Virgin Active launches willPower & grace®, an innovative barefoot group exercise class from the US.

The UK’s most innovative health club, once again brings its members the latest in health and fitness innovation. willPower & grace®, a barefoot group exercise class, exclusively in Virgin Active clubs, which is set to revolutionise the fitness industry.

The class, called willPower & grace® was created by fitness professional of over 20 years, Stacey Lei Krauss in 1999 in New York City. It is a barefoot, cardiovascular high-energy group exercise class that involves a formatted fusion of postures and drills. Both a foot-fitness conditioning program and a workout, it is as philosophical as it is physical. The class, set to high energy music, integrates barefoot training methods designed to strengthen feet while progressively correcting imbalances in the ankles, knees and hips.

Gillian Reeves, Virgin Active’s national group exercise manager comments, “willPower & grace® is a unique and innovative group exercise class that will enable Virgin Active to offer its members even more variety in their active lifestyle.”

Barefoot training has seen a recent surge in popularity as experts recognise that supportive shoes do not allow full articulation of the feet and ankles which can lead to a loss of flexibility and mobility. The willPower & grace® programme teaches participants to stretch their toes in order to increase circulation and mobility throughout their feet and ankles. In the class, participants are taught to use their most intrinsic muscles to land on their feet gracefully; reducing pain and injuries in their feet, ankles and knees.

Already a huge success in the US, willPower & grace® has hundreds of trained instructors nationwide. The class launched exclusively in selected Virgin Active clubs in April 2011.