Treats & Treadmills

I’m so excited to be partnering with Konga Fitness instructor Katherine Hubbard, to host a pop up Konga Class! I hope you’ll be able to join me for this easy to follow, high intensity work out will kick start your weekend with a BANG!

Date: Saturday 22nd July
Time: 10.30am -12pm
Location: BDB School, 109 Albert Dr, Woking GU21 5QX
Cost: £10 charity donation to Epilepsy Society
Book your place here. (Click on ‘The Jungle – Body Konga’ and select July 22nd)

What to expect from the class
Konga is a fusion of Cardio, Boxing, Dance, Hip Hop and Sculpting. There are 6 rounds to Konga which means your ‘WHOLE’ body will get a work out, there are 4 moves per track and Kat will break them down before we start and you don’t need any CO-ORDINATION…

The music will be loud and we will have the disco lights going, it’s all in the dark so you can let your hair down. Kat has a fantastic soundtrack lined up with songs from the 80’s to current day, these songs are going to get you moving and singing!

What you need to know
1. Please arrive 10 minutes early to fill out a health questionnaire and also advise me of any injuries or medical conditions I should be aware of.
2. Bring a 1L bottle of water and a towel (if you get very sweaty, like I do).
3. Please ensure you have trainers on, this is VERY important.
4. Kat recommends for mums who have children under 18 months to wear a sanitary towel, there’s a lot of jumping around.
6. The tickets are £10 per person, ALL the money goes to the National Epilepsy Society, which needs continuous support and donations and often fly’s under the radar when it comes to fundraising.

We’d love to capture our pop up Konga class too, so we will be filming during the session, but we promise that no unflattering shots will be taken – and the camera will mainly be pointed at Kat the expert! Filming will be made into a little video that will be shared on this blog and my social media pages.

Want to know more about Konga?
A few weeks back I caught up with Kat to find out everything about Konga, take a peak at the links below to see more.
Forget Zumba, have you ever tried Konga
Could Konga help new mums get fit

Epilepsy Society
More than half a million people in the UK have epilepsy and one third have seizures that cannot be controlled through available anti-epileptic drugs. There are 1,000 deaths from the condition every year, including many children and young adults. Epilepsy can have a devastating effect on people and their families, affecting all aspects of their lives.

Epilepsy Society is the UK’s leading provider of epilepsy services. Through cutting edge research, awareness campaigns, information resources and expert care, the Epilepsy Society work for everyone affected by epilepsy in the UK. Like so many other organisations they rely heavily on donations to fund research and to offer support to families. To read more please visit www.epilepsysociety.org.uk

This high-intensity workout can help you burn up to 600 calories and take over 7000 steps in one class! KONGA Fitness Instructor, Katherine Hubbard, shares everything you need to know about this amazing workout…

What is KONGA fitness?
KONGA is an easy to follow, high intensity work out designed for the most uncoordinated people. It is a mixture of cardio, dance, squats, toning, boxing and Hip Hop. The class is for an hour and there are 6 rounds. There are only four moves per track to make it easy to follow and I break down those moves before the track starts; so you can concentrate on the intensity and technic (rather then 10 complicated moves that are done with little impact).

Who can do it?
KONGA is for everyone. The class I teach is suitable for 16-60 year-olds, offering a lower intensity option to those who are older.

How many calories can you expect to burn in one class?
You can burn anywhere from 350 calories to 600 calories. On average I burn 400 calories which is a lot compared to many other fitness classes which tend to hover round the 100-250 mark. For an example, a run on the treadmill for 45 minutes will burn 250 calories and that’s without having all the fun of KONGA! You will roughly do 7000+ steps in an hour of KONGA – anyone who has a fitbit of some sort will appreciate how many that is!

Can you describe what a class is like?
The class is in the dark with disco lights and loud music, before each track I will break down the 4 moves for that song and we will do a quick transition from song to song, to ensure your heart rate doesn’t drop too quickly. It’s extremely fun, fast and fierce and it makes you feel good. Plus, I’m with you every step of the way, working out just like you are. KONGA is a class you can do with your friends or with your mum.

