22 Health, fitness & wellbeing Feel the vibe


A genuine shortcut to success or another transient fitness trend? Following the rise in electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) studios, Jack Carter investigates the workout taking London by storm


When a workout claims to offer 50,000 muscle contractions from a mere 20-minute session and can burn fat three times faster than gym training, it’s a luxury usually only afforded to top-level athletes and Hollywood stars. However, electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), the next-gen fitness trend championed by everyone from Roger Federer to Tom Holland, is no longer the hobby of wealthy first adopters. Tat’s because a wave of new EMS studios is coming to the capital, luring London’s gym goers with the promise of lightning-quick gains. EMS works by delivering electric


currents to your body via a specially designed suit in order to stimulate your core muscle groups all at once. Te rapid increase in contractions is said to boost weight loss, improve posture and build lean muscle in a matter of weeks, with each session lasting only 20 minutes. “One of the advantages of


EMS is that it accelerates muscle adaptation and there is very little pain or discomfort, unlike with traditional exercises,” says Steve Doidge-Harrison, award-winning personal trainer and co-founder of Bio Skin & Wellness. Te research looks promising. According to the


University of Bayreuth in Germany, after six weeks of EMS training, 85% of people saw improved body shape and muscle growth. Te uptake in EMS training


across Europe has been notable — there are more than 1,700 studios in Germany and Austria alone. And while Londoners have seen off their fair share of get-fit- quick gimmicks, the emergence of studios across the capital suggests that interest in EMS is growing. Spearheading this surge is Feel Electric — the brainchild of Jon Wright, a former Harlequins rugby player and founder of affordable fitness chain Xercise4Less. Having


recently opened studios in Clapham and St John’s Wood, the brand has set its sights on a further 13 by 2024. “Right from my initial EMS


session, the first thing that hit me was the chemical reaction in my brain,” says Jon. “It lasted 20 minutes, but it felt the same as a long run or a heavy gym session.” Feel Electric was founded


in lockdown after an army pal introduced Jon to EMS. As someone whose sporting career was cut short by injury, it was the potential to help people with mobility issues that excited him the most. “We had one member who was on tramadol after back surgery and they were off it within three weeks of starting EMS. Getting in shape is transformative, but that’s life changing.” Londoners who struggle to


We had a member who was off pain killers within three weeks of starting EMS training. Tat’s life changing


squeeze exercise into their busy lives will appreciate the efficiency of an EMS workout, but is it here to stay? “Tere’s no reason why EMS won’t follow the same trajectory here as it has in Europe,” Jon adds. “In 10 years’ time, there could be 2,000 EMS studios in the UK and I’d love to have most of them.” Feel Electric’s EMS workouts start from £25 per session and can be booked privately or with a partner.


20TH MARCH 2023 THE GOOD LIFE DISTRIBUTED WITH


FEEL ELECTRIC PLANS TO OPEN 15 STUDIOS IN LONDON BY 2024


Improved prostate treatment


Only men have a prostate, so many of the people around you could be affected by prostate issues Mr Laniado is a specialist pros-


Tese include prostate enlargement, as well as other prostate condi- tions. However, despite this being a gloomy area, multiple innovations have made it much easier for men to recover from prostate problems and return to a normal everyday life. Improved urinary symptoms


without such side effects have advanced in recent years. Te tech- nology includes high-speed water jets under robotic and visual control (Aquablation), steam injections into the prostate (Rezum), and implants to pull the prostate open (UroLift). Almost every technology has been tried on the prostate at some time. Holmium laser enucleation of


the prostate — often abbreviated to HoLEP — is usually said to be the best way to improve urinary symptoms. Typically, patients leave within 24 hours without needing more medicines or further proce- dures. However, it often results in dry orgasms, sometimes described as a car backfiring. Aquabla- tion, which is still being evaluated by NICE, is probably the closest to getting as good an improve- ment in urinary symptoms as a HoLEP, with the greatest chance of keeping normal erections and ejacu- lation intact. For men whose prostates are


significantly affected by a condi- tion, surgical treatment has improved,


aided by the


surgical robots — for example, the da Vinci Xi.


newer MR LANIADO


tate consultant at HCA Princess Grace Hospital, Te London Clinic, GenesisCare.


T: 020 7157 9751


E: pa@sageurology.co.uk Visit sageurology.co.uk or scan the QR code


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