<h4>According to EMD UK, 4 in 5 disabled adults want to be more active. Can online fitness classes offer options for those living with disabilities? Over 11 million people are living with a disability in the UK and yet many feel excluded from gyms or classes. &nbsp;Can you offer what gyms are not? &nbsp;</h4><figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/In_the_zone_stardio_only_3_ecb966f5d2.jpg"></figure>My life changed immeasurably on January 4th 2018, when I walked into a Les Mills BODYPUMP class. &nbsp;I didn't know what to expect. &nbsp;I was overweight, unhealthy and subconsciously already decided I wouldn't stick with it. &nbsp;The feeling of achievement, social connection, post-workout endorphins and sense of 'taking action' was incredible and has been a part of my life ever since. &gt;FULL RECORDING IS AT THE END OF THIS BLOG POST&lt; Whilst not a physical impairment, as someone living with tinnitus since 2008, it also had a huge impact on my ability to manage my condition. &nbsp;Throughout each class, with its music and choreo, I wasn't thinking about it, and whilst I can't prove that regular exercise has made a physiological difference in my condition, I genuinely feel that since exercising, it is no longer a detrimental part of my life. Exercise is POWERFUL and everyone, regardless of ability, disability, physical health or mental health, deserves access to this natural, fun, social and highly beneficial form of 'therapy'. Disability is a very broad definition, but there are many factors that can prevent anyone from taking up exercise. &nbsp;In fact, in the UK, about 40% of us do not get the recommended amount of daily exercise and just 13% of us are regular users of gyms.<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/In_the_zone_stardio_only_1_4ff47b57df.jpg"></figure>There are many reasons why people don't wish to participate in exercise, whether that be the feeling of intimidation, lack of motivation, or financial reasons, but I was curious to know what options are available to people living with disabilities, from physical to mental, who want to get more active, and what barriers can be knocked down. Beyond the actual specific disability itself, there are additional layers on top of that, that need to be addressed too. Studies found people living with disabilities also face social barriers, including discrimination and stigma; psychological barriers, including low levels of self-esteem and lack of motivation. Moreover, there exist intra-personal barriers, such as poor body image or fear of injury, and interpersonal barriers, such as lack of support or disapproval from others. It is an important challenge the industry, both physical facilities and online providers, needs to work together on. It's morally the right thing to do, but if are are to put it into monetary terms, the healthier EVERYONE is, the more money the NHS saves, and I am sure there are online instructors that can specialise in more inclusive adaptive classes, that might be struggling in the competitive world of fitness. There are an estimated 5.36 million wheelchair users in the UK. There are around 350,000 people who rely on mobility scooters with 47% being over 65. Many people are looking for exciting classes and solutions that fit their specific needs.<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/holding_classes_1f7c8c6afd.jpg"></figure>As long as it is tailored, exercise is nearly always a benefit for a number of conditions. <a href="https://stardio.com/blog/How-online-live-exercise-instructors-can-serve-more-people">In Part One</a>, we looked at the benefits exercise can bring for people suffering from depression, after a study cited in the <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/16/1049">British Medical Journal</a> concluded: “Exercise is efficacious in treating depression and depressive symptoms and should be offered as an evidence-based treatment option focusing on supervised and group exercise with moderate intensity and aerobic exercise regimes.” We also looked at how exercise can potentially treat people with alcohol addiction <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/07/health/exercise-alcohol-and-death-risk/index.html">after a study by </a>Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis suggested exercising the recommended amount “appeared to wipe off completely” the inflated risk of cancer death resulting from alcohol. For part two of Stardio's recent fireside chat, we wanted to focus on physical disabilities.&nbsp; We invited Head of Inclusion ukactive Tim Mathias and online instructor, fitness entrepreneur and blogger Elle Linton, to host a talk about where online can fill the gap.Joining us was Dr Ayaz Bhuta MBE, Double European Champion and Paralympic Gold Medalist Tokyo 2020. Also, we were joined by Royal British Legion Equality Diversity &amp; Inclusion Officer&nbsp;Stacey Denyer. As two highly successful people living with disabilities, they shared amazing insight into what their experiences have been. We also invited Ashley Boorman-Wells, from Smash Mind and Body, whose busy online classes (up to 50 people in the winter) are a result of their mental health angle. <img src="/uploads/In_the_zone_stardio_only_2_452014fa4b.jpg">&nbsp;There are many great initiatives in the UK to cater for people living with disabilities, but very often, if someone is living in a remote area, they can be difficult to get to, especially if you don't drive. There are also great events too. The <a href="https://www.specialolympics.org">Special Olympics World Games</a> offer the opportunity to unite the world like no other event can where people with and without disabilities can join together. Then there are events such as the <a href="https://www.deaflympics.