Exercise is like Marmite. You either love it, or you hate it. Or, if you’re like me, you do it because you have to – for health, to look presentable, or because of age.
I don’t usually get drawn into significant commitments when it comes to fitness. There are enough pressures in the world! But I know a good thing when I see it. And it comes in the form of a vibrating plate called Power Plate.
So, a few weeks ago, I decided to review the Power Plate programme for new mums (the Healthy Mums Programme). I’m not a new mum, but following a thyroidectomy almost six years ago, and the impact of the thyroid replacement medication on my weight, I have as many wobbly bits as the next mum!
I have been looking for something I can fit comfortably into my lifestyle without turning me into a stop-start exercise enthusiast. The Healthy Mums Programme runs for 12 weeks and requires a commitment of four days worth of exercise every week. The exercise sessions are short (enough, at 20-30 minutes per session). So, they don’t intrude with even the busiest of schedules – and I should know; I have one! The aim says Power Plate is ‘for you to feel energised and positive after exercising, not drained and lacking energy for the rest of your busy life.’ I love it!
What I love is the comprehensive approach to the Power Plate Healthy Mums Programme. It doesn’t just focus on workouts, but actually aims to help mums create a healthy lifestyle. So with its log, you can keep track of some daily takes, namely:
- Drinking 1.5 litres of water;
- Taking at least 15 minutes of ‘alone time’;
- Doing a sweaty workout (although the programme doesn’t require a seven-day workout week!);
- A ‘stretch/release/restore session’, which is taught in the videos that come with the programme;
- A clean-eating breakfast;
- A clean-eating lunch; and
- A clean-eating dinner.
The meals come from a Kickstart Fat Loss recipe guide, reacted by women’s fitness guru Rachel Holmes, which aims to improve eating habits gradually, using ‘intelligent eating’.
Then, you’re encouraged to write about weekly thoughts about the Power Plate Healthy Mums programme in the progress diary. Keeping a log is always inspiring, especially when you can see the progress. Believe me, this machine doesn’t look terrifying in any way, but it packs a punch. I was tempted to write ‘ouch’ in every week’s progress report, believe me!
So, I’ve decided that I won’t be sharing my results until the very end of the Power Plate Healthy Mums Programme, which is now just a handful of weeks away. But for me to even be using it after all these weeks is an achievement in itself!