New year get-fit-quick remedies
FITNESS & DIET EXPERT
LAURAWILLIAMSONLINE.CO.UK
@LAURAFITNESS
Need more than a stint on the treadmill to help blitz that mince pie muffin top? These are my top three new year shape ups
1. FOR THE QUICK-FIX FAN
If you’re looking for a helping hand to speed up your new year fitness efforts, try investigating the new range from cult brand Zaggora. The idea is to wear special neoprene gym kit to boost your workout energy consumption. It may sound far-fetched but the statistics are impressive: by trading in your Lycra Capri pants for a pair of Zaggora hotpants, the firm says you can increase energy expenditure by more than 11 per cent; post-workout energy expenditure by 12.5 per cent, and drop 0.6kg in a month. If you’re after dimple-free limbs, there’s now also a Zaggora bodycare range. Svelt Melt and Motion Lotion are caffeinated creams that you can use independently or before and after exercise (topically applied caffeine is one of the very few things proven to help improve the appearance of cellulite – once it’s absorbed into the skin, it’s thought it speeds up the rate at which the body disposes of fat). www.zaggora.com; shorts from £45
2. FOR THE SPA LOVER
The Re:SPA Detox day at Reebok Gym gets you to do a little bit of work before the pampering starts. Before you hit the treatment room, you’re put through your paces in a tough, new year personal training session. The reason for this? Exercise is thought to greatly accelerate the detoxification process. As circulation increases when you exercise, the delivery of nutrients to both muscles and organs rises and your lymphatic system is stimulated, helping to speed up the removal of toxins. Naturally, you are also taking in more oxygen and expelling more carbon dioxide during a workout, making it nature’s very own, very best method of detoxing. After your training session, you’re whisked off to the Re:SPA treatment rooms for a firm and tone treatment, which uses a patented form of Vitamin C to help restore skin elasticity. The Detox day finishes with a Pom Power pore cleansing facial. Hailed “the perfect skin pick-me-up”, this facial uses the antioxidant effects of the pomegranate and is the final part of a day which sees you leaving the spa with some of the signs of those Christmas excesses buffed and whittled away. www.reebokclub.co.uk; £205 for a three hour session
3. FOR THE NUMBER-CRUNCHER
On arrival at the Devon-based Revival Bootcamp, rather than being greeted with a wheatgrass juice, you kick straight off with an assessment of your metabolic age. Before you’ve had a chance to catch your breath and check out your fellow camp mates, calculations are being made as to the rate your body processes food and burns calories at rest. Following this assessment, you’re put through your paces with an exercise regime specifically designed to ramp up your metabolism. Not for the fainthearted, expect up to seven hours of exercise a day, led by Royal Marine trainers. In addition to the exercise plan, all meals, while being calorie controlled, are also designed to see you through hours of hiking uphill and down-dale (and a bit of tug of war). All guests are also provided with a Fitbit digital device on arrival: no ordinary pedometer, the Fitbit monitors your steps, miles travelled, calories burned and minutes of quality sleep achieved (the Revival team believe sleep can have a significant impact on metabolic rate). Your Fitbit data is analysed throughout the week and used by trainers to adapt exercise and meal plans for you accordingly. The idea is that not only do you shift pounds and hike metabolism while at camp, you also return home with easy-to-use tools to help you keep up the good work and maintain results. www.revivalbootcamp.com; prices from £399 for a long weekend