Despite the proven health benefits that exercise has shown, the busy lives many people lead have led many of us to put off our fitness goals until tomorrow. However, these excuses may be coming to an end with EMS.

Recently arrived in Portugal, EMS provides a new and tempting form of exercise that allows us to save time while investing in our body through a 20-minute practice once a week.


What is EMS?

EMS is the abbreviation of Electrical Muscle Stimulation, which is a technology that uses impulse currents that optimises the body's natural muscle contractions. Through this technique it is possible to achieve great results in just 20 minutes per week.

EMS takes advantage of a process that the body already does naturally. “Our muscles naturally contract through electrical impulses (bioelectronics)”. So what EMS training does is taking advantage of this effect by employing hardly noticeable external electric impulses.

“The electric impulses are delivered via electrodes using an electrode vest combined with a under garment. With EMS training you are able to activate more than 300 muscles simultaneously in sessions of 20 minutes”, said Stacey Cabeleira, owner and personal trainer at I-fit20.


EMS studio

Officially opened on the 25th September, in a very central location near Loulé Market, I-fit20 is a friendly studio where people can have private EMS trainings provided by Stacey Cabeleira.

The reason this studio is called "I-fit20" is because it is an abbreviation of "I get fit in 20". According to Stacey, a 20-minute session is equivalent to approximately four hours of conventional exercise. What's more, you only need to do it once a week, although some clients prefer to do it twice.

"If you do EMS once a week and do nothing else, you can still see some changes within a month just by taking a complementary walk on the beach."

She usually recommends people do it once a week unless they want really quick results, in which case they can do it twice. "For people who want to do it twice, a two-day break between the two sessions is enough just for proper recovery," she said.


EMS really works out!

I tried a session with Stacey and what I can say is that it really works. I haven't exercised for a year, my legs were flabby, and with just one session I felt strength building in my lower body.

Upon arriving at Stacey studio, you’ve to be prepared to work hard. Her intimate training sessions are tough, but quick and rewarding. “You’re not just sitting in the equipment and relaxing”.

During the workout, I felt a sort of vibration in the specific areas where the suit was activated, but it doesn't hurt, and if you don't feel comfortable, you can always ask to have it set lower. The lower the settings are, the smoother the workout will be, and the higher they are, the stiffer it will be.

After the first session, both the effects on my body and Stacey's professionalism and friendliness won me over. Best of all, it only takes 20 minutes. "In 20 minutes of your day there is no excuse you can't come”.

I went back the following week to train with my boyfriend. He is at a much better fitness level than me and it's great that we can train together, do the same exercises and as we were in different settings we both felt the training was at the right intensity for both our fitness levels.

Are you curious? To experience it, you can book a session with Stacey and she will give you a free trail. In that first session, in addition to the EMS training, she will ask what your goals are, if you have any injuries or illnesses before you sign up.

Although EMS is healthy and has no side effects, people cannot do it if they are pregnant or wearing a pacemaker. Also, if you suffer from any illness, it is best to seek the advice of your doctor first.

For further information, please see her website at https://www.ifit20.com/ or get in touch through stacey@ifit20.com or call +351 928 073 439. She is also on Facebook and Instagram @i_fit20.

Author

Paula Martins is a fully qualified journalist, who finds writing a means of self-expression. She studied Journalism and Communication at University of Coimbra and recently Law in the Algarve. Press card: 8252

Paula Martins