Some people love the gym; others have the gym thrust upon them.
I belong firmly in the latter camp. Propelled by the twin forces of guilt and cut-price ClassPass membership offers, I've spun, planked, and winced my way through circuits in the past. And yet, it never seems to get easier.
I have made my peace that I will never be one of those 5am people who bounce out of bed and onto a treadmill before the office. You know what? Yolo.
But that doesn’t mean I haven’t wished those extra Christmas pounds could just drop off with minimal grunting on my part. Wouldn't it be marvellous if you could just melt calories away, as if by magic?
A new gym class promises such sorcery. Devised by Gymbox, the 45-minute session is touted as 'the easiest workout in the world', and uses infrared sauna blankets to sizzle off up to 600 calories in a single session — or so the spiel goes. Could this be the answer to my lazy girl prayers? All results, zero gruntwork? I joined a class to find out.
Held on Mondays at Gymbox’s Victoria branch, in a small room in front of gleaming gym machinery. It was a tight group; only seven Higher Dose sauna blankets were laid out but every single one was taken by the time the class began. Turns out the idea of a lazy burn is also a popular one.
We begin with the most strenuous part of the workout; that is, light stretching to limber up muscles and allow the heat, which will rise incrementally to a scorchy 70°C, to do its thing. Getting into the sauna mat is the closest I got to breaking a sweat. It takes Olympic-level wriggling to first get into a protective sleeve-like body towel before scooching down into the warmed sauna mat, all while trying to avoid catching anyone else's gaze in the full-length mirrors ahead.
Once correctly swaddled and fastened up around the shoulders so just the neck and head poke out, we’re coached through breathwork reps — far more agreeable than burpees — as the heat steadily ticks upwards. Sadly, it did not become the molten inferno that I’d fantasised about, despite readings confirming we were at 70°C.
I may not have felt any real burn, but studies have shown that sauna blankets are great for muscle recovery and can help improve circulation while easing stress. I was indeed feeling pretty zen — laying down in a warm blanket in a dark room will do that to you, surprisingly — and I wasn’t the only one.
I detected at least two sets of gentle snoring from around the room as I tried to focus on my breathwork (in for four, out for six). And while I can’t say for sure how many calories were lost exactly — Gymbox claims 30 minutes is about the same as an hour’s spin class — I felt good.
The glow of workout smugness is the missing element here. While I regard anyone who claims runner’s high is a real thing as deeply suspicious, there is something to be said for the saintly feeling you get after going hell for leather in a traditional fitness class.
Still, allowing a sauna blanket to do the heavy lifting for you occasionally is a treat gym devotees (or lazy lifters) will surely appreciate.
Classes are for Gymbox members only. Monthly memberships start from £90, or try a day pass for £20.
