Between the indoor saltwater pool, the personal training, the sauna, the rows of cardio and weight machines, and the long list of group fitness classes (including cycling, yoga, thai chi, Barre Fusion, boot camp, and Bodypump), Quest Fitness in Kennebunk pretty much has all the things.
And let’s not forget the Hula Hoop Fitness class. More on that in a minute.
Just off Route 1 and tucked amid a small campus of medical buildings, Quest is a spacious gym by Maine standards.
There are rows of cardio machines – treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes – and plenty of weight machines to challenge all of the muscles. Rows of free weights line one wall and there’s open space near the front windows for stretching or for working with one of Quests personal trainers.
If you prefer to DIY your workouts with swank machines you can hop on and off on your own time, then Quest has you covered.
But if your workouts are inspired by dreams of lively group fitness classes, Quest has plenty of those, too. The list of classes includes yoga, chair yoga, Barre Fusion, Bodypump, Tai Chi and Qigong, group cycling, boot camp, Pilates, Cardio Sculpt, P90X Live, and more.
But what really got my attention: the FXP Hula Hoop Fitness class. Because HULA HOOPING!
Most of us were adept hula hoopers back in the day. We could move our hips and keep that hoop rotating for hours, without even trying that hard. But as grownups who probably haven’t even been in the same room as a hula hoop in decades, the idea of a hoop workout sounds simultaneously fun and “are you kidding?”
In actuality, it really is fun. And instructor Holly Brooks brings her high energy and sass to every class, making it a lively and welcoming environment, even if it takes a while to remember how to make the hoop go ’round.
During the class I joined, everyone was really good at it. Luckily, I’d toyed around with a few hula hoops over the years, so I was able to jump right in (although the hoop certainly hit the floor plenty of times. It happens with even experienced hoopers). If you’re certain that your body has forgotten everything it ever knew about hula hooping, Holly says that’s okay. Join the class and learn, and you’ll pick it up again in no time.
In additional to spells of hooping, which might include a few turns around the room or squats while hooping or turning around while hooping, the class includes flexibility and strength components, too. You’ll use free weights to challenge your biceps and triceps, or lift the hula hoop over your head during core work.
Holly, who’s also a yoga instructor, incorporates some yoga poses into the workout, as well as ballet barre and Pilates. Over the hour, you’ll get your heart pumping and all those squats and arm curls and tricep extensions will give your muscles a run for their money.
And you’ll have a grand time hooping along to some loud tunes, just like you did when you were a kid.
Another glorious thing at Quest: the four-lane saltwater pool. It’s perfect for 1. anyone who likes pools. 2. ocean swimmers who miss the saltwater over the winter. 3. anyone who wants to swim but doesn’t love chlorine.
Swimming lessons are offered, as well as lap swimming times. There are also a number of fitness classes held in the pool, like Aqua Cardio and Aqua Power Hour.
And after your swim or workout, how about a pop into the sauna? There’s one located in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms. And I’m a firm believer that saunas make everything better. Unless you have a sweat phobia…sauna’s probably aren’t good for that.
Membership costs $72 a month, and there’s also a $45 off-peak membership, which is perfect if you work out between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (aka, off-peak hours) Monday through Friday and Sundays. Quest also sells 5-vist passes for $75 and 10-vist passes for $139.
And if you’ve never been before, you can also get a FREE day pass to check the place out. (According to the fine print, you can actually get a free day pass once a year.)
Quest Fitness
2 Livewell Drive, Kennebunk
207-467-3800
questfitnessmaine.com
www.facebook.com/questfitnessmaine/
Note: This post was originally published on Nov 26, 2017
