Saturday, Feb 25, 2017

Have you ever tried sweating it out in the dark? No, none of the uncoordinated arms flailing is involved, so I’m not talking about the dance club. And whatever naughty stuff you’re thinking right now, that’s not what I meant either. Because this one involves LED lights, wall and floor sensors, and bright-coloured gym attire! In this edition of Staying Fit, we try out Prama by Pavigym at Fairmont The Palm in Dubai.

Prama is a relatively new fitness concept that combines circuit training with flashing lights and booming, upbeat music making for a high-intensity fat-blasting workout. A session of Prama burns as much as 1,000 calories, although this doesn’t entitle you to a doughnut afterwards. How, you ask? Well, it’s constant action with little to no rest in between.

“There’s lots of different elements involved. There are seven different stations where you can do lots of training aspects that work the whole body as well as speed, reaction, strength, balance and power…By the time you feel the burn on one station, and you’re getting tired, you’re quickly moving on to the next station. So, it’s really quick, 40 seconds on each station and you go back around”, says Felicity Stokes, Prama practitioner and brand manager at Think Liquorice.

I tried a Prana session with my friends and it had us sprinting, jumping, and testing our reflexes trying to catch the LED lights without looking like a confused yet enthusiastic cat. Lights flash seemingly at random on the floor and on the wall and you either have to step or hit wherever it lands. Not only does Prama promote speed and reaction, it’s a muscle endurance check as well. I remember clearly how my quadriceps (front thigh muscles) pumped during a certain squat and high-knee tuck combo. The circuit exercises are programmable through a touchscreen monitor so workout combinations can easily be mixed.

“Prama is unique because you can do it large groups or smaller groups. It works with all ages, all fitness intensity levels. You can be a beginner or you can be on the extreme end but it’s great for everybody. Also, it’s in the dark with these lights which makes for a fun atmosphere”, Stokes adds.

If you fancy some competition, there’s also provision for head-to-head battles where your best performance and times are recorded and ranked with fellow Prama practitioners. It’s one motivating factor that can get you back into working out sooner.

I definitely recommend doing Prama with your friends or with a group. It’s a unique concept of fitness that you can truly have fun with.

Go get yours

Prama by Pavigym sessions are available daily at different time slots for Dh75 per session. Bookings can be made on palm.healthclub@fairmont.com or by calling 04-4573330.

Dwynn Trazo, Senior Infographic Artist

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