Wired UK – September 2019

051 WORKPLACE VITALITY

STEP UP

FOR THE

REAL POWER

LUNCH

HIIT training’s 25-minute fitness sessions

are, well, a hit with time-pushed workers

boutique fitness sessions emerge. Australian fitness franchise F45 Training,

which, after an investment round that included actor Mark Wahlberg, is

valued at around $450 million (£360 million), has more than 1,500 studios

in 40 countries and plans to open 10,000 franchises in the US alone.

Almost all these classes specialise in millennial-favourite high-in-

tensity interval training (HIIT): short bursts of activity (such as press-ups

or sprints) interspersed with brief rests that burn calories quickly and

provide full-body workouts. They are easily tailored to any level of fitness

• 30 seconds of exercise then 30 seconds of rest for a beginner; 45 and 15
  for someone fitter. “At HIIT you get the same effects in a shorter amount
  of time, as if you were running for an
  hour,” says Gede Foster, the head of
  fitness at London-based startup Fiit.
  Crucially, most HIIT workouts

GL ASS_ A cappuccino served

in a glass draws attention to

the quality of the crema or

foam – one for the would-be

coffee connoisseur. And glass

retains heat, so take it slow...

CERAMIC_ The white inner

surface makes the coffee look

strong or intense. Ceramic

mugs with a rough finish are

rated as lending one’s brew a

drier, more bitter aftertaste.

can be completed in 20-45 minutes.

Foster says 300-400 calories can

be burnt in one 25-minute session.

“Going to the gym can be quite boring

• and time-consuming,” explains
  Fiit co-founder Ian McCaig. The
  startup, which has raised £6.5 million,
  provides workouts via phone or TV–
  but complements HIIT videos with
  strength and mindfulness sessions
  to reduce the chance of injury.
  For people new to exercise or
  returning to it, there will be quick
  benefits, Worthington says: “Embrace
  these first few weeks of a training
  programme, and dramatic changes
  in strength, stamina and body
  composition will occur”. After this,
  however, it only gets harder. MB

PLASTIC_ Ideal for travel, but

plastic cups with lids prevent

the pleasurable “orthonasal”

experience of the coffee smell

from reaching your nose – so

you could be drinking anything.

PAPER_ Takeaway coffee is

often served in a brown cup

made from recycled paper

or cardboard – the buff

colour makes you feel you’re

boosting your eco credentials.

STAINLESS STEEL_ Cools

hot coffee more quickly than

ceramic and glass, but is

more robust. Silver or gold

finishes are associated with

quality and modernity. SW

GIVE YOUR

COFFEE

SOME BUZZ

Oxford psychologist Charles Spence offers

advice on getting the most from your

daily java – it’s all about the presentation...

09-19-WSExerciseFood.indd 51 22/07/2019 14:12