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Claire Kenny
Features Writer
@my40pluslife
3:00 AM 21st May 2022
lifestyle

This Week Our 40 Plus Blogger Claire Kenny Tried A Workout With A Difference.

 
Despite looking like a cross between a shit, middle aged Lara Croft and a dolphin trainer, I was keen to get started.”

This week our 40 plus blogger Claire Kenny tried a workout with a difference.

In my thirties, I used to feel knackered a lot and I’d live for my Saturday lie in. These days I’ll happily get up early at the weekend to do something running-related. I’m always up bright and early for the Saturday Parkrun followed by a nice, sociable cuppa, and on Sunday I was in Pontefract by 8am to get parked up and ready for the annual 10k. It’s such a buzz to do a proper event; being surrounded by hundreds of other runners, local radio on site to build a sense of occasion and excitement, and the supportive crowds ready to cheer everyone on. I always wonder if I’m the only person who feels a bit choked up by it all!

Ponte was challenging and hilly, but I plodded on, mindful of my promise to myself to Just Keep Running, no matter how slowly. The course felt interminably long and I got bitten to death, but I loved the last stretch when I started to hear the cheers on the finish line. It was a brilliant, happy morning, made even better by being part of a supportive club.

Despite feeling pretty fatigued after Sunday’s efforts, I was excited about my first ‘gifted’ experience first thing on Monday. Some bloggers get all expenses paid trips to Marrakesh or a gratis meal at the newest posh restaurant – for me it was a training session at the Feel Electric studio while hooked up to a machine giving off electric currents.

I guess we all have to start somewhere.

The staff who greeted me at Roundhay were friendly and reassuring. They explained that the first step would be a fitness assessment using a machine which scanned my body mass for water, fat percentage, muscle and other stuff I didn’t understand. Not only were my results incredibly comprehensive, they were also explained to me clearly and sensitively by Abbie, my trainer. There were some positives, but essentially what the scan revealed is that I'm still overweight. I think seeing evidence of something in black and white is very powerful, and being told that it would be beneficial for me to get further into the healthy range was sobering to say the least. I left feeling more determined than ever to get fitter in my forties.

Next came the attire. Best described as a combination of full-body thermals and cycling shorts, this is quite possibly the least attractive thing I've ever worn, particularly with the addition of the turquoise socks, which for reasons I can only speculate on now, I pulled all the way up so that I looked like a confused Morris Dancer.

Seeing Abbie spraying straps and pads with water "because it's a better conductor” didn’t do much to ease my nerves, nor did my appearance once they’d been strapped onto my long johns. But despite now looking like a cross between a shit, middle aged Lara Croft and a dolphin trainer, I was keen to get started.

I’m a terrible clock watcher during a workout, but the sessions last a wonderful, mercifully fast twenty minutes! Even better, in that time, the more intense muscle contractions and the fact that you reach deeper muscle groups gives you the same impact as two-hours of a ‘normal’ workout, so this is hugely efficient. The workout itself was straight forward and accessible too.

When you get past the questionable outfit, it’s clear that this is much more than just an exercise class. Yes, it’s a workout, but in addition, the snazzy tech enables you to learn more about your health needs and go on a real journey towards positive change.
Just don’t look in the mirror or share the photos with half of Yorkshire.

Oh wait…


Claire can be found on Instagram and Facebook as my40pluslife.me