No time to workout? No more excuses. We sent our editorial assistant Meryn Turner to review the latest offerings from Heartcore. Read on for the lowdown…

Perfect for the time restricted, Heartcore’s new 45 minute classes provide a totally time-efficient way to squeeze in a workout, whether first thing in the morning, during your lunch break or after a long days work, you can be sure you’ll be leaving the class having felt every single muscle burn!

Both classes I took were held at the Heartcore studios in the City. A beautiful, light filled space, it’s pretty hard not to allow yourself to drift off into a dreamy sense of calm – however do not be mislead; these classes were not designed to give you a gentle rest from work…

Core45 is a full-body workout performed on the reformer machine, which, as suggested by the name, has a particular focus on toning and strengthening the core muscles around the stomach area. After being given a quick introduction to the reformer machine by my lovely instructor Mia, it was on with the class. Starting with exercises on the gentle side to warm up, we quickly progressed on to those which you can tell instantly will leave you unable to move the next day, however the effortlessly friendly and motivational rapport Mia held with each member of the class enthuses one to push further, and seemingly makes those muscle trembles more bearable.

One things for sure, no matter how much you may feel ready to collapse as you perform your final repetition of “the scrambled egg” (a move working the legs and glutes), by the end of the class you will leave on an exhilarated high feeling, already planning when you can fit in your next class.

Having been an aspiring ballet dancer for most of my younger years, I was excited to try the Barre45 class, and it did not disappoint. Instructor Tim led us through a series of lengthening yet strengthening exercises, beginning on the mat before moving on to the barre work. A passer-by glancing through the door may be slightly bemused by the tense facial expressions and drips of sweat apparent around the room, what with such little movement being performed, however do not be deceived, the cleverly designed micro-movements are hard and will leave even the strongest of people quivering as each muscle fibre is driven to exhaustion.

Whilst this may sound awfully gruelling, Tim’s consistent encouragement along with a great playlist make it completely achievable to push yourself to the max, plus you can keep in mind the almost instant aesthetic benefits of the class – that much sought-after ballerina body, or in Heartcore’s words the “Natural Corset Effect”.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed both my Heartcore experiences and was definitely left wanting more! I would highly recommend that anyone searching for a powerful workout within a limited stretch of time checks out Heartcore’s new 45 minute classes – after all, quality rules over quantity every time.

Sign up for a class at www.heartcore.co.uk

Words by Meryn Turner

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