There’s always laughter, a hint of silliness and you’d much quicker get off the couch to play in the park than, say, run five laps around it. Enter space hopper classes, the latest calorie-burning craze in nostalgia sports.
The classes, which cost £7 each, involve using the space hoppers in strange and imaginative ways, from bouncing around to hoisting them above your head while you squat. And try not to keel over in laughter when you begin playing such games as ‘Duck, duck, goose’.
The sessions start with relays and races, then you move on to working the core muscles with planks and press-ups, for example. According to Abi Hardy, a personal trainer who started the classes, you can burn about 500 calories each session and also tone the legs, arms and abs through using the hoppers like Swiss balls. Sayonara bingo wings! In between the toning work there are short sessions of bouncing to remind you it really is child’s play, and the hour-long class finishes with games to ensure that heart rates and spirits stay high.
Highbury Fields or Clapham Common
hopperhappiness.co.uk
Tube: Highbury & Islington or Clapham Common
