Many of us breathe a sigh of relief when the cooler months roll in, as we can tuck away our togs, tanks and skirts for a few months in favour of bulky coats and oversized sweaters. But don’t let winter be the excuse you’ve been looking for to downplay your exercise routine. Instead, let mob mentality sweep you away with a fun group training class that will keep the kilos at bay until swimsuit season is upon us once more.
Sh’bam
Move over Zumba – Sh’bam has arrived and it kicks butt, literally! These classes are essentially a Zumba class where the Latin flavour has been toned down, with pop music used to keep the class jumping instead. Keep in mind that you don’t need to have any skills on the dance floor to enjoy the class, as it features 45 minutes of simple, easy to learn moves, set to a soundtrack of chart-topping popular hits and nightclub dance tunes that are remixed and modernised Latin beats. If you loved the energy and movement of Zumba but you’d prefer to exercise to songs that you can sing along to, Sh’bam is for you.
RPM
Yes, it’s a cycling class and yes, you will feel the burn, but consider this: Experienced RPM instructor James Sutherland says you can whip through between 400 and 900 calories in a single class. “To burn over 800, though, you will have to ride hard,” he clarifies. For the uninitiated, RPM is the indoor cycling workout that prompts gym-goers to ride to the rhythm of powerful music. Your team coach will lead you through hills, flats, peaks, time trials and interval training throughout the class. It’s an intense workout, but the benefits are clear. “Increasing cardiovascular fitness is the biggest benefit of taking the class,” Sutherland says. “Of course, along with that is weight loss and increasing overall tone of your body.”
Body Attack
An intense, sports-inspired cardio workout, Body Attack is a serious group gym class designed for building strength and stamina. This high-energy, interval training regimen features a combination of athletic aerobic movements, strength training and stabilisation exercises. Body Attack classes are generally led by dynamic, high energy instructors and are set to powerful, upbeat music to motivate and inspire participants towards their fitness goals. If you’re more of an armchair athlete, you might find this class a bit hard going, so you should only consider taking a Body Attack class once you’re ready to step up your game and take on a group exercise that really tests your endurance.
High/low combo class
These group training classes incorporate a mix of both high and low impact aerobic moves, which help you to burn calories and tone and shape your legs at the same time. Described by national gym chain Fenix Fitness Clubs as “the ultimate interval workout guaranteed to get results”, high/low-impact aerobics classes traditionally consist of a dance-inspired routine to keep the energy levels up. During the low-impact workout, you have one foot on the floor and refrain from jumping or hopping – but then during high-impact aerobics moves, you’ll move at a slower pace, but do quite a bit of jumping around. It gives you an all-over workout and it’s loads of fun, too.
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