Throughout Fitness Guru Dannielle Blaker’s quest to find an alternative to traditional exercise, she came across electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) at Dubai-based fitness studio, My30Minutes. Read on to find out if EMS training provides a substantial workout, or if it’s yet another fitness gimmick that we can do without.
EMS, WHAT IS IT?
My30Minutes is an all-new fitness studio situated in Dubai. Its concept is based on one-on-one personal training combined with electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) technology. If you haven’t heard of EMS, its original purpose was to help pro-athletes during recovery sessions. The technology claims to be up to 18 times more effective than a traditional workout, activating 90% of your muscle fiber with weight-training activating only 40%. For instance, one completed weight-lifting repetition means one muscle contraction. The EMS technology engages the muscles in order for them to contract 85 times per second—a significant amount of muscle stimulation.
MY EXPERIENCE
I met with my trainer who gave me a t-shirt and leggings to wear for the session (when you sign up for a package you’re provided with a kit that includes specific sportswear to wear during each workout). Before we started, I had a full body and health assessment and my personal body goals were identified. The session took place in a private room at the studio—a modern converted villa in Jumeirah. My trainer gave me a vest connected to a portable machine that sends the electrical stimulation to your body. He set up the machine to provide additional stimulation to the specific areas of my body that I want to improve.
The machine sends stimulation to the muscles every 4 seconds, and lasts for 4 seconds. It was a strange feeling at first, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. It almost felt like I was being electrocuted and my muscles were contacting so quickly that it was somewhat uncomfortable. However, as I continued exercising the experience gradually improved. My trainer explained that when the muscles are tense, the contractions aren’t as strong—and my attention was diverted to following the workout routine.
The 20-minute workout passed quickly and half-way through I began to relax, and found myself even enjoying it. The following day, I was sore around my target body areas, which was further proof that my muscles had been working hard.
Ultimately, this type of exercise is ideal for people recuperating after sustaining an injury or those who are recovering and can’t take on more traditional exercise. EMS is great for those with weak joints, as the movements are gentle and there’s little to no impact on the joints themselves. The process would also be well-suited to those with busy schedules and new mothers who are unable to exercise at the gym, as it doesn’t require much time to complete.