The gym of the future
In the ‘80s it was almost impossible to fathom that the Internet would take over the world. Who would have imagined Skype, Facebook, YouTube and Google as part of our daily lives? Let’s add Net-A-Porter to that list.
The same skepticism that arose when the Internet first crept into our lives is also evident with the new wave of fitness. Of course, nothing will beat the benefits of Pilates, boxing or a jog around the neighborhood. However, there are now more sophisticated ways to get fit. The most jarring part is that it takes just 90 minutes of your day with zero pain.
These days, when something sounds too good to be true — it probably exists. This is what Dream Body Spa is all about. Tucked inside V Mall in Ortigas, this fitness oasis is serene and calming to the senses.
As you enter, your therapist gives you a tiny cup of oxygenated water chilled to perfection. It’s a great start to a rather unusual approach to exercising. The first step is the Hula chair. It’s a tiny chair that swivels in fast-paced circular motions that are meant to cleanse and gently massage your insides. You actually feel a churning sensation in your stomach, akin to that of gargling mouthwash in your mouth. Although you might think the chair will leave you dizzy, you leave the 15-minute program refreshed and cleansed.
The next is the wildly popular vibrating plates. Designed by Russian astronauts to increase bone and muscle density, this device has crossed over to the likes of Madonna and the pages of W. and Vogue. You stand on the plates as they vibrate at an intense but tolerable speed and then change into five different positions meant to focus on different body parts. You leave a little shaken, understandably, but you also have that delicious burn that comes from a vigorous workout!
The next step is perhaps my favorite and arguably the most unpleasant. You lay down on a massage bed that soothes your body with heated balls. A belt is placed on the belly to send different patterns of mild shock treatment to the muscles. If this was good enough for Bruce Lee, it sure as hell should be useful to the rest of us. For those who have a low threshold for pain, an endurable sensation is pressed on the belly causing the muscles to contract. However, to reap the most out of this treatment, I usually request for the full level. After 25 minutes, my midsection feels lean and taut.
The last is a visit to the infrared sauna. This is supposed to be the biggest fat burner of all. It’s also supposed to treat the body and detoxify it to levels one could not even imagine. It takes some discipline to be able to stand it at first, but as you progress it becomes a welcome ending to your workout.
I have done the program for two months, twice a week, and results have been phenomenal. Of course, I don’t pop down a cheeseburger right afterward. This effective workout is not a license to supersize everything. With the right diet and enough will to do it regularly, the inches do shake off at an alarmingly fast rate. Since it’s not strenuous, you don’t get hunger pangs. Just a longing for more oxygenated water!
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Dream Body Spa is located at the fourth floor of V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center. For more info, call: 7210-0002.