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deaflympics</a> and of course <a href="https://www.invictusgamesfoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Invictus Games</a>. I can imagine more events like these, that are perhaps not so targeted towards the fittest of people, but where specialist online 'training' can be offered that results in an event that takes place 'in the real world'. Online has a place to offer more to people with disabilities but it must avoid being the answer to everything. Human connection is essential for all of us and gyms need more support from the government to deliver accessible classes and adaptive equipment. But both online and physical can support each other. <img src="/uploads/In_the_zone_stardio_only_f3f083bd6d.jpg">&nbsp;I would also like to imagine more mixed classes, where people with a range of health conditions can enjoy the same experience. A while back I produced a pilot called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5yIN3mozJc">ARCADIA</a>. It was brutal, aggressive and frenetic. I would like to produce a version of this, that is more inclusive. Just because a class is adaptive, or entirely chair-based, it doesn't mean it can't lack the same drama, amazing music and animations as any other class. As an industry, we can create classes that cater for more people, rather than excluding each other, maybe with technology that can offer options during the same workout sequence. Many UK charities offer specialist exercise routines online. Personal trainer Dom Thorpe has created a number of workouts for the UK's <a href="https://www.mssociety.org.uk/care-and-support/everyday-living/staying-active/simple-exercises-for-ms">MS Society website</a>, specifically designed for people with multiple sclerosis. <a href="https://www.powerforparkinsons.org/blog/seated-exercise-our-ultimate-chair-workout-guide?gad=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwrranBhAEEiwAzbhNtXTdFzhbtVvP0ixtdf3udM9C1Adqlf4Sd_c5ker4NANOX5JI3afnnBoCiXgQAvD_BwE">Power For Parkinsons</a> offers a range of video on demand classes, as do others, but it can take a lot of motivation (for anyone!) to schedule a workout to do on your own, in comparison to a scheduled live class, either in a gym or online. I hope you enjoy the video and that it generates some conversation! I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Tim Mathias, Elle Linton, Dr Ayaz Bhuta, Stacey Denyer and Ashley Boorman-Wells for your fascinating insight and time! It has really made me think about what Stardio can do! more inclusive fitness (either online or in 'the real world'!). Below the video, I have posted some links you might find useful! Fireside Chat Part 2<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://youtu.be/g-U6ot9g-Ok"></oembed></figure> Useful Links Re-training to offer accessible classes - <a href="https://www.ymcafit.org.uk/courses/exercise-and-disability/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ymcafit.org.uk/courses/exercise-and-disability/</a> ukactive Life In Our Years report - <a href="https://www.ukactive.com/reports/life-in-our-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.ukactive.com/reports/life-in-our-years/</a> ukactive Everyone Can - <a href="https://everyonecan.ukactive.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://everyonecan.ukactive.com/</a> Funding <a href="https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/funding-disability-sport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/funding-disability-sport/</a> <a href="https://www.energiseme.org/funding-support/finding-funding/large-grants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.energiseme.org/funding-support/finding-funding/large-grants/</a> <a href="https://emduk.org/bursaries-funding-and-payment-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://emduk.org/bursaries-funding-and-payment-plans/</a> <a href="https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-support/grants-physical-activity-providers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-support/grants-physical-activity-providers</a> <a href="https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/the-work-we-do/support-available/financial-support/grants/activity-boost" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/the-work-we-do/support-available/financial-support/grants/activity-boost</a> <a href="https://www.lepnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.lepnetwork.net/</a>&nbsp;

In part two of our recent fireside chat, we explore where people living with disabilities are not being served, and how online instructors can fill the gap

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Online fitness classes for people living with disabilities 

