REPs Magazine Fitness Matters Issue 1 | Page 32

through non-stop movement, building endurance, strength, balance, speed, agility, reaction time and overall fitness, burning up to 1,000 calories. CHALLENGES Trainers can create competitions to give incentives to users and foster functional activity. There is even the option of generating engagement and creating a community by challenging other centres and taking part in international competitions. Trainers also benefit as they are able to design each session, extract real-time performance data and focus on motivating members and ensuring correct movements. This, of course, requires a degree of practice – a couple of days training at least – which couples with the cost of the product to act as a warning to some gyms considering the product. With the cost of the small, square, interactive floor looking to be over £10,000 this is likely to be an option only for larger gyms and leisure centres. Built into any of the Prama packages though is the hi-tech software which looks to increase participants' motivation as it allows them to record individual results, run through new training modes and create challenges and competitions between users or clubs. Nobody wants to feel bored during training, and it's always a challenge for trainers to make sure sessions are fun and interesting, as well as physically taxing. Prama can make a 45-minute gym session fly by and in today's competitive fitness arena, its neon lights aren’t the only thing that make it stand out. Unlike traditional training, Prama involves little to no equipment and workouts can be done in small groups playing games and completing challenges. As the trainer sets tasks on a computer, floor panels and pressure sensitive walls with built-in sensors light up. The sensors then detect and record the movements during a workout, while the lights in the room change colours based upon the moods of the exercise – there are warm tones for high- intensity workouts and cool ones for winding down. Once the client starts hitting the flashing lights on the walls and floor, the theory is that they will be having such a good time they will forget they're working out. But make no mistake, Prama is not just about fun. A 45-minute high-intensity, circuit-based session works all the major muscle groups 32 FM www.exerciseregister.org