top of page

Updated: Mar 28, 2023



Wearable resistence weights can have tremendous benefits on the effectiveness and intensity of your workout. They can improve muscle strength, flexibility, core stability and cardiovascular endurance.

“Wearing ankle weights boosts oxygens consumption by 5% to 10%.”

We incorporate hand, wrist and/or ankle weights into almost every one of our bounce, dance and sculpt workouts at Perspirology. In most formats, they most often come on when we’re in the sculpting portion of class, as they offer that extra challenge to exercises like assorted leg lifts, weighted arm exercises and full body circuit style exercises.


As you incorporate these sorts of weights into your workout, it’s important to understand both the benefits and safety measures to take when incorporating them.



Benefits of Wearable Weights


Increased Resistance - adding weights to your workout routine can increase resistance, which helps build muscle and burn more calories.


Improved Muscle Strength - exercising with weights helps build strength in muscles. By using hand, wrist, and ankle weights, you can specifically target and strengthen the muscles in those areas. This can lead to improved grip strength, stronger arm muscles, and increased leg strength.


Enhanced Cardiovascular Benefits - Using wearable resistance weights has been proven to increase your heart rate and boost oxygen consumption during exercise. Add a slightly heated room and perhaps even a trampoline to the workout mix, well you're in for one rewarding cardio performance challenge.

“Incorporating wrist weights into your workout raises your heart rate by five to 10 beats per minute.”

Improved Flexibility and Range of Motion - Incorporating hand, wrist, and ankle weights during stretching exercises can also help improve your flexibility and range of motion. By adding weights to your stretching routine, you can increase the resistance and challenge your muscles, leading to improved flexibility and a greater range of motion.


Convenience & Versatility - hand, wrist, and ankle weights are small and portable, making them a convenient addition to your workout routine. We offer them all in studio, ready to use or you can easily purchase them on our online store! Our resistence weights come in various sizes and weights, making it easy to adjust the weight as needed.


How (& When) To Use Wearable Weights


  1. If you have or are in the process of recovering from any injuries or balancing issues when exercising, talk to your doctor before you start incorporating weights.

  2. When using our signature wrist and ankle weights, use the adjustable straps to make sure your weights are tight and secure. This will help prevent chafing or throwing off your balance.

  3. When starting out, go with a lighter weight and slowly increase by one-pound increments.

  4. Take off the weight if it’s ever feeling like too much. Believe me, you will still get a GREAT workout in class!

  5. If you are incorporating our hand weights or wrist weight Tone-y bands, focus on controlled arm movements, making sure not to swing your arms too much. This puts stress on your joints. You can always take the movement under tempo and catch up to speed when you feel comfortable doing so.

  6. Do not keep weights on for extended periods of time, such as all day.

We’re grateful to our hand, wrist and ankle weights for making our workouts more challenge and thus more effective as we strive to have stronger and stronger bodies.


Whether you're in studio or working out at home, enjoy the purifying sweat that comes from a Perspirology class and may your weights support and challenge you gloriously you along the way.




Sources:


34 views0 comments

Updated: Feb 20, 2023

COMMITTING TO EXERCISE FOR LIFE


It’s often the case where people fall into a few general categories when it comes to working out: the consistent exercisers (the Sweat Crew we see regularly in studio or at home, the honeymooners (on and off exercisers who go all in for a short amount of time) and the resisters who generally do not regularly exercise.

Barriers to kicking off (or sticking with) an exercise program often correlate to a type of ‘fitness resistance’, or reluctance to incorporate fitness into our lifestyle in a sustainable and enjoyable way.

No matter how often you come to class, so many of us at some point experience levels of fitness resistance and/or find ourselves at some roadblock in sustaining our routines.


While our society (most aggressively social media) tends to highlight people that do health and fitness “well,” I want to be clear in saying that none of these groups are inherently better than the other. We are all out here just doing our best.


As a group fitness lover and a trainer at Perspirology, I enjoy the many benefits that come from exercising regularly. Which is why I've gone ahead and outlined some useful tools for conquering your fitness fear and building a sustainable fitness routine.






Find Movement that Moves You


Often resistances are fear based. A fear of failure in a new program, fear of judgment in a class, or perhaps fear of injury or over exhaustion. Fear can really weasel its way into any aspect of our lives that seems challenging or that has stifled us in the past.


Finding a type of movement you enjoy is the first and in my opinion, most vital step in shifting from fear to fun. Do you thrive in solo activities like running or swimming or do you prefer group fitness settings like a dance cardio or trampoline fitness classes? I invite you to set a measurable routine around a type of exercise you enjoy, gradually build on the frequency and intensity of said exercise and then acknowledge the physical and mental benefits it brings you! Oh and when that type of movement is no longer enjoyable, try something else!


