Wellbeing: Outdoor fun and games

～ WELLBEING ～

A socially distanced boot-camp for our times

BY Laura Burgoine

Supreme Fitness isn’t your usual kind of workout. It’s not even your usual kind of boot-camp. It’s refreshingly free of running drills, press-ups and military whistleblowing. It’s more a dynamic circuit of ultra-challenging weight training. There’s 15 stations, and you work in your own space, at your own pace. The session runs for just over an hour and the time flies because you’re in the zone, you’re having fun and you’re outside, which after months of lockdown, is downright refreshing!

Supreme Fitness is the brainchild of Surrey Docks Wonder Woman Jo Jedrasiak: fitness model, elite bodybuilder and Miss Galaxy Universe supreme champion 2015. Originally from Poland, Jo studied sports science and physio, where she went on to work with people with sporting injuries before qualifying as a personal trainer.

“We wanted to do something different from what you do in a traditional gym,” Jo said. “You’ll be doing functional exercises that use the whole body, like lifting and f lipping tyres, pushing a sled and wheelbarrows, carrying sand-bags –and some Olympic lifting, which is what my background is in.”

“It’s a very fun way of exercising. It’s entertaining. The groups seem to enjoy it and people build a good relationship between each other.”

We spent three minutes at each of the 15 stations, in intervals of one minute with a 15-second rest, doing things I’ve never done before: flipping a giant tyre, driving a weighted wheelbarrow, pushing a sled along a carpeted runway, hitting a weighted hammer against a tyre, throwing sandbags. There’s also the kinds of exercises you might be familiar with from the gym: kettlebells, boxing bag, battle ropes, and medicine balls. The following day I had a pleasant all-over muscle ache, which I can say is very satisfying. The regulars at this boot-camp are really strong, really fit, walking advertisements for the class.

If, like me, you spent lockdown waiting for the gyms to open up again, outdoor exercise is a smart bet –not to mention a welcome relief from anything on a computer screen. Jo has adjusted the bootcamp to ensure social distancing and Covid safety measures are strictly in place. All the stations are spread out, at least a couple of metres apart, with certain exercises (like tyre flipping) naturally requiring large isolated areas, and when the buzzer

～ WELLBEING ～

Try your first session free at Southwark Park

rings at the end of each exercise, everyone cleans down their station with paper towel and antiseptic spray. There’s also hand-sanitizer provided. Fitness instructors, and gyms (shout out to Seven Islands and Surrey Docks Watersports centre where I’m a member) are really working hard to comply with the ever-changing regulations and are prioritising keeping their clients safe, and I for one am really grateful that they’re making it possible for us to work out in-person again.

Currently held outside Surrey Docks Watersports Centre, Supreme Fitness boot-camp is moving to Southwark Park’s newly renovated athletic track soon.

“Come along and give it a try. It’s a really fun way of working out,” Jo says. “You need at least a moderate fitness level and strength but you can work at your own level and you’ll keep getting fitter and stronger.”

Bootcamp sessions last around one hour, 15 minutes and run three times a week: • Tuesdays 8pm • Thursdays 7:30pm • Saturdays 11am

Cost: £45 for 6 sessions (£7.50 per session), which must be used within 6 weeks.

For more information visit: https://thesupremefitness.com, text: 0751 866 4091 to book or check out Instagram:Supreme.bootcamp

Jo winning Miss Galaxy Universe supreme champion in 2015

～ WELLBEING ～

Rabble rouser

BY Cara Cummings

Tell us about the Rabble ethos - why team games?

At the heart of it, Rabble is about making fitness really fun. It can be a bit intimidating turning up to a gym and not knowing how the equipment works, or feeling out of place. It can also feel like not an easy place to meet people. Rabble addresses all those points. It’s really accessible because it’s silly, fun fitness based on games you played in the playground. We level the playing field and play lots of fun concept games inspired by TV programmes too, so you forget that you’re exercising! It’s set up to make you concentrate on working with other people in teams, having a laugh and mucking around so that you forget you're running, or doing squat jumps or burpees.

How did you first discover Rabble?

I remember my first session really fondly. I was quite new to London when I saw Rabble featured in Time Out and thought it sounded brilliant, and decided to take it on as a New Year’s resolution. I went up to a session in north London on a Saturday morning and the heavens opened - I thought, oh my god, what have I signed up for?! But I had the best time running around for an hour, slipping and sliding in the mud. I made so many friends and was welcomed straight away. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I try to instill that in all my own sessions now. Think you can’t get fit playing British Bulldog? Think again. Samantha Doe runs the Southwark Park chapter of Rabble, a team gamesbased fitness class with a social twist.

Can you really get fit playing classics like British Bulldog and Capture the Flag?

Absolutely! It’s quite easy to clock up running 5k during a session without you realising - we do lots of building up your heart rate. But it’s about strength building, too, so there’ll be celebratory star jumps, burpees or sit ups when you score points. I’ve seen firsthand how players get so much quicker, and so much fitter thanks to sessions. There’s a marked difference.

What’s a typical session like?

A newbie can expect to be greeted by a friendly face and introduced to a few of the regular players. We’ll walk through a warm up to get heart rates up and brains working, then we’ll play a name game - one of the integral parts of Rabble is getting to know people. We then normally

Samantha Doe

play a ball game or an activity that uses equipment like a vorex, frisbee, a yoga ball or a dodge ball, and then we’ll run a contrast competition where you try to beat the other team by scoring the most points. We’ll end with something more intensive - a final blast that might be core based, strength building or a sprint finish. But most importantly it's about having fun, and ending on a postexercise endorphin high. We have a cool down and either head to the pub or have a picnic in the park. The cafe in Southwark Park does incredible ice cream so we’re really happy it’s reopened!

Tell us about the crowd that comes along to sessions in Southwark Park.

We get loads of regulars. People feel so welcome that they come back again and again; it’s a really nice way to start your weekend. We have loads of social activities too. During lockdown we pivoted everything to virtual events so that everyone could be included, no matter where they were. We ran a virtual book club, quizzes and taskmaster daily challenges - there’s always something going on! We get together for drinks and board games nights too. It’s got to the point where the community has grown so much that there’s always someone else up for a challenge like Tough Mudder, or an adventure. You just post in the Facebook group and someone will want to join you.

What would you say to someone thinking about giving Rabble a go?

I was there myself once - I remember the feeling well! It can be daunting and scary turning up to something new, but you will absolutely be made to feel welcome and you’ll have a brilliant, brilliant time. Just do it!

Rabble runs every Saturday from 10-11am in Southwark Park. First session is free, then £19.50 for three, £89 for ten or a monthly subscription for all London games for £39/month. joinrabble.com