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KEEPING FIT IN YOUR BUSY CHRISTMAS CALENDAR |
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The festive season is well and truly upon us. It’s the usual whirlwind of family
get-togethers, frantic Christmas shopping, and festive parties, which leave most
of us gasping for breath trying to juggle it all!
But you don’t have to drop your exercise routine entirely to fit everything in.
On the contrary, in fact, regular exercise during this hectic time is exactly what
you need! Not only will it lay the groundwork for a svelte New Year’s ‘New You’,
but it will boost your energy levels and mood, and ensure that you set aside some
‘me time’ to help you handle holiday stresses better – and keep those winter blues
at bay!
Read on as we reveal our top ten tips on how to squeeze exercise into your holidays
- instead of letting your holidays put the squeeze on your exercise routine, with
a sneak preview of some exhilarating new exercise innovations that will be coming
soon to your club…
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Put up some resistance.
It’s hard to say no to partying, but now you can build up your resistance with the all-new Gravity® trainer. For Pilates, or for personal
training, this revolutionary equipment provides optimal resistance training to help
you sculpt, strengthen, shape and tone your body. With its unique cable and pulley
system and free moving glide board, Gravity allows you to perform up to120 Pilates
moves, and over 240 conventional exercises, for ultimate core-strengthening, body-defining
benefits.
Weigh up the benefits.
You’ve got plenty to choose from, especially with the arrival
of the new health club heavyweights: Humansport™. This six-piece, dual-functioning
training circuit is your one-stop-shop for strength, balance, co-ordination and
muscle training. Featuring a Lat Pulley, Total Legs, Pull Lift, Shoulder Chest,
Total Delts and Arm Crunch apparatus, you’ve got everything you need in one compact
station. Sign up for an introductory class to incorporate HumanSport™ in your regular
workout.
Step up your fitness routine.
Up the intensity of your usual workout with the innovative
new treadmill climber, Jacob’s Ladder™. Adopting a natural climbing position, this
exercise delivers peak aerobic endurance and anaerobic conditioning. Challenging
your upper body, arms and shoulders to a power-packed cardiovascular workout, the
faster you go, the faster its goes – so climb on to feel the total body benefits.
Try something different.
They say change is as good as a holiday – so, swap your
usual cardio routine for a blast on the brand-new CardioWave™. Imitating the movements
of rollerblading or ice-skating, this unique cardio workout strengthens and tones
the legs, bums, and thighs – with dramatic core strengthening benefits when you
go ‘hands-free’! If you’d prefer to stick with what you know, try a different programme
on the treadmill or bike, vary the resistance on the rower or cross-trainer, or
choose a different route for your outdoor training.
Get into a new rhythm.
Start with Drums Alive™; the hottest exercise class to hit
the UK this year - exclusive to Virgin Active Health Clubs. Armed with just a pair
of drumsticks and a core ball, the beat will make you come alive, with astonishing
strengthening and toning benefits for your entire body. Feel the rhythm, soak up
the vibes, and enjoy powerful stress reducing benefits for mind and body.
Reclaim your lunch hour.
If hitting the gym before or after work is just not a possibility,
seize that elusive lunch hour and try an energy-boosting Fast Class! These super-fast
15 to 30 minute workout sessions are available in a variety of formats, including
Power Plate®, Kettlebells™, Drums Alive™, AB Attack, BOSU® Ballast™ Ball, V-Row,
V-Tread, V-Core and more. A few of these high intensity sessions per week gives
you a noticeable boost, and you can still be back at your desk within the hour!
Remember less is better than nothing.
If you can’t make time for your usual workout,
don’t give up entirely! Even the smallest effort is better than nothing. So, if
you usually fit several lengthy jogging or running sessions in per week, cut your
training time by half to still get the buzz, but without as much of a commitment.
Or, instead of completing two or three sets of a given exercise, reduce it to one
or two sets. Your session will take less time, but you’re still exercising the same muscles, so your strength won’t disappear.
Embrace interval training.
It’s the perfect way to gain maximum impact, with minimum
time! Optimize your workout by working hard for 20 seconds, then resting for 10
seconds, repeated for four minutes. Good combinations include: lower body exercises
(such as squats) followed by upper body exercises (such as dumbbell presses). Example:
20 seconds squats, followed by 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds dumbbell presses, followed
by 10 seconds rest. (Repeat four times.) You can follow a similar technique on the
treadmill, or cross trainer – work as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10
seconds, and repeat for up to four minutes.
Get a Personal Trainer.
Considering the money spent on unhealthy indulgences this
time of year, a few extra pounds for personal training is surprisingly affordable!
Working one-on-one with the expert advice and guidance of a Personal Trainer can
help you get the most from your exercise routine, so you can achieve your fitness goals quickly and effectively. It’s the perfect solution to keep your motivation
– and attendance – from waning over the holidays, helping you to maintain a healthy
balance.
Make it fun for the family.
When you combine exercise with a fun day out for the
family, suddenly finding time doesn’t seem such a chore! Exciting activities that
parents and kids can enjoy together include swimming, bouldering/ climbing, badminton,
tennis, and countless exhilarating group classes including the Nike Rockstar workout
and Hulaerobics™. Or you can let your kids loose in our stimulating Club-V area
while you take some time for yourself with a rejuvenating Yoga class, trip to the
spa, or luxury pamper session at HeavenV. Everyone’s happy…
Facilities and classes differ from club to club, so check out your nearest Virgin
Active health club to find out about Christmas timetables and special activities
over the festive season. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all, and we’ll
look forward to seeing you in the clubs…
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