I joined up with health &amp; fitness professional, entrepreneur, and influencer <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellelinton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elle Linton</a>, to host a webinar exploring where live online fitness can fill the needs of those who are not going to the gyms or getting enough physical activity. This could be for various reasons, from health conditions to financial concerns to wanting more holistic wellness experiences, to lack of accessibility.&nbsp;The recording of Part One is at the end of this blog post.&nbsp;In part one, I share some ideas for how online fitness instructors can attract more people into this form of fitness, by offering MORE to those not getting served by gyms, and highlighting groups of people who can most benefit from this form of fitness and wellness. Whilst online fitness can't offer the social aspect of a village hall or gym, the AC conditioned studios, the escapism of the home, or the range of equipment, it can offer unique advantages, such as wider wellness guidance, more convenience and a ‘safe space’ for those who are intimidated by the gym. In part 2, Elle &nbsp;(<a href="https://www.keepitsimpelle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Keep It Simpelle</a>), who also runs the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinefitprosuk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Online Fitpros UK Group</a>, was joined by <a href="https://www.ukactive.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ukactive</a> Head of Inclusion <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-mathias-19671327/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tim Mathias</a>, Ashley Boorman-Wells from <a href="https://smashmindandbody.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smash Mind and Body</a>, Paralympic Gold Medalist <a href="https://www.ayazbhuta.co.uk/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr Ayaz Bhuta MBE</a> and British Royal Legion Inclusion &amp; Diversity <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-denyer-786390254/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stacey Denyer</a>. &nbsp;In this part we focus more on disability, and how online instructors can be of benefit to the <a href="https://emduk.org/disability-and-group-exercise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4 out of 5 disabled people </a>who want to be more active.&nbsp; Why did we want to host this? Many people turned to online fitness during the pandemic but naturally, since the gyms re-opened, many of those have returned to the gyms, and online fitness instructors have found their numbers have dropped significantly. &nbsp;Although some participants have stayed with online fitness, many chose live classes as a ‘stop-gap’ until the gyms re-opened. Based on <a href="https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-features/Insight-ACSM-Top-Ten-2023-Trending-now/36239" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ACSM Health and fitness journal</a>, as a trend, online fitness dropped from #2 for 2022 to #13 for 2023. This is neither surprising nor unexpected but there are still millions who won't set foot in a gym. &nbsp;In this video, I look at why live online classes should not simply offer an online version of what can be found in a gym, but should offer MORE, by taking advantage of the medium of online. According to a <a href="https://www.puregym.com/blog/uk-fitness-report-gym-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pure Gym report 2022 / 2023</a> 40% of people who don’t currently have a gym membership feel that gyms are too expensive. 29% feel that they wouldn’t go to the gym often enough. 13% feel that they wouldn’t know what to do if they went to the gym. Out of both gym members and non-gym members, 56% find going to the gym to be an intimidating experience. More women experience gymtimidation than men (67% vs. 49%). 1 in 4 gym goers say they currently don’t feel confident while at the gym. Online can address some of these concerns and there is still a huge opportunity to get more people mentally and physically fitter online, as long as we offer something different, drop the term ‘exercise’, and appeal to those who are not served by the gyms, rather than trying to reach the same people. “We are not replacing gyms - gyms are wonderful places - our role is to reach out to those who are not getting what they need from gyms. Nail your niche!” This could be the: Aligning with mental health therapists. Offering wider wellness content, from nutrition to sleep. Linking to charities and offering specialist classes, possibly through additional training. Collaborating with GP's and using the NHS Digital database.Linking with stay-at-home parents groups. Collaborating with HR departments, to offer employer-subsidised classes for their remote workers (The UK has the highest rate of remote working in the UK).Retraining for teaching accessibility classes for the 4 in 5 disabled people who want to get fitter.&nbsp; Linking to addiction clinics. Linking to nutrition companies. Rewarding people each time they work out with you, such as a partnership with Tree-Nation. The incredible online opportunity and growth in Wellness We also explore the number one biggest opportunity for online fitness instructors and that is tapping into the <a href="https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-news/Wellness-now-a-top-priority-for-consumers-globally-with-spending-predicted-to-increase/351716" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">growing wellness market</a>. According to <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/the-next-normal/wellness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">McKinsey, the wellness market is booming</a>. Consumers intend to keep spending more on products that improve their health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep, gratitude, and mindfulness. &nbsp;They estimate the global wellness market at more than $1.5 trillion. &nbsp;According to Forbes, another trend is the growing emphasis on emotional and mental health. As a result, there is expected to be more demand for fitness programs that focus on stress management, mindfulness, and nutrition coaching in addition to traditional workouts. <img src="/uploads/Capture_37145b4acc.JPG"> This is exactly where you can offer something more than what gyms can offer and is an incredible opportunity. Within the video, I propose an idea / trial where we can create a dream team of experts, from nutrition to sleep. &nbsp;We could get: Michael Mosley to do a diet talk. Tom Merrick to do a talk on alignment. Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe to talk about skin care. Sleep scientist for the Euro 2022 Lions team Luke Gupta. The scope is endless. This will allow fitness instructors to offer their clients free expert workshops each month, which we ALL invite our clients too. &nbsp;Rather than just teach Yoga, you can then offer a whole range of services to your clients. If this is of interest please email jonathan@stard.io. Finally, in the video, I also suggest how we can incorporate the trends, such as wearables integration and body weight exercises, and fitness for older adults, into the online offering. I hope you enjoy the video! Please don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Stardiolive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Like the Stardio Facebook</a> page for more tips and tricks and we would love you to fill in the short <a href="https://stardio.com/morethan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instructor LIVES survey</a>, at the top of this page. It will only take 3 minutes and mean a lot to us! Below the video, I have posted various useful links.&nbsp;<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://youtu.be/XIRyqvg2Ux0"></oembed></figure>&nbsp;Useful Links <a href="https://stardio.com/blog/how-do-i-get-more-people-to-come-to-my-fitness-class-by-rachel-holmes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to market your group exercise classes to new audiences, by Rachel Holmes workshop&nbsp;</a> <a href="https://emduk.mykajabi.com/sign-up-form-1?fbclid=IwAR02MkZ5FXBFW5TRU1i5nEgFTLbP2oSootlvZ6liru6Lrg3RExElA155mig" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EMD UK free instructor membership site</a> <a href="https://stardio.com/morethan">https://stardio.com/morethan</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinefitprosuk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Online FitPros UK Facebook group</a> Wellness <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/the-next-normal/wellness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/the-next-normal/wellness</a> <a href="https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-news/Wellness-now-a-top-priority-for-consumers-globally-with-spending-predicted-to-increase/351716" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-news/Wellness-now-a-top-priority-for-consumers-globally-with-spending-predicted-to-increase/351716</a>&nbsp;Mental Health&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-features/Promotion-Myzone-Positive-Mood/36424">https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-features/Promotion-Myzone-Positive-Mood/36424</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://smashmindandbody.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smash Mind and Body</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-us/protecting-the-public/bacp-register/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BACP Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BetterHelp</a> <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mental Health Foundation</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-features/Promotion-Myzone-Positive-Mood/36424" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MyZone mental wellbeing article</a>&nbsp;Campaign to end loneliness&nbsp;- <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/loneliness-minister-its-more-important-than-ever-to-take-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/loneliness-minister-its-more-important-than-ever-to-take-action</a>&nbsp;Other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">One Year No Beer</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/07/health/exercise-alcohol-and-death-risk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Article about the effect exercise can have on excessive alcohol consumption</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.meetup.com/topics/sahm/gb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stay-at-Home Mom Meetup groups</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/ExerciseMot.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">University of Mexico research about exercise and motivation</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/services/organisation-data-service/export-data-files/csv-downloads/gp-and-gp-practice-related-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NHS Digital GP Database</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">List of charities</a> &nbsp;<a href="https://sh1ftfitness.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sh1ft fitness</a>&nbsp;The state of the industry - <a href="https://abcfitness.com/webinars/state-of-the-industry-whats-next-in-fitness/">https://abcfitness.com/webinars/state-of-the-industry-whats-next-in-fitness/</a>&nbsp;Why are men missing out? - <a href="https://www.lesmills.com/uk/fit-planet/fitness/men-are-missing-out/">https://www.lesmills.com/uk/fit-planet/fitness/men-are-missing-out/</a>

Millions of people do not get enough exercise and will not join a gym.  We explore how online classes can fill the gap.