Do Your Homework


Fear of Judgement: If you’ve had a poor past fitness experience due to a certain environment, seeking out a more inclusive space can be helpful. A welcoming space can make worlds of difference and if building confidence at home first is a better way to familiarize yourself with the process of feeling like all eyes are on you, start out there!


Fear of Injury: If you experienced an injury or took on too much too fast, explore why and how the past pain occurred to avoid repeated mistakes. A proper warm up and cool down should definitely be weighing into the equation while also seeking advice from fitness and health professionals on how to take the right precautions during classes and sessions (and self care in-between classes).


Another point of note, particularly when getting started with exercises that are new is understanding the difference between soreness and pain and building your own personal tool belt of foam rolling and other forms of rest and recovery. These links have some helpful information from previous articles we've written.


You can have experienced a past injury and bounce back stronger than ever before, but it requires diligence and persistence to simultaneously strengthen and protect the body in the process. Doing your research online while also seeking guidance from a physical therapist, fitness trainer or other trained professional is your best bet!


Listen to Your Body


No matter how many resources you pull from, blogs you read, classes you take or trainers you work with, no one knows what your body needs as much as you do. If doing a certain exercise feels off or you just need true rest, make that adjustment and take that time for yourself. Alternatively, if you’re feeling strong and awake, see what happens if you test the waters on a heavier hand or ankle weight without being told to do so by your instructor. You’ll be amazed at what your body can do and just how quickly it can change for the better, if you let it.


Digging deep into the barriers around your entry into or sustainability within fitness can help you understand them better - and help you work towards overcoming them. You’ll have to do a lot of this work by yourself, but remember that you are not alone. You can always seek out the right trainers, instructors, healthcare professionals, and work out buddies to help you along your fitness journey.


Cheers to a life full of endlessly enjoyable movement!


We're adding classes to the schedule: Do you prefer more Trampoline or Floor?

  • Trampoline

  • Dance Cardio & Sculpting




40 views0 comments

Am I sore or am I injured?


At Perspirology, our dance cardio and trampoline workout classes are hard and sweaty. For new or infrequent exercisers who are in the early process of conditioning their muscles, a sore muscle response is likely and normal.


Sore muscles or delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, occurs from micro-tears in our muscle fibers as we put our body under demand. This usually feels like muscular fatigue, stiffness, and soreness.


Sometimes people might think this is a sign that something is wrong, or that they did something wrong to cause this. But this type of soreness is nothing to be alarmed about.


How do you know when soreness is a more serious problem that could indicate an injury?


There are specific indicators to differentiate between soreness and pain, or potential injury. Here are some helpful ways to self assess -




Length of Time Matters


The key thing to note when differentiating between soreness and pain is time. DOMS usually develops 12-24 hours after exercise and peaks around 24-48 hours after. DOMS is characterized by a dull aching sensation and tenderness in the affected muscle group, and can last typically from one to three days.


Pain from potential injury on the other hand centers around sharp pain, throbbing, swelling, difficulty moving the affected area, and weakness, intense burning, or joint pain that comes on quickly while engaged in physical activity or shortly after.


This type of response could be your body's response to tissue damage, inflammation or even nerve irritation and can be a sign of injury such as a strain, sprain, or tear. An injury like this will typically persist for a longer period of time.


“If the pain persists past one to two weeks, or is immediate and severe, you may have damaged muscles, tissues or joints”. (Baer, Rebound)


It is important to seek medical attention if you suspect an injury, as early intervention can help prevent further damage and facilitate a quicker recovery.


Localized vs. General


“When you’re feeling painful sensations localized in your joints and muscles, you may have an injury.” (Baer, Rebound)

If you feel a sense of soreness or burning in a whole muscle group vs a concentrated area, it is more likely DOMS.


Ways to Stay Ahead of Muscle Soreness


1

Conditioning your body for the activity ahead

2

Stretching post workout (and more gentle stretching aftwards)

3

Stay Hydrated (see our article on hydration)

4

Proper nutrition

5

Get a massage

6

Ice to help reduce inflammation

7

Heat to help increase blood flow to your muscles (i.e. hot bath or shower)

8

Increase circulation (see our article on foam rolling!)

9

Rest days and/or alternating activity types (if you exercise frequently)

10

Sleep

11

More exercising!





You read that last one right. Exercise can increase the circulation in your muscles allowing them to recover faster. This is called active recovery and is often most successful when incorporating alternative exercises and/or workout types as to not necessarily “burn out” the same sore muscle group again but instead engaging them and promoting that blood flow to supercharge recovery.


“At the end of the day, DOMS is a positive reaction and is an alert from the body to ease off the hard training until you feel comfortable again. (Technogym). It also scientifically correlated to the building of muscle mass.

Listen to Your Body


By listening to your body and what it’s communicating to you in clear, easy-to-understand ways, you can clearly identify what is soreness and what is pain, and take active steps to fuel your body with what it needs to restore and refuel for your next sweaty, amazing workout.









37 views0 comments
bottom of page