Power Plates: The gym workout for lazy girls

Posted by Emma Cossey on May 14, 2010 in News | 1 comment

Right, I want to see a show of hands. How many of you joined a gym in January in a rush of new year’s enthusiasm, only to leave your membership card languishing in your wallet, unused and unloved.

Jason, my personal trainer for the afternoon!

*Raises hand*

Yes gym bunnies, I’m that flustered person that clogs up your gym for the first two weeks of the year before the novelty of sweating it out on a treadmill wears off.

But, annoyingly, exercise is good for you. Which means I probably shouldn’t give up on the whole concept completely. Thankfully, MyCityDeal recently offered an alternative option with their Power Plates deal, offering three classes for £10 (a saving of £20!). Basically, Power Plates is a 30-minute workout on a vibrating plate that gives you the same results as an hour long workout in the gym. Perfect!

Here’s how I got on:

Arriving at Waves Health and Fitness Club in Bracknell I was greeted by the friendly staff and Jason, my trainer for the afternoon. Jason checked how much exercise I do (embarrassingly little) and then introduced me to the Power Plate.

I got so many useful tips from Jason!

The actual Power Plate sits in the corner of the gym and, as there’s only one, you get a one-on-one session. This is a Very Good Thing for someone like me who fears the competitive element of classes. Jason went through the basics with me, demonstrating each exercise move before opening up the stage to me.

So, I stepped up. I wobbled and clumsily lurched my way through lunges, press ups, crunches and the dreaded plank. I emerged from each move red faced (thanks to my body’s wonderful ability to pump all the blood to my face) and feeling muscles creak that I’d no idea had previously existed.

Here’s the thing though. I kind of loved it. Working out on my own, I’d have given up roughly five and a half minutes in. But the constant encouragement and short 30 second bursts of movement made me work that little bit harder and longer. I adored the fact that you get a full body workout without working up a crazy sweat. My energy levels also soared for the rest of the day. Best of all, it only took 30 minutes.

So, thinking of ditching the gym in favour of a shorter more efficient workout? Here’s a few of my top tips.

• Don’t stand up completely straight on a moving Power Plate. Nothing is quite as disturbing as feeling your eyeballs shake in their sockets.
• Drink lots and lots of water. Trust me, you’ll be gasping for it after the workout, and Jason advised me that it helps you recover faster the next day.
• Feeling all light and relaxed after your workout? Yeah…that’ll last roughly twelve hours until you wake up, leap out of bed and yelp with pain. A brisk walk and some more H2O should ease you into the day though.

So, what’s stopping you fitnessphobes? Why not try a whole new workout?