3 new surprising ways to workout from as little as ￡5
Just like new year's resolutions, the new year marks a time for trainers, gyms and fitness enthusiasts to set the gym-scene for the year ahead with more effective ways to workout.
2018 saw the rise of low impact workouts such as body barre, reformer pilates and dancing , taking over from high, fat-burning exercises such as spinning and boxing. The movement allowed those who dread the gym and intimidating workouts feel more welcome in the world of fitness, proving it to be a place for everyone - not just the super fit.
As we look ahead to 2019, here are the new surprising, ways to workout that will help you sculpt and tone like no other.
Skipping
Yes, that's right. Skipping has firmly made its mark in the world of fitness and is proven to be super effective in burning calories and shifting weight. Skipping is a high intensity full body workout that can be adapted to all levels of fitness.
"It will work your core, arms, shoulders, abs and legs and it’s a great and fun way to work on your cardio. Apart from that you will improve your balance and coordination," says Personal Trainer and Gym Manager at the Workshop Gymnasium, Artur Zolkiewicz. It’s also a very low-cost way of getting a good workout at home. All you need is a jumping rope which you can get for as little as ￡5.
Leading workout space The Workshop Gymnasium at the Bulgari Hotel is ahead of the trend and has already started skipping classes. “Skipping is arguably the best form of cardio training," advises Personal Trainer Lewis Dove. "It engages more muscles than most other forms of cardio and also is a skill-based exercise that helps improve your mind and hand-eye coordination,” says Dove.
Length of workout: 10-20 minutes
TRX
TRX Home Suspension Trainer, ￡149
What is TRX? TRX (total resistance exercise) is a suspension trainer. It’s a dual-strap that allows you to suspend different parts of your body off the floor, with the result being that you use your core in every movement that you do. It only needs your body weight to create resistance allowing you to control your own workout and push yourself as more or as little as you like. You can work each part of your body in effective ways in a short space of time proving no need for machine weights.
"For a super effective at-home workout, I’d recommend using the TRX Home2 System," advises Zolkiewicz. The suspension trainer is light, easy to attach to any door frame and comes with an app full of workouts and training tips delivered by the world’s top trainers. They will guide you through suspension training, HIIT, functional training and yoga - all in the comfort of your own home.
Length of workout:30-45 minutes
Water-barre
Barre was by far one of the most heroed workouts of 2018 with the craze for ballet-like resistance barre techniques taking over many gyms and spaces in the UK.
Barre classes are focused around low impact body weight exercises, working the smaller, more intrinsic muscles as well as main muscle groups via isometric contractions. Isometric contractions are where neither the muscle nor the joint angle changes - it's complete stillness.
Now in 2019 barre has gone aquatic and is even more effective by marrying the intense workout in the resistance of a pool. "Working out in the water adds another level of intensity to your workout," says Zolkiewicz. "Individually barre and swimming are two very powerful workouts so pairing them together will allow you to see amazing results. "
Length of workout: 45-60 minutes
How to not quit
"80 per cent of people who join the gym in January will quit within six months of joining," says Zolkiewicz. "I always suggest to my clients to book their workouts in their calendar and treat them as if they were important meetings which they can’t miss."
Making a ‘public’ announcement about your goals is also more powerful than you might think. "We naturally don’t want others to see us fail so by posting it on social media or telling your friends, you will feel a sense of responsibility which help you stick to your routine and achieve your goals."
It takes around four weeks to create a new habit so choose a form of exercise you think you might enjoy and stick to it for a month. Sticking to your routine will be significantly easier once your training is a habit rather than a chore. Always try to remember the feeling you get after you’ve completed a great workout...
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