Instructor reveals what Aussies are missing from their workout

Australia’s population is ageing dramatically, and this trainer has set out to target the one essential dimension of movement that is often overlooked.

What you're missing from your workout. Picture: Supplied/Tom Robinson

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Australia’s population is ageing dramatically, and there is little available to help those wanting to remain agile.

But now Simon NGO, from Flow Athletic, has created a 45 minute workout called the Best Burn Ever that is intended to bridge the gap of what is lacking and what is important as we age.

The National Library of Medicine states that balance dysfunction is an issue with ageing adults, and there is an increased probability of falls in older adults which can cause loss of independence and death.

Simon NGO created the Best Burn Ever workout. Picture: Supplied/Tom Robinson

The class involves strength training, HINT cardio, mobility and flexibility training, and the burn many have come to love from the field of pilates.

“The program starts with a full body warm-up followed by a mobility flow. Following that, three distinctive working sets: standing work; plank/side bodywork; supine glute and abdominal work,” Simon told news.com.au.

The workout involves core and stability training using single leg balancing for an extended period of time and combining exercises to target three dimensions of movement.

“The beauty of the program is that it can be done to any tempo, and the fact that it is an extended working set of 60-90 seconds per exercise combination, each participant can simply focus on their own execution within that working duration,” Simon said.

“We have seen older clients starting out gentle with smaller range of motions and gradually introducing bigger ones in time and substituting the more high impact moves with strengthening alternatives.”

He said that apart from the three main functions of fitness – strength, cardio and mobility – people also get the benefit of standing balance and mobility skills, in a sense that is very similar to dancing.

The workout focuses on building stability. Picture: Supplied/Tom Robinson

Simon said the class was incredibly beneficial to those who were wanting to work on their stability.

“Not only just the burn, but also that foundation. Clients have already reported improvements on range of movement and motor skills,” Simon said.

“I envision The BBE to be something that fills in the gaps in that market and something that can be easily shared and taught to other fitness professionals out there.”

ROAD TEST

I tried out the Best Burn Ever at the Flow Athletic studio in Paddington, Sydney, and was so excited to take part in it. I may not be an ageing adult just yet but my balance is absolutely shocking. It’s something I have been trying to work on through pilates and barre classes, so this seemed like a logical next step.

First off, this class is hard in the best possible way. It’s meant to be challenging but you don’t walk away feeling miserable about yourself. If anything, you’re driven to do better next time. It is definitely one instructors encourage you to take at your own pace. There are different levels of difficulty and you can level up and down depending on your needs.

As with everything, the class starts with a warm up before beginning to challenge you with different movements such as elevating one leg on a weight while doing various squats and pliés to activate your glutes and core to encourage balance.

The class I attended had people of all ages in it. Picture: Supplied/Tom Robinson

It’s fun! The vibe is amazing, the music is pumping and it definitely feels more like a dance class rather than a serious pilates class.

Usually, I’d track the workout on my Apple Watch to share how many calories were burned but this class isn’t about that. It’s about something so much more important. Although, a sweat was definitely worked up during this workout. Make no mistake about that.

Looking around the class, it was a mix of men and women, young and old, with varying levels of fitness but everyone had a component they struggled with. It just goes to show how everyone needs to improve this part of their fitness journey.

It is definitely a workout I will be recommending to friends – I agree with Simon, who created the workout, that many people often overlook the importance of stability training. It was good to see a workout that really hammers the message home.