No time is no excuse, with these express exercise classes located around you.
No time is no excuse, with these express workouts located around you.
The benefits of lunchtime workouts are well proven.
Instead of heading back to office sluggish and depressed, you’re on a high, riding on the post-exercise endorphins that make you feel ready to take on the rest of the day. Your energy levels are soaring. You feel like a warrior, even if your body’s a bit sore. Your heart rate is more relaxed than ever, and you find yourself working twice as fast. Suddenly, you’re unbeatable.
Exaggeration? Not quite. Try doing a lunchtime workout and you’ll feel the difference immediately.
And if you need recommendations, here are the fitness classes on our hit list. They range from 20 to 45 minutes, leaving you time to wash up and grab a quick bite.
We can’t promise it will be easy, but the after-effects are so worth it!
BARREAMPED EXPRESS, 45MIN
Barre2Barre, http://www.barre2barre.com/singapore
42 Hong Kong Street, 9115-9473
At this boutique barre studio, posture is highly emphasised so you’ll be sure of doing the moves correctly. Combining principles of dance, yoga and pilates, barre makes you feel graceful and strong at once. Prepare to work your core, butt and thighs a lot.
CIRCUIT TRAINING, 29MIN
Contours Express, http://www.contoursexpress.com.sg
Nine outlets islandwide
The circuit training class comprises 16 stations that focus on cardio and strength training, promising to target your whole body. The best part: There’s no need to follow a fixed schedule. Pop in any time from 6am to 11pm for circuit training. Coaches are around most of the time to guide you through the session, as well as track your progress.
REALRYDER, 45MIN
Pure Fitness, http://www.pure-fitness.com/singapore
Asia Square and Ocean Financial Centre
Using special bikes that can be tilted to the left or right, you will be able to move across three planes of motion while spinning. Your core will have to work harder than usual as the instructor incorporates left-right movements to the beat of songs. You’re required to pedal while standing up, too. Those 45 minutes will fly by very quickly. Tops and bottoms are provided at the gym.
HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING, 20MIN
Ritual, http://www.ritualgym.com
Raffles Place and Holland Village
This is the shortest workout so far, designed for you to be in and out of the gym in 30 minutes. You don’t even need to bring sports shoes: The exercises are done barefoot on the shock-absorbent floor. Tops and bottoms are provided. Just get ready to work up a sweat in those intense 20 minutes of cardio and strength training exercises. Each class is limited to 10 people, with a student-instructor ratio of 5:1.
CALISTHENICS, 35MIN
Triplefit, http://www.triple.fit
#02-63 Millenia Walk, 6255-5064
Learn to do proper push-ups, pull-ups and even handstands in this technical class, which focuses on body control, form and strength training using compound body-weight exercises. You will get stronger and improve balance. This class is a great complement to other sports such as dance, yoga and martial arts.
HIIT YOGA, 30MIN
Trium Fitness, http://www.triumfitness.com
#03-01/02 Aperia Mall, 8782-8633
Who says yoga is slow? You’ll work up a good sweat doing poses in a high-intensity interval training style that spikes your heart rate. Cardio moves are incorporated, too.
STRENGTH TRAINING, 20MIN
Vision Gym, http://visionbodyasia.com
146 Robinson Road #01-01, 6221-8557
To maximise your workout, try training with electrical muscle stimulation. That involves wearing a suit with built-in electrode pads that deliver currents to make your muscles contract while you exercise. Those currents are low-level, so they may be uncomfortable but not painful. The more muscle fibres you recruit, the more calories you burn. Don’t be surprised if you feel sore all over after the first session!
ANKORR, 20MIN
Virgin Active, http://www.virginactive.com.sg
Raffles Place and Tanjong Pagar
Not for the faint-hearted, this class is designed for intermediate to advanced levels. Wearing a harness to increase resistance, you will do primal pattern movements that will challenge your strength, endurance and mobility. Expect to blast up to 500 calories here.
X-BLAST, 30MIN
Fitness First, http://www.fitnessfirst.com.sg
#04-02 Bugis Junction, 6327-9167
Get whipped into shape in this high-intensity interval training class that combines cardio and strength training using the latest elliptical machines and weights such as power blocks.
GRIT STRENGTH, 30MIN
True Fitness, http://www.truefitness.com.sg
Eight gyms islandwide
Do high-intensity interval training exercises using free weights and your body weight to target major muscle groups. This Les Mills programme is done to uplifting music, so you’ll be motivated to go harder and faster.
WEBARRE HIIT, 40MIN
WeBarre, http://www.webarre.com
Tanjong Pagar and Telok Ayer
Inspired by ballet, yoga and pilates, the trendy barre workout is done in a high-intensity interval training style using fun props and your body weight. You’ll still be doing plies and releves, but at a faster pace, with other strength training moves built in.
