March 8th, 2022
Everything You Need to Know About Virtual Workouts
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Meetings have been taking place online for quite some time – but a live workout? Virtual personal training is a relatively new concept that works surprisingly well. We know that the concept raises questions though – so here’s an overview of virtual training, how it works and what you can expect.
First things first: Just like for in-home personal training, Nielsen Fitness offers two different types of virtual workouts: Platinum sessions, which are one-hour in length and include some extra perks, and Express sessions which are 40 minutes.
Either way, you don’t need any equipment to start, just a well-lit 5×5 area and a tablet or laptop. Here’s a run-down of some tips and what to expect along the way:
1. Getting Ready
Before the session starts, put on something comfortable or an outfit that makes you feel good and want to move, have a water bottle around, and bring your best energy! Your trainer will email you all the info so you can join the virtual meeting a couple minutes early to make sure everything goes smoothly.
2. The Set Up
Try to find the best camera angle; a wider one is usually best. It’s great if the trainer can see your feet – showing the floor will help if you’re doing any exercises on the mat too. Depending on the circumstances, it might be necessary to adjust the angle a couple times, but if you find the perfect one (and that’s possible), you might even forget that it’s a virtual session.
3. Warmup
Your trainer will start the session with a warmup to get your body ready for what’s ahead. It could be some light cardio, mobility exercises targeting the movement patterns that will be worked on during the session, or some balance exercises to get centered.
4. Workout
Then it will be time for your resistance workout. The routine will look very different from person to person (and workout to workout), but you can expect to do strength-based exercises designed to build muscle and, in so doing, improve posture, increase bone density, prevent injury, manage conditions like back pain, increase your metabolism more efficiently, and much more.
5. Cool Down
Towards the end of the session, there’s a cool down. This is when you get to take a few minutes to appreciate all the hard work you just put into bettering your physical and mental state. You could be doing some stretching and even mindful breathing practices.
Want to know more? Watch this short video where the CEO and founder of Nielsen Fitness – Poul Nielsen – explains what virtual personal training is all about.
Nothing Quite Matches Virtual
As the trainer becomes familiar with your space and you get to know each other, you’ll likely find that you and your trainer hit your stride; they’ll come up with plans that fit perfectly into your room and fully utilize the resources at hand and you’ll get used to their style and what to expect.
If you don’t care about being in the same room with your trainer, live outside the Greater Toronto Area or are looking for a super convenient way to train, you can’t beat virtual. If you’d like to give it a try, we’ve got a free first workout with your name on it! Contact us today to get the ball rolling.
Updated on December 1, 2022.