.
I’m treated to a wee tour of the extension area by gym member Helen, who is probably The Shed’s number one cheerleader, flying the flag for the venue with her regular upbeat posts and live updates on social media.
While much of it is a work in progress, the hope is that the expanded offerings will be open “soon”, although there’s no exact time-frame.
Get you in the mood
I’m already planning my next trip to The Shed for the Friday night spin session.
It’s a brilliant way to get you in the mood for the weekend, whether that involves treating yourself with a takeaway afterwards (naughty, naughty!), or heading out on the town. One thing is guaranteed – you’ll leave, probably a bit sweaty, and in a very good mood!
- The Shed was founded by personal trainer Rachel Combe and her mum Hazel in the summer of 2019 and is believed to be the first agricultural building-turned-gym in Scotland.
- The facility has just become CrossFit-affiliated. The state-of-the-art fitness facility offers classes galore, including spin, circuits, Metafit, HIIT, yoga, conditioning, and legs, bums and tums.
- For more information, see theshedhealthclub.co.uk/
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