Jo Chipchase
WITH spring just around the corner, it’s not long until beach season arrives.
Although a bikini body is – in all fairness – any type of body in swimwear, it’s natural to want to trim up beforehand.
Now is the ideal time to focus on your health and fitness. If you don’t fancy joining local exercise classes because of Covid, you can do it online.
The Olive Press has found fitness classes and apps to suit readers of all abilities, that can be done in the privacy of your home, or outdoors in our beautiful Spanish countryside.
Fitness
The range of fitness training options on social networks and Google Play is limitless – catering for every device from TV to laptop and android phone to Apple watch.
You’ll find everything from classes of Pilates to abdominal exercises and Zumba routines to HIIT (high intensity) training.
A good starting point is the list of 50 fitness channels compiled by Insure4Sport (https://www.insure4sport.co.uk/blog/the-best-youtube-fitness-channels/).
While a pair of good fitness YouTubers to check out are Fitness Marshall, who has adapted pop songs into cardio dance routines, and Lucy Wyndham-Read, an ex-army corporal who offers handy 10-minute HIIT classes for busy people.
You can also follow fitness trainers on Facebook. A resource called Siéntete Joven (‘feel young’) has an impressive 1,728,334 followers. It offers many forms of exercise and is popular with the 50-plussers.
Other popular links to check out are Glo.com, Dailyburn.com and Gaia.com.
Although online fitness classes are comprehensive, they’re not perfect for everyone.
We tried a fitness app called ‘Lose Belly Fat’. Although the app was easy to follow, the daily routines became repetitive.
Spinning
Spinning is one discipline that has sorted the motivation issue, by creating online communities featuring group rides and leaderboards.
The Olive Press tried a Peloton bike and was impressed by the range of classes – it’s so addictive!
However, Peleton isn’t yet marketed in Spain, where the main option is currently Volava bike. This exercise hobby isn’t cheap – the static bikes cost 1,195 euros, or 549 euros for the lower model, and a year’s subscription costs 400 euros.
Zwift (www.zwift.com) offers ‘200km of roads across five worlds’, and competitive online cycling challenges, for 14.99 euros per month.
However, there’s a catch – you need to buy a special support to keep your normal bike stationary, or buy a static bike, and a smart device to run the program.
It’s cheaper to buy a normal static bike and search for ‘free spinning class’ on YouTube.
Many exist, such as these Reggaeton-themed workouts on Youtube. Most providers upload some free content, but you must buy membership to access the premium rides.
Outdoor trails
Those who prefer to ride outside can download the ‘Strava’ GPS cycling and running app.
You can track your routes, join challenges, share photos and follow friends, which helps with motivation.
As with many apps, the premium features are unlocked by paying for membership.
Strava could conceivably be adapted for horse rides.
Yoga
Everyone and their pet dog seem to be into Yoga these days. Literally! It’s a discipline that you can do at home or in an outdoor beauty spot.
A popular YouTube channel is ‘Yoga with Adriene’ – accompanied by her cute dog.
Adriene has recently uploaded a free 30-day class that is suitable for newcomers.
For your smartphone, the ‘Down Dog’ app has an impressive 4.9 rating on Google Play.
It features 60,000 different configurations to avoid repetitive workouts, is beginner-friendly, and membership costs around 10e per month.
Also popular is ‘Asana Rebel’, which creates a daily plan based on your personal aims and includes nutrition, mindfulness, and sleep advice. It weighs in at around three euros per month. Novices might also like the free app, ‘Yoga for Beginners – Workouts for the mind and body’.
With online yoga, it’s important to do the asanas (stretches) correctly to avoid hurting yourself. Says qualified yoga teacher trainer, Amy: “I don’t do online training. There’s just so much that can go wrong. I teach anatomy, so I am aware of potential issues.”
Diet
If you’re on an exercise regime, managing your diet is important. Remember: move more and eat three meals a day!
The ‘My Fitness Pal’ app provides a database of 14 million foods and features a QR code scanner for food labels.
The ‘Lose It!’ app is also popular. Or pay a visit to https://www.fooducate.com/ .
Is online exercise for you?
Pros
- Usually costs less than physical classes, with membership starting at 3 euros per month
- No Covid risk
- Convenient – no need to dress in your best activewear or drive to a gym
Cons
- Lack of motivation / easy to abandon a boring class
- The spinning bike options are expensive
- Risk of injury if you do the exercises wrong
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