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