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Fitpro Fireside Chat Part One - How online live exercise instructors can serve more people

Fitness expert Rachel Holmes hosts REACH!  The workshop to show how group exercise instructors can increase their class attendence

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How do I get more people to come to my fitness class? By Rachel Holmes

STARDIO’s charity takeover, GOOD SESSIONS 2023, is a wonderful giving way to start the year, as we will donate £12+£3 Gift Aid for every person that joins one of our special free online workouts! (UK only) Plus! &nbsp;If you film your workout and send it to us, we will pay you £20, if you allow us to post as part of an edited video later. &nbsp;<h2 style="text-align:center;">YOU WORKOUT. WE DONATE.</h2> In aid of <a href="https://www.trusselltrust.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Trussell Trust Foundation</a>, live fitness streaming app <a href="http://www.stardio.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">STARDIO</a> has joined forces with three amazing instructors, to give up to 75 people the chance to enjoy an amazing workout from the comfort of their own homes - their efforts having a direct impact on people who need support this winter. BOOKINGS DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 5PM JAN 10TH Is&nbsp;this legit? YES! &nbsp;Some people think it's “too good to be true” but STARDIO will launch in beta form for three months from January, and we are looking for participants to ‘test’ the app. Normally we pay people to test the app, but rather than just do straightforward ‘user tests’, we thought we would use the tests to raise money for an important cause instead, and only pay if people film the workouts.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3 style="text-align:center;">Three amazing instructors. &nbsp;Three amazing classes. Free to participate.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3><h3 style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</h3><h3 style="text-align:center;"><img src="/uploads/group_power_main_advert_2_facebook_1_afb75d2e43.jpg"> &nbsp;</h3>We all know group exercise has a huge positive impact on people. &nbsp;Not only is it wonderful for circulation, blood pressure, strength, weight maintenance and mental health, but it can also bring about friendships that amplify the health benefits even further. &nbsp;<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqrvlkqKB6A"></oembed></figure>But what if the positive power of group exercise could have an impact on the wider community, outside the virtual studio? This question led to the creation of STARDIO GOOD SESSIONS, where three special classes will run in aid of <a href="https://www.trusselltrust.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Trussell Trust Foundation</a>. Between 1 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s UK-wide network distributed 1.3 million food parcels to people facing hardship – this is an increase of 52% compared to the same period in 2019. &nbsp;<img src="/uploads/Trussell_Trust_A_3787fb1828.jpg"> Never has the work of The Trussell Trust been so vital. &nbsp;&nbsp; For the first time, the need for emergency food is outstripping donations as the cost of living emergency is leading to a drastic increase in the number of people turning to food banks for support. At STARDIO, we know exercise is only one component of a healthy lifestyle. &nbsp;As they say, you are what you eat. Food is the fuel for our engines! &nbsp;Everything starts from within and in 2023, people should not be making the choice of whether they can afford to eat. Whilst this campaign won’t change the world, we hope that we can at least contribute to the Trussell’s Trust's amazing work, whose mission is to end UK hunger. <img src="/uploads/The_STARDIO_Workouts_ec09716cf3.jpg"> You will be among the first beta users to take a virtual workout on STARDIO LIVE&nbsp; &nbsp;How will it work? If you are based in the UK, and have a laptop with a webcam, you are welcome to join one of our three amazing classes. &nbsp;All fitness levels are welcome! Each class is no longer than 40 minutes long, and they span HIIT, Martial Arts and Weights to Music, so there is something for everyone. <a href="https://stardio.com/blog/stardio-good-sessions-how-to-join" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Want to join a class? &nbsp;Click here for instructions on how to sign up!