UNDERCOVER: Vibration enhances exercise. Good Vibes

So, everyone keeps banging on about power plates, and how they give you have a really intense workout in half the time. Sold! Less time, better results….music to my ears.

Turns out there are loads of places you can do a free trial, but then it does become quite expensive if you like it a lot and want to go every day. But I’m not one to ever turn down a freebie, so I hopped on down to the glow studios in Covent Garden for a class.

The class involves a succession of 1 minute poses or moves, on the plate.  For example, 1 minute of squats, then another minute of push ups.  The vibrations are pretty intense (think washing machine on spin cycle) but you get used to that pretty quickly.  And the vibration does mean that you have to work harder to hold each pose, and you can feel your core muscles tense to help out with your balance. Having said that, I didn’t feel the burn very much the next day.

The class was led by a lovely chappy, and there were only 3 of us (I think the maximum is 6) so it was intimate and there was no room for slacking! The instructor could have explained the moves in a little more detail as I was a newbie, and the other two were clearly pros, but there wasn’t anything too taxing, and he demonstrated most moves first.

All in all, it was quick and easy, and would be a great way of squeezing in some exercise if you struggle to drag yourself to the gym.

And p.s…..sitting down on the plate for the bum stretches is not for the faint hearted or easily embarrassed!

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Best bit – quick and a small class

Worst bit – daggy music & couldn’t feel it the next day

Good for – a quick fix on the way to work or in your lunch break. Something is ALWAYS better than nothing.

Score – 7/10

Good Vibes Covent Garden

14 – 16 Betterton Street

London WC2H 9BU

TIME: Every 30 mins at peak times of the day

COST: free trial, and then an average of approx £16 a class after that.

Lovely studios, small but clean changing rooms with free posh moisturiser and lockers.  The receptionist was also really cheery and friendly.