When New Year comes, also comes resolutions which mostly includes fitness and health for some people. I'm not the one to make resolutions. I may write down some goals but not resolutions and that does not usually include anything about fitness. I told my friends jokingly but truthfully that the most exercise I do is when I stretch in bed in the morning. Funny but sad and true. Well at the end of last year, opportunity presented itself to try out some fitness options for me, including trying out Hypoxi for 6 sessions. Feeling that I'm always kinda lethargic and losing flexibility in my back and limbs, I felt the need to work out and be fit.
Now, I have never really heard of Hypoxi. I didn't even know how to pronounce it when I first read it, haha! But the concept got me interested. For a person like me who doesn't normally work out and all of a sudden jump on it, the first thing I had in mind was, how easy or how difficult is it and can I really lose weight doing it?
So I read a little about it on their website www.hypoxihouston.com and gave it a try at the beginning of the year, when I had to burn all the calories I consumed during the holidays. About a couple of weeks ago was when I finished my 6th session.
What is Hypoxi?
Apparently, the concept started in Germany by a sports doctor. Hypoxi Houston is the only hypoxi studio here in North America. It is a fat-burning method that utilizes vacuum and compression principle while working out. According to their brochure, "only with effective blood circulation can fat deposits be released, transported around the body and be used as a source of energy. In other words, the more effectively a specific region of our body is supplied with blood, the more efficiently the fat deposits in this region are released and burned." Hypoxi uses machines and a body suit that apply high and low pressure for targeted intensification of blood circulation.
Below are the Hypoxi training machines which target the lower body area. As you can see, it looks easy and relaxing. But don't get fooled. Underneath those machines, your lower body is doing something. You are still doing the work but not as much because you have some aid in helping you achieve your goals. These are cycling machines which are perfect for those with pear-shaped bodies.
But before doing any of the actual workouts, they recommend some people to do the machine which treats cellulite and helps in the firmness of your skin and body. It takes 20 mins but you're not really doing anything, you're just laying down, wearing the full body scuba suit while releasing those toxins in your body. They have a dim lighting in this room and the actual pressuring/cupping of the suit on your body is very relaxing. It's like someone is massaging you. If you don't have to do this, the cycling or the treadmill is only 30 minutes so you can actually do it during your lunch time. They do have consultation to determine which workout is best for you and your body type.
These are the body suits that you wear when doing the treadmill. It has pressure areas inside it, again to help in blood circulation and is perfect for those people, men and women, who have mid-section problem areas. Attached to a vacunaut, the machine puts pressure and compression in this suit while you're running on the treadmill. It may be a little annoying and uncomfortable at first but when you do get the hang of it, you will actually like the feeling. I'm normally not a "sweaty" person, I can be walking or running but I won't be sweating. When I was doing Hypoxi, I noticed that I sweat a lot and I love the feeling.
Because my main problem area is my mid-section, they recommended that I do the treadmill. So I did about 6 sessions of the cellulite treatment and the treadmill. I did 30 minutes of the treadmills for each session.
Here are the lovely ladies at Hypoxi Houston – Caroline and Shema. They are the friendliest people you will ever meet. It doesn't matter what stage of weight loss you're at, they will not intimidate you and will help you achieve your goals.
Conclusion:
For people like me who needed a jump start on working out, Hypoxi really helped me get in the fitness groove. The regular number of sessions to see a good result is 12 sessions and I did 6. I maintained my body measurements but I lost a couple of pounds on my weight. However, the two weeks I was doing Hypoxi session was also when I was doing workouts left and right and also "somewhat" watching what I eat, so I can't tell if it's solely a result of Hypoxi or it's an overall combination of fitness and lifestyle change.
Hypoxi is a wonderful and promising concept. There are a lot of great testimonials of people who achieved results in their studio and other Hypoxi locations outside North America. However, if your goal is to lose weight, doing Hypoxi requires a lifestyle change as well, that's why they do give you some nutritional suggestions so you can know what to eat and what not to. Watching what you eat along with a regular exercise, whether it's Hypoxi or another routine, can help you achieve weight loss. Hypoxi is pretty pricey but for what it promises it may be worth a try for you. If you're located in Houston or is planning to visit Houston soon, you might want to check them out. You can go to their website www.hypoxihouston.com and schedule a FREE trial and consultation.
Also check out the video below for a tour of the studio and Shema's explanations of each work out.
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