</a> For every person that joins one of the GOOD SESSIONS classes, the STARDIO team will donate £12 + £3 to the Trussell Trust. &nbsp;Not only will participants have a great experience in the comfort of their own homes, but the feel-good factor of the workout will be even greater knowing that their efforts have contributed to the mission. No donations are required by the participants, and the classes are completely free. Would you like to ‘bring a friend?' &nbsp;The more people who join a class, the more we donate, so please feel free to spread the word! Film your workout - Get paid £20 If you film yourself during the workout, &nbsp;you will be paid £20 if we can use it in future promotional videos. &nbsp;To do this, please film on a stable surface, in landscape mode, and send the video to <a href="mailto:jonathan@stard.io">jonathan@stard.io</a> via wetransfer. &nbsp;<h3 style="text-align:center;">The GOOD SESSIONS 2023 Online Classes &nbsp;</h3><img src="/uploads/adele_fights_facebook_3_9838d13c93.jpg"> &nbsp;FIGHT ! By Adele Andersen / JAN 12TH 18.30&nbsp;&nbsp; Martial arts-inspired workout to music. This 40-minute choreographed class will have you punching, weaving, dodging, kicking and uppercutting your way to the top of your class! <a href="https://stardio.com/blog/stardio-good-sessions-how-to-join" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HOW TO BOOK&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;<hr> <img src="/uploads/kat_powers_facebook_1_1f52cf104a.jpg"> POWER! by Kat Hutchinson / JAN 12TH 18.30&nbsp;&nbsp;(FULLY BOOKED) A merciless HIIT workout not for the faint of heart. &nbsp;A 30-minute workout for those who like their workouts high energy and to be pushed to the limits!&nbsp; <a href="https://stardio.com/blog/stardio-good-sessions-how-to-join" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HOW TO BOOK</a><hr> <img src="/uploads/sian_burns_facebook_post_1_905dc693d0.jpg"> &nbsp; BURN! by Sian Armour / JAN 11TH 18.45 Grab your 1-2kg dumbbells for this strength, movement &amp; toning workout set to an amazing soundtrack &nbsp;spread over 30 amazing minutes! &nbsp;<a href="https://stardio.com/blog/stardio-good-sessions-how-to-join" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HOW TO BOOK</a><hr> <a href="https://stardio.com/blog/stardio-good-sessions-how-to-join" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Want to join a class? &nbsp;Click here for instructions on how to sign up!</a> Where the donations will go? The donation will go to the Trussell Trust, which supports over 1300 food banks in their nationwide network. The donation STARDIO makes on your behalf will help their mission and further details about their work can be found <a href="https://www.trusselltrust.org/2020/10/13/what-do-we-spend-donations-on/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;If the STARDIO GOOD SESSIONS Workouts are not something that interests you, please consider a donation to one of the food banks they represent. Each is an individual charity in its own right and handles its own donations, so if you wish to support a specific foodbank of your choosing, the best way forward would be for you to contact that local food bank directly.&nbsp;&nbsp; You can find your local food bank along with their contact details and individual website <a href=" https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>: ABOUT STARDIO STARDIO is the world’s first live fitness streaming platform for people wanting the accountability and motivation of live instructor-led classes, but with quality close to ‘On Demand’ classes. Participants can find their perfect qualified instructor and enjoy unlimited classes every month. &nbsp;Not only can they support all the hard work, devotion and training that goes into the life-changing professional of group-ex coaching, but participants can enjoy healthy, fun, exciting fitness experiences without the hassle and cost of going to the gym. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;STARDIO beta launches early January 2023. &nbsp;To stay up to date, please consider following us on social media via the links below, or if you are a fitness instructor who looking to move to a hybrid model in the New Year, feel free to sign up for our newsletter. Please consider following us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Stardiolive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/Stardiolive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a>. &nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTORS Meet Kat Hutchinson &nbsp;I've been a fitness instructor since 2015. I absolutely love teaching group exercise classes, helping people fall in love with fitness and coaching them to reach their goals. I thrive on the atmosphere in classes and love the supportive environment when everyone is working hard together. Whether you're a nervous first-timer or a front-row athlete, you will always find a warm, welcoming environment where you're challenged but also supported and encouraged. I've come a long way in my own personal fitness journey (through serious health issues and setbacks). I firmly believe we are all capable of great things and my goal is to help as many people as possible realize their potential. Together, we are unstoppable! Outside of teaching fitness classes, I'm an ultra-marathon runner having competed in numerous mountain races in the UK and Europe. I enjoy the challenge of pushing my limits to see what I'm physically and mentally capable of. There's nothing quite like the feeling of flying down a mountain trail or crossing that finish line. