New breed of gym that trains your MUSCLES AND YOUR MIND
It’s no longer enough to turn up to Legs, Bums and Tums. In 2020 you can see a therapist . . . while you’re working out
SO YOU’VE joined a new gym this month. Don’t be surprised if the instructor is interested not only in your old back injuries and dodgy hamstrings, but in how happy you are, too.
in fact, you might well be quizzed on any past mental health concerns, because in 2020 getting fit means treating both mind and body as deserving of a good workout. The aim? Firm abs, of course, but also strengthened mental resilience and higher levels of happy hormones such as serotonin.
No one should be surprised at the link: we all recognise the endorphin high that comes after a fitness class. it’s often what motivates us to go again.
But there is an additional benefit to using fitness to help our mental health. Researchers have found that trained muscles help to clean the blood, much like the kidneys and liver.
When we exercise, our muscles assist in converting a stress marker called kynurenine into kynurenic acid. And that’s important because high levels of kynurenine have been measured in people with mental illness, such as depression. They also discovered that kynurenic acid seems to activate a cell receptor which helps us burn fat.
it’s no wonder, then, that gyms are exploring the idea that exercising the mind as well as the body creates a new form of holistic fitness. That might mean mixing life coaching and
mindfulness with your weighttraining, or counselling in your abs Blast session. But how does the combination work in practice?
the founder of Edinburgh wellness gym Projekt 42 ( projekt42.co.uk), 34-year-old Sara hawkins, says: ‘We talk about mental health a lot in the studio. We explain how fitness is good for things like anxiety and depression, and that setting and achieving small goals can boost your confidence and self-esteem.’
Projekt 42 runs a 12-week course which includes fitness activities (from yoga to weights and running), sessions with a personal trainer, counselling and life coaching.
the good news? You don’t have to go to Scotland to experience this kind of all-round wellness. Clubs that believe healthy minds and healthy bodies work best in tandem are setting up across the UK.
A FULL-ON MONDAY SESSION RESET MY MIND
‘PrOGraMME the mind and power the body,’ promises London gym rowbots. Its 45-minute classes use weights and rowing to fix your physical state, and sports psychology and life-coaching techniques to get your brain in gear.
there’s a different theme each day: Monday, for example, is reset day, which is about overcoming failure or setting you up for the week ahead; thursday’s class is about strength and helping you to manage your energy reserves; Sundays are recharge day and include 15 minutes of yoga to help with recovery. rowbots claims it’s ideal for anyone who struggles with productivity.
Clearly, this is a world away from classes that aim to just improve your mood; these sessions are modelled on the sort of training done by professional sportspeople.
But I admit to feeling anxious on the cold, dark Monday morning I arrive. I’ve been struggling for months with a sense of dread — due to the menopause, caring for my 91-year- old mother and trying to juggle work and home.
I’d tried running to relieve stress, but kept getting injured. the failure to even stay fit was adding to my anxiety.
So it was truly daunting to find my rowbots workout fellows mostly looking like they could be preparing for marathons. this is not a class for kidding about. there is no smiling, but quite a lot of scowling.
head trainer Pele, whose bodybuilder frame belies his gentle approach, instructs us in six-minute sets on the rower and weights alternately. the emphasis is on pushing yourself to the point of failure — I was good at that — then trying again. It is a fierce class.
at one point I desperately want to lie on the floor and weep. But I don’t want to let Pele down, so I push on and do my best with the bicep curls and rowing sprints. Perhaps that means the mind-body connection is working? I’m being inspired to go beyond what I thought I could.
rowbots’ psychotherapist Zoe aston confirms my instinct is correct. ‘the reset theme is about coming up against problems you might struggle with psychologically and taking you to your limits,’ she says.
at the end of the class, I stagger from the studio to drink a smoothie made by the friendly receptionists. there are cushioned chill- out cocoons with wi-fi built into the walls of the club where you can recover your breath. It’s definitely the hardest class I’ve ever done.
Greg Zimmerman, rowbots’ chief experience officer and one of its founders, promises that his mum and dad (in their late 50s) love it.
I’m just pleased to feel long-dormant muscles beginning to ache, reminding me they need a bit more love and attention. as for the endorphin high — well, that lasted two days.
COST: Membership starts at £100 for six classes a month. Individual classes cost £19.50, but this price drops the more classes you buy in advance ( rowbots.co.uk).