WORKOUT WEEKLY
Online fitness – is it for you? By James Staring
PRO: pre-recorded means more control If the workout is too challenging for your energy level, just hit ‘pause’, take a breath and continue when ready. If you are unclear about how to do a particular exercise, then stop, rewind and repeat the explanation. Even if halfway through you decide to stop, you can always return to the same session when energy levels and motivation improve. The guilt factor decreases dramatically because you haven’t actually ‘missed’ anything – only delayed it until you have more time/energy/motivation.
ONLINE training can be pre-recorded or live. Pre-recorded videos involve following a trainer as they exercise on screen; live one-to-one (or one-to-group) virtual training sessions will see you log in at a pre-agreed time and join your live trainer via video link. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each. PRO: fits your schedule If you travel regularly, work long hours or shift work, establishing a regular routine can be challenging. Online fitness videos and workout sessions offer flexibility to work out when time and energy is available. Pre-recorded videos offer the most flexibility, but even live virtual training can be more flexible than meeting your trainer at the gym. CON: too easy to skip workouts Perhaps the biggest drawback to recorded workout videos is that you don’t have the accountability of an appointment. Scheduling the workout in your calendar is one thing, but knowing someone is expecting to see you is another matter entirely. It’s the accountability of the physical appointment that makes live exercise so much more powerful, and this is where online fitness videos can let you down. PRO: saves money and time If you need to travel out of your way to get to a fitness facility, then online training can be an excellent choice. The key to achieving fitness results is to find a convenient option that can be repeated week in week out.
James Staring If travelling to a location is inconvenient or takes up too much, then you’re unlikely to stick with it. And this is where online can really help. CON: Lack of equipment and/or space When training at home online, if you lack suitable fitness equipment for your needs and goals, it can be limiting. For example, if you don’t have weights heavy enough to challenge you for resistance training, you won’t progress. A balanced fitness programme will require you to move in different directions: forward and backward and side to side. If you don’t have enough space to move in these directions freely, your movement is limited. Therefore, your results will be limited.
CON: no interaction with a pre-recorded trainer A fitness programme is only as valuable as its ability to help you find your point ‘A’ and then get you to point ‘B’ (your goal). This means you need a goal specific to you personally. To do this effectively and to be held accountable, meeting with a professional on a regular basis, is the gold standard. Think of it as expecting to rely solely on your phone notifications to encourage you to keep up a habit. Without the accountability coming from a real live professional, notifications alone can easily get ignored and the odds of success plummet. PRO: No thinking necessary Pre-recorded videos will usually give plenty of instruction, making one of the greatest advantages of this type of training is that someone has already done the thinking for you. If you ever go to a gym and struggle with knowing what to do or what not to do (and how to do it), an online fitness video can provide structure from a
professional resource. This will make the process of exercise easier because all you need to do is show up. CON: lack of correction A pre-recorded fitness video cannot correct you when you’re doing an exercise incorrectly. This can result in an untargeted workout or worse, an injury. Additionally, if you struggle with instructions and then figure it out later on in the workout, you’ll have no reassurance that this is actually a breakthrough. You may even repeat the incorrect exercise many times over, exacerbating the problem. So, if you are a complete beginner a pre-recorded video may not be the best option. Better to start with a live professional. If you’ve been exercising for a long time and you are confident your technique is correct, then an online video can provide a routine without you needing to think too much about it. In Summary Online virtual training is great for people who want to save time or, for whatever reason, cannot get to a gym or fitness studio. You get all the benefits of face-to-face training with a personalised programme, constant checking that exercises are being performed correctly, and therefore avoiding injury. This can then be supplemented with online fitness videos if you want to do a bit extra. n James Staring is the founder and lead fitness coach at Fit to Last Personal Trainers.
1FitLife partners with Parkinson’s UK DIGITAL workout creator 1FitLife has partnered with Parkinson’s UK to create specialist activity videos as part of the charity’s ongoing work to encourage people living with Parkinson’s to become and stay as active as possible. 1FitLife has created six videos so far, with the intention to create a full series of 18. The videos feature specialist physiotherapists, as well as people living with Parkinson’s themselves. The content and post production were all produced at 1FitLife’s studios in Bournemouth. The teams at 1FitLife and Parkinson’s UK consulted with experts in progressive neurological conditions including Parkinson’s specialists, Neuro Heroes and Reach Your Peak, as well as NHS physiotherapists to create a series of high intensity, moderate and low impact workouts. David Langridge, managing director at 1FitLife, said: “Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s can seem like a life sentence. “It is a progressive condition and so far there is no known cure. “We are passionate about creating positive exercise content that communicates with a particular community or condition, to help make
their lives better and fuller. “These videos have been intentionally designed to be relaxed and informal. “We included people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the filming to make them all the more relatable.” The videos are suitable for people with mild symptoms and those for whom the disease has progressed,
as well as those with complex severe symptoms. The workouts always include modifications and seated exercise options. The workouts have been created to be positive, upbeat and tangible. Tim Morton, physical activity programme manager at Parkinson’s UK, added: “Evidence shows that being active for two-and-a-half hours
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a week or more can help manage Parkinson’s symptoms, and the community are increasingly telling us that physical activity, especially vigorous workouts are helping them temporarily alleviate symptoms. “We are excited to see what future research reveals, but it is clear that physical activity has a positive impact on people living with Parkinson’s. “During lockdown it was important that we created physical activity opportunities for the Parkinson’s community to be active at home. “The feedback we got was so positive that we wanted to develop even more resources for people to use to reduce their barriers to exercise. “Parkinson’s is a neurological condition and people living with Parkinson’s often experience low moods and anxiety as well as physical symptoms, which can be a huge obstacle for someone accessing new or unfamiliar activities. If you are anxious already, attending a new class at a gym can seem impossible. “We are also conscious that any cost of living crisis may mean people give up gym and leisure centre memberships, so we were keen to ensure these specialist videos will always remain free.”