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kat.s.hutchinson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kat.the.hutch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> Meet Adele Andersen My classes are all about great tunes, moves and fun. I love to banter with my participants who particularly appreciate my pets caught crashing class (and often have one of my own cats onscreen).&nbsp; I teach freestyle combat, flow, HIIT, strength and mobility classes, encouraging high-quality movement. I also keep a close eye on everyone in class and love to engage directly to create an interactive, community-centred feel. As well as teaching online, I has an outdoor bootcamp in west London. Outside of fitness, I have recently discovered the joys of gardening, love everything to do with horses (including horseback combat sports), stalk my husband’s band, engage in the frequent snugging of cats, and have just finished a fantasy novel. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AAFitOnline" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adeleandersenfitness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a> <a href="https://www.adeleandersen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Website</a> Meet Sian Armour I began teaching in 2014 &amp; simply LOVE group fitness! I’m qualified in Exercise to Music Level 2 and an Ambassador for <a href="https://www.thejunglebody.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Jungle Body</a> programmes. As our fitness business grew, I recruited my husband Mark and now team teach most days. My main aim is to help others succeed in their fitness goals as well as making them realise that fitness can be fun!! When not teaching, I love to take long walks with my labrador, have a new found love of running and most of all spending time with my family.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thejunglebodyfife/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thejunglebodyfife " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>

STARDIO’s charity takeover, GOOD SESSIONS 2023, is a wonderful way to start the year.  You workout.  We donate! 

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The STARDIO Charity Workout Takeover in Aid of Trussell Trust

So you want to have a great fun class whilst raising money for a great cause? That is great news! Because just by working out, STARDIO will donate £12 + 3 Gift Aid to The Trussell Trust Foundation on your behalf. There is no donation required from you and the class is free. &nbsp;All we want you to bring is your enthusiasm and energy! Please note, STARDIO is not currently optimised for use on a tablet computer or mobile device. &nbsp;Please register using a desktop computer. Here is how you can book a spot on one of the special classes. Don't forget, if you film your workout, and send it to us, we might use part of it for a follow up video. Whether we use your video or not, you will be paid £20 for your time.&nbsp; You will first need to decide which class is right for you. &nbsp;All classes are approx 30-40 minutes long and each one is very different. You can read about the classes below. &nbsp;Once you have decided which class you would like to join, click on BOOK NOW (But please read the remaining instructions in this blog post before doing so). Don’t forget your best pose for the group picture at the end! Please note, as there is a limit of 25 people for my class. &nbsp;If you book and are not able to attend for any reason, please email your instructor or you can cancel your booking from within the STARDIO dashboard. IMPORTANT NOTE Some people have expressed concerns that, even though it is free, the platform still asks for you to put in your bank details. &nbsp;We completely understand this. &nbsp;When STARDIO launches, people will subscribe to their instructors through the platform. &nbsp;This is the way the platform has been coded, so whilst we have reduced the price to zero, it still requires the bank details to progress to the next step. We can assure you, STARDIO does not have access to bank details. We use <a href="https://stripe.com/en-gb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stripe </a>to handle this and it's 100% secure. &nbsp;We