Lady Amelia Windsor is the royal It-girl every socialite aspires to be. From her quirky Notting Hill flat to her penchant for sustainable fashion and impressive modelling portfolio, the cousin of Princes William and Harry is quite the royal trendsetter.
At HELLO!, we're always keen to investigate the latest royal workouts and bizarre beauty trends keeping the likes of the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussex, Princess Beatrice & Co looking their best. Enter Lady Amelia's futuristic EMS 'space suit' workout, which she regularly does at E-Pulsive in High Street Kensington.
© Photo: InstagramLady Amelia Windsor regularly attends EMS training sessions
The 27-year-old has previously professed her love for a range of funky fitness routines, from aerial yoga to cryo-chamber ice sessions, though nothing is quite as intriguing as the so-called EMS sessions that regularly make an appearance on her Instagram Stories.
MORE: Lady Amelia Windsor shares post-workout selfie from luxe London gym that costs £850 per month
My thinking was if it's good enough for the 42nd in line to the throne, it's good enough for me. Watch the clip below to see what I thought when I tried it…
WATCH: What really happens during this bizarre royal workout
What is EMS training?
EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) is a form of high-interval training which, in Amelia Windsor's words, involves "being strapped into a Lara Croft-esque body suit."
The suit sends electromagnetic pulses throughout your body whilst you exercise, which promises to engage 98 per cent of all muscles.
In turn, your short and sweet EMS sweat session triggers the release of free fatty acids, breaking down fat deposits and increasing muscle tone.
© Photo: InstagramEMS sessions are only 20 minutes long
The appeal of EMS and perhaps what draws in so many of its time-conscious celebrity and royal clients, is that sessions only take 20 minutes. One short EMS session is said to be the equivalent of two hours' worth of strength training, making it the perfect low impact workout for those recovering from injury.
How did I find EMS training?
Admittedly, I was a little nervous before my first EMS experience. I headed to 180 The Strand's rooftop health club during my lunch break for my private session with Lucy, one of E-Pulsive's resident experts, who was ready and waiting to strap me into the peculiar-looking electromagnetic suit ahead of our workout.
© Photo: HELLO!I trained at 180 The Strand's stunning rooftop studio
Dressed like a Power Ranger and ready to get my sweat on, I suddenly panicked that there was no backing out now. I asked Lucy if I should expect the pulses to hurt, to which she assured me I wouldn't, though warned me it may take "a little getting used to."
We're all familiar with the real meaning of that phrase, like when the doctor tells you to expect nothing more than a "sharp scratch" ahead of an injection. What had I got myself into…
Lucy got me started with a range of simple Pilates-based exercises to get me used to the feel of the pulses. We worked on everything from my quads to my core to ensure I felt the benefits of a full-body burn. To my surprise, the contractions didn't feel painful, but rather like short bursts of pins and needles. It was a strange sensation but definitely not a pain-inducing one. Phew.
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© Photo: HELLO!I was led through a series of low-intensity Pilates-based exercises
As Lucy dialed up the intensity of my suit, I really started to feel the burn.
We kept the exercises incredibly simple, engaging in no more than a few minutes per set, but I quickly started to feel like my endurance was wearing thin.
To my horror, the intensity of the contractions had only been set to 65 per cent by the time I started to feel concerned. "You're doing really well!" my instructor encouraged me as I took my third rep of squats. "Time to turn you up a bit."
As we moved on to core work, it was difficult for me to think about anything other than the waves of contractions in my lower abdomen as I completed reps of crunches.
© Photo: HELLO!Core exercises whilst wearing the EMS body suit are a real killer
Having never given birth, I can't yet compare the feeling to labor contractions, though I'm pretty certain when my suit was amped up to 85 per cent they were close.
Just when I hit the point where I was questioning the sanity of people who actually do this for fun, the 20 minutes was over and I was free to stroll back down the South Bank to my desk. It was over faster than expected, and left me feeling refreshed and energised to finish an afternoon of work.
© Photo: InstagramPrincess Diana's neice Lady Kitty Spencer is also a fan of EMS
It wasn't until the following morning when I couldn't laugh or sit down without wincing that I really started to believe that EMS actually works. The DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) was seriously intense, proving that 20-minute workouts really can make an impact on your fitness.
My one-line review of EMS training
This futuristic fitness method will seriously put you through your paces, but once you've overcome the initial shock (pardon the electrical pun), you'll quickly get hooked on the benefits of this celebrity-adored 20 minute workout.
E-Pulsive's boutique studio offers private and partner sessions available inside their EMS studios at 40 Kensington High Street, The Strand and West Hampstead (Studio Society). Private and partner sessions start from £50. Trial sessions cost £20. Further details on E-Pulsive are available by contacting e.deleon@e-pulsive.co.uk
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