MUMS-TO-BE in Barrhead are being given a helping hand to keep fit during pregnancy.

A new ‘aquanatal’ class is taking place at the Barrhead Foundry on Wednesday nights, with women invited to take part, no matter what stage of their pregnancy they are at.

Clare Wilson, aquanatal instructor, said: “I’m really pleased to be helping women stay healthy and active during their pregnancy.

“Aquanatal is also a great place to come and meet other expectant mums from the local area.

“Our first aquanatal classes have been really successful and the girls enjoyed their water workout. We also had a local NHS midwife, Vicki Thomson, along to answer any queries they had after the session.”

The sessions are just part of a new programme of fitness classes to be introduced by East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure.

An early-morning fitness regime is on offer at Eastwood Park Leisure, in Giffnock, including 30-minute circuit classes and 45-minute body attack, metafit and ‘legs, bum and tum’ sessions.

The Barrhead Foundry has also started new morning sessions and now runs more than 60 fitness classes every week, having completed its extensive refurbishment at the end of last year.

The gym opens at 6am every weekday, with morning classes including spin, body pump, body balance, metafit and circuits.

A new ‘exercise for two’ class at the Barrhead Foundry is proving popular. It takes place twice a week, with yoga on Tuesday afternoons and body pump on Thursday afternoons, so parents can workout without arranging childcare.

Anthony McReavy, of East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, said: “We have significantly improved our fitness facilities at the Barrhead Foundry over the last two years.

“We are now able to implement a number of improvements that our customers have suggested, including early-morning fitness classes at Barrhead Foundry and Eastwood Park, which are proving very popular.

“Our aquanatal and exercise for two classes are already starting to fill up quickly and we’ve had great feedback from our gym and fitness class customers, who have fitness classes included as part of their membership.”

Read all the latest from Barrhead and beyond