Can Konga fitness help you lose weight?
Absolutely but like any fitness it is about consistency, to see any change in your body you need to allow for 6-8 weeks of consistently working out. The temptation after 2-3 weeks is to jump on the scales, however all weight lose takes time and must co exist with a good diet. I personally have noticed the difference in my body shape. I don’t weigh myself, but I want to feel good and like most women I go by my how my clothes fit. I am a lot leaner than I was before KONGA, and I’ve got more definition from it. If I was to go to the gym I know I would need to separately work out those muscles to get as toned.

What would you say to those keen to try it but are nervous they have no rhythm?
You don’t need it! I am not a dancer myself and have little to no rhythm. It was designed to be for those uncoordinated who love working out to loud music. I think that’s the great thing about it being a mixture of different types of exercise you maybe be great at the HIIT based moves, great at dance moves or great at the boxing moves. It’s for everyone!

What parts of your body is it good for?
It’s a full body work out. You will always be using your arms, legs and core muscles.

What do you love about KONGA?
I have never been a fan of the gym but I love loud music and getting a good sweat on, so when I trained to be a Jungle Body Konga instructor I fell in love with it straight away. I feel a great sense of achievement after each workout, it’s not easy but it’s not meant to be! I guarantee you will fall in love with it over night… even if you can’t walk the day after.

The Jungle Body with Kat
Kat teaches Konga in Wimbledon, London on Tuesday nights at 7.30pm – plus there’s parking.
To book yourself into Kat’s class, click here. 
To learn more about Konga Fitness, check out www.thejunglebody.com

Could KONGA help new mums get fit, too? Click here to read more.

Finding an exciting and effective workout to do post-baby can be a challenging thing. On discovering KONGA fitness and what it has to offer, I was keen to find out from instructor Katherine Hubbard, if this could be an enjoyable, full body workout for new mums.

Is KONGA fitness suitable for new mums?
It’s recommended that all new mums do not undertake any intense work out until their pelvic floor muscles have strengthened and this will be differ from mum to mum. I would rest your body for at least 8 – 12 weeks, but your GP is best placed to advise. KONGA is a high intensity work out I would recommend using that time to do low impact cardio such as walking and lower pelvic toning, STAY AWAY FROM SIT UPS…  Swimming is really good but you must wait until you have had a check up.

If you wanted to join a KONGA class after 12 weeks or so you are more then welcome to try it, just take it easy and ensure you tell your instructor. I would recommend joining in on a floor rotation cycle to build up you pelvic muscles. I have a lot of new mums in my class and they love it but I recommend wearing a sanitary towel for all the jumping around!

How do new mums shape your KONGA class?
I work on 6 week rotations and we are currently in an arm and bums rotation as per a request from one of my mums in the class, after 6 weeks it will be stomach and bums or arms and stomach. I really like class feedback on what areas of their body they want to work on. However, each class will focus on working your whole body. The class is broken into 6 rounds which looks a bit like this –

Round 1 – Warm Up track
Round 2 – 4 Cardio boxing tracks
Round 3 – 2 Squatting tracks
Round 4 – 4 cardio squatting and dance tracks
Round 5 – 2 arm tracks
Round 6 – Cool down track

For effective weight loss, how often would you recommend new mums head to a KONGA class/workout?
You would want to be doing a KONGA class 3 times a week, however that’s not always possible so do 1 or 2 classes a week and perhaps take away some of those moves and do them at home.

What would be your top 3 tips for mums wanting to lose their post-baby weight?
1. Time – don’t put pressure on yourself to loose the weight straightaway… do it the right way.
2. Losing weight is about consistency, consistently working out and consistently eating the right types of food.
3. Find a class you love, it shouldn’t feel like a chore or punishment for what you have eaten. You should enjoy it!

The Jungle Body with Kat 
Kat teaches Konga in Wimbledon, London on Tuesday nights at 7.30pm – plus there’s parking.
To book yourself onto Kat’s class, click here. 
To learn more about Konga Fitness, check out www.thejunglebody.com