When you’re living in a tiny room on campus or sharing a house with six other students, finding the space to do your usual home workouts can be a real challenge.
But if you don’t want to sacrifice your fitness or sanity, fear not! This month, it’s Back to Class month on T3, and we’re coming to the rescue with our round-up of the best space-saving workouts around.
So, whether you’re looking for a cardio fix, a strength training session, or calming class to help you chill out, here are the compact virtual workouts you need to stay physically and mentally fit when floor space is at a premium.
PVOLVE: A-list body-sculpting service
Move over, Pilates – Pvolve is the hottest workout in Hollywood right now, with celeb fans including Jennifer Aniston and Kate Bosworth. But what it is? Essentially, Pvolve promises ‘no pain, all gain’ workouts that mix functional, low-impact exercises with resistance-based equipment to strengthen and sculpt the body from every angle, improve mobility and stability, and deepen the mind-body connection. It’s also very compact (check out their Precision Mat that encourages you to exercise within the lines).
A key part of the American brand’s method involves using their own specialist resistance kit. The three main pieces are the P.ball, the P.band, and the P.3 Trainer, but more equipment is available separately or in bundles, and some of it’s even available at Amazon. That said, Pvolve does offer plenty of ‘equipment-free’ workouts on their Streaming Membership ($14.99/month, approx. £11.78/ AU$ 23.40), so you can still feel the burn without the investment in extra kit. 30-day home trial bundles, including streaming and equipment, are also available if you want to try it without the risk.
((Bounce)) On-Demand: Cardio party classes
Mini trampolines (aka rebounders) are great when you’re short on space because they essentially involve exercising on the spot. They also have legs that fold away for easy storage, absorb up to 87 per cent impact on joints, and make workouts up to three times more effective than floor-based sessions due to the added G-force and gravity.
The only downside is that rebounding can get a little repetitive if you’re simply jumping up and down. But the UK’s leading mini trampoline fitness brand ((BOUNCE)) has the answer with their brand new On-Demand service, where you’ll find a great selection of different types of classes – all set to banging tunes for a fierce nightclub feel - including their signature ((Bounce)) workouts featuring 45-minutes of choreographed dance-cardio, ((Bounce)) Belly sessions for your abs, and circuits-based ((Bounce)) Bootcamp classes. Unlimited membership costs £59 (approx. $75.10/ AU$ 117.20) a month; rebounder not included – you can buy those at Amazon.
FLY LDN Online: Mind, body and soul solution
If you’re looking for a virtual fitness destination that does a bit of everything really well, check out this multi-award-winning platform FLY LDN that specialises in low-impact training and immersive yoga-inspired flows. A quick glance at their comprehensive library of live and on-demand classes (£9.99/month, approx. $12.72/ AU$ 19.85) shows a huge variety of different workouts to choose from, including Pilates, Ballet, Barre, low-impact HIIT, and strengthening sessions.
Best of all, in the FLOW library, you’ll find Breathwork and Self Massage sessions to aid relaxation, dedicated Mobility workouts to release tight hips, shoulders and backs (perfect when you’ve been hunched over your desk all day writing that essay), specific Yoga flows designed to reduce stress, help you sleep, and give you more energy in the morning, plus Chill sessions to help you relax. All you need is the space for one of the best yoga mats.
TRX Training Club: Serious strength gains workout
As long as you have a door that properly closes, you can turn your room into a home gym using one of the best suspension trainers around (such as the TRX Home2) to get a full-body workout using only your body weight for resistance. That means you can wave goodbye to storing bulky exercise equipment, plus they’re highly portable and can easily be used at the park when you need to get away from your housemates!
The only tricky thing about suspension trainers is working out how to use these contraptions effectively in the first place. And that’s where the TRX Training Club comes in. Here, you’ll find over 800 TRX workout classes covering strength, cardio, yoga and more, plus programs to support all fitness levels, from beginners to serious athletes. On-Demand access costs just £5.99 a month, or choose the All Access subscription (£19.99 a month) for unlimited access to daily live classes.
