As a gymnast and high school cheerleader, Grace Albin fell in love with choreography and working out in a group setting. These days, she is able to share that passion with her fitness clients and more than 330,000 Instagram followers. Albin shows that in order to blast your whole body, you can achieve an intense session with just a little space and a wall for good measure. Try it for yourself with this exclusive floor based workout.
“Enjoying physical activity is the best predictor of client compliance, which is the best predictor of results,” says Albin. “In other words, if you choose an activity you don’t like, you’ll soon quit. This happens because people sign up for a type of class, or buy a piece of equipment, based on recommendations from a friend or because they fell for a gimmicky advertisement with big promises. I always tell newcomers: ‘don’t spend a penny’. Take advantage of free trials and check out at least five formats such as a running group, a boot camp, a yoga class, CrossFit, whatever. Eventually you’ll land on the one that keeps you motivated to keep going back. Every instructor is so different, plus you might find that you enjoy indoor more than outdoor exercise, or the people in a particular group may feel more relatable. You never know until you try different formats, which one will resonate with you.”
Grace Albin Doesn’t Hit the Wall; She Uses it For Gains
In Grace Albin’s floor based workout, provided exclusively to M&F Hers readers, Albin shares a great session for building muscle strength and tone. You will work the upper body, lower body, and core. All you need is enough space to stretch out, and a pair of socks to help you glide up and down the wall. Albin’s tip: For added smoothness, you can put on two pairs of socks!
In terms of modifications to make sure that this workout is accessible at all levels, the first method is to simply increase or decrease the number of reps depending on your ability.
“The second way is to increase intensity via technique progression,” says Albin. “For the lower body portion, keeping your hips further away from the wall will feel more difficult and will force your hamstrings and glutes to work harder. For the upper body portion, keeping your hands and trunk area lower on the wall will force your shoulders and core to fight harder against gravity.” Technique and form are always a priority for Albin. “The main reason for this is that it prevents injuries,” she says. “Strong form prevents both acute injuries that take place suddenly during exercise, as well as repetitive-stress injuries that creep up gradually over the course of time.”
If you like the idea of finding ways to move that don’t require a gym setting, Albin is all about finding opportunities. “Not just around the house, but everyplace else you go,” she says. “Sneak in more movement by taking the stairs rather than the elevator when you’re shopping or going to the office. Walk around the playground while your children play, rather than sitting on a park bench. There are opportunities for movement throughout the day. Use a desk that adjusts so that you can stand part of the day, or sit on a stability ball instead of a chair. Do calf raises while watching TV. Walk around while you’re on a phone call. These can add up to burning just as many calories as taking a 45-minute class!”
