Detox – then retox: Athlete John Daly reveals the new world of fitness
Want to get tone up for summer? unveils the latest trends – from ice baths to fitness ‘boutiques’.
In London, the legendary Ministry of Sound nightclub has recently transformed a large section of its dance space into an exercise arena – its ‘fitness boutique’ comes complete with yoga, spinning bikes and treadmills.
With more and more 20 and 30 somethings tiring of nightclubs, the lure of exercise over excess is gaining ground as a regular weekend entertainment.
‘Detox then retox’ is the new mantra of these lycra-clad hipsters, as they head straight for the adjacent bar for a prosecco-infused cocktail after their workout. There’s even a hairdresser on hand for an on-site blowdry, if needed. And unlike regular fitness centres, you can take a yoga or pilates class at midnight, if that’s your bag. Expect similar places to pop up in Ireland very soon.
Sometime around the middle of the recession, we got seriously turned on to health and wellness as an affordable outlet for stress –and we haven’t stopped hitting the pilates mat and cross-trainer rack ever since.
And while the sweat expended on kettle bells and rowing machines has turned many a stone of belly flab into a washboard six-pack of narcissistic delight, these high-tech dens of physical transformation have also been pivotal in lighting the fuse to a whole new world of socialising and romance.
Back in the early Noughties, fitness centres and gyms in Ireland were still largely male-only domains, complete with bum cleavage at every angle, the lingering aroma of week-old socks and endless banter about Rooney’s hat-trick. Then, slowly, things began to change – the spinning bikes got slicker, top-notch coffee machines started to bubble and after work toning classes began to fill.
This change was driven partly by the arrival of women in large numbers – athletic pioneers bringing a whole new dimension into these pristine palaces of body reconstruction. Around 2010, I remember seeing a t-shirt that read: ‘No pain, no champagne’.
As a mantra for a new world order, it pretty much said it all.
As the host of RTÉ’s Operation Transformation, Kathryn Thomas is no stranger to the hopes and desires of contestants who run the gauntlet from trial to triumph in pursuit of new shapes, attitudes and better lives. She’s also the founder of Pure Results Bootcamp, a diet and exercise camp incorporating intense workouts, nutrition and meditation.
Aside from the personal satisfaction found by losing pounds and building muscle, health and fitness has eclipsed the outdated model of lowering pints in the pub as a gateway to romance, she believes:
“We are all working so hard now, there is a growing appreciation for health and wellness amongst Irish people. Sure, we still want to socialise and chat, but achieving that through different and better ways.
"People want to go away to places like Pure Results, to put their money into something that’s worthwhile, educational, healthy and, of course, to meet like-minded people they can have the craic with as well.”
Having held a successful Pure Results Singles Week in 2017, she’s already planning a similar event this year.
“There’s a respect that comes from meeting and hanging out with other people who want to take care of themselves, to achieve more, to better themselves – that’s a very powerful thing.
"The kind of mutual respect that comes from having the courage and ambition to go away on a weekend out of their comfort zone is often a prelude to deeper friendships and even relationships,” she adds.
Given their obvious popularity as places to prance, preen and perspire around the pec decks, curl bars and abs pulleys, fitness centres also found serious traction with a new generation in providing an alternative to the pub.
Rather than trudge the well-trodden trail down to the local of a weekend, a brave new world of organised hill walks, adventure weekends and bicycle trials saw many a gamey wink across the rowing machines turn into something more serious out in the wide open spaces of the Maamturks or the Reeks.
“Some gyms in London and Dublin even had dating agencies, which added hugely to their prominence as places to meet,” says personal trainer and long established fitness guru Pat Henry.
“We have had many a relationship start at our gym, and quite a few that went on to marriage. It stands to reason why working out might lead to something more – the fact that people meet in a gym indicates a like-minded approach and interest in keeping fit and healthy, and it breaks down a lot of barriers with people who’re into the same thing you are.”
Having coached stars like David Bowie, Bruce Sprinsteen, Helen Mirren, Matt Dillon, Ellen Barkin, Michael Flatley and Carole King at his centres in Los Angeles, Dublin and West Cork, Pat has witnessed first-hand how common goals in losing weight and staying toned can lead naturally to life partnerships beyond the cross trainer.
“While people who meet in a blind date type situation might have totally different attitudes to lifestyles and aspirations, whereas in a gym they’re already in a similar playing field together.”
And the potential extra-curricular activities aren’t just confined to prompting new friendships and possible romance - gyms are increasingly places where business networking happens over a post workout cappuccino.
Where a previous generation might have sealed a deal at the 19th hole of Little Island or Portmarnock, today’s movers and shakers are doing it dressed in body-hugging lycra after a kayak race on the Lakes of Killarney.
Welcome to the new world of fitness.
