Press

Get fit with new bike craze

PEOPLE looking to get fit for 2010 were introduced to a biking class with a difference launched at a Guildford gym.

On Saturday, Field of Fitness in Chapel Street invited visitors for an open day and encouraged current and potential new members to try VRX-Biking.

This new fitness craze takes place on Trixter X-Bikes, and involves taking a cycling class while looking at a giant video screen showing different trails, from the streets of London and New York, to Welsh dirt tracks and the Scottish highlands. Participants can feel like they are travelling up and downhill with different resistance. The idea is that the rider becomes so immersed in the experience that they do not realise how hard they are working.

This way of keeping fit is said to be popular with celebrities around the world, including Eva Mendez, Colin Farrell and Mark Walberg.

Visitors to the Field of Fitness gym on Saturday were also invited to enter a free prize raffle to win a lifestyle pack worth £800, which includes five personal training sessions, two fitness assessments and a new gym kit.

Managing director at the gym Jon Field said: “Visual stimulation is proven to increase motivation.

“The VRX-Biking classes allow the class to engage in a much more exciting experience and work together to steer through the tracks.”

Unlike standard indoor bikes that only engage the lower body, Trixter X-Bikes use laterally-moving handle bars, which may increase the number of calories burned by up to 55%.

Co-director Dan Oliver said: “The VRX-Biking classes make complete sense. Our members love group cycle classes but we wanted to offer them something more challenging and exciting and the Trixter X-Bikes really deliver. Our members are so immersed in the interactive video that they are training harder without realising.”

Field of Fitness provides personal training and injury rehabilitation in an environment that aims not to be intimidating. VRX-Biking classes cost £7 per session and run throughout the week at Field of Fitness in Guildford.

By Vita Millers

Personal training clinic has carved itself a niche

A NOMINATION for Young Business of the Year at the Toast of Surrey Business Awards 2010 has capped off a fine first two years for Field of Fitness. Only open since January 2008, the personal training studio and injury clinic has received a number of celebrity endorsements from the world of sport and entertainment that has added to its growing reputation.

Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone from the BBC show, Strictly Come Dancing, have regularly spent time training at the Field of Fitness studio on Chapel Street, Guildford.

Joint owner Daniel Oliver also explained how the business has moved into the world of sport too.

“We have carved a niche for ourselves with golf conditioning. Paul Casey, who is ranked number eight in the world, has been to our studio twice and usually looks us up for help when he is in the UK,” he said.

“There are also a few golfers who are close to turning professional who we help by assessing their technique,”

But Field of Fitness is not just for those who need to be fit and healthy for professional reasons. “As a one-on-one studio that works with individuals or small groups, we are geared towards bespoke corrective training,” Mr Oliver said.

“We assess all our clients first to look at their posture and gait and if there is any discrepancy or weakness found we work for it to be corrected.”

As well as a fully equipped studio, Field of Fitness also offers a number of classes from pilates to boxercise. Daniel believes that the long time that he and his business partner Jonathan Field have been in the industry has helped them enormously.

“When you are in the industry for a while it gives you experience to grow from.

 

“There are so many different types of people genetically that starting out as a personal trainer is like you have just passed your driving test, you are continuously learning afterwards,” said Daniel.