can also assure you that, even though the words on the website suggest you are ‘subscribing’, once the charity event is over, your account will be deleted. &nbsp;It would be too expensive for us to change the system (literally thousands of pounds) for a one-off event, so we have to work with the system we have, in order to do this. We are genuine people hoping to do something positive but we naturally understand any concerns. If you do have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact the founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathantustain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jonathan Tustain</a> at jonathan@stard.io. &nbsp;<hr> FIGHT! by Adele AndersenMartial arts-inspired workout to music. This 40 minute choreographed class will have you punching, weaving, dodging, kicking and uppercutting your way to the top of your class! &nbsp;With a killer soundtrack that will bring out the fighter in you, this session will get out any inner aggression and leave you feeling FAB after!! Intensity / Medium Equipment / None required Date / Jan 12th 18.30 <a href="https://app.stard.io/session/5e25e8bc-fbad-4420-930a-2d249fc0ae7b" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BOOK HERE</a><hr> POWER ! by Kat Hutchinson A merciless HIIT workout not for the faint of heart. A 30-minute workout for those who like their workouts high energy and to be pushed to the limits! &nbsp;This HIIT sweat fest will have you crying for mercy but prepare for an endorphin mega hit at the end! &nbsp;Includes a ladder challenge, unpredictable coach calls and of course - plenty of tuck jumps! Intensity / High Equipment / None required Date /&nbsp;Jan 12th 18.30 &nbsp;FULLY BOOKED. &nbsp;NO LONGER TAKING BOOKINGS.<hr> BURN ! by Sian Armour Strength &amp; toning, with light weights BURN! is a transformative dumbbell &amp; resistance band workout that will totally redefine your physique, ignite your muscles &amp; flood your body with endorphins. BURN's unique method features high-repetition movements &amp; a carefully curated playlist to inspire the mind, body &amp; soul. The result is a stronger, leaner &amp; more agile body with a side of good vibes. Intensity / Medium Equipment / light dumbells Date /&nbsp;Jan 11th 18.45 <a href="https://app.stard.io/session/fd43cf35-0390-4f85-a8ef-bfdf5306e824" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BOOK HERE</a><hr> WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO NEXT… Once you have decided on your class, click the corresponding ‘Book Now’ link above but read the following instructions first.<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/Event_page_76badba1ee.PNG"></figure>&nbsp;Subscribe to instructor Hit ‘Subscribe’. &nbsp;Don’t worry. &nbsp;You will not be entered into an ongoing subscription. &nbsp;When STARDIO launches, it will work on a subscription basis, but as soon as the class is over, your subscription and accounts will be closed. Register a free STARDIO LIVE account. First, select ‘PARTICIPANT’ and enter your email address, set a password. Then click each box to proceed. You will receive a verification code. &nbsp;If you can’t find it in your inbox, please check your spam or promotions folder.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/welcome_to_stardio_0426b78e99.PNG"></figure>Enter your personal details, such as name and bio, although the bio and interests fields are entirely optional for the purpose of this event.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/Filled_personal_details_727ace66d3.PNG"></figure>Next, you will be asked to submit your card details. &nbsp;Again, this is not to sign you up for a subscription. &nbsp;We have changed the pricing to free. You will never be charged. As soon as the class is over, your details will be deleted. &nbsp;STARDIO uses Stripe to securely process your financial details and does not have access to them.<img src="/uploads/Financial_Information_e7c22fd4ed.PNG"> You may be asked to verify your card with your bank. &nbsp;Once you have done that, you will be automatically booked on the class! PLEASE NOTE Some people have been asking if this is a free one-off event, why bank details are required. STARDIO will officially launch in early 2023, and will be a platform for fitness instructors to earn a monthly income from subscribers who wish to join their online classes. &nbsp;That is the way the platform has been built. &nbsp;In order for us to do this event, we have to operate in the way the platform has been set up. &nbsp;It would be very costly and time-consuming to change for one event. &nbsp;Even though we have reduced the price to zero, the system has been coded to ask for bank details (as normally people will have to pay).&nbsp; Once the event is over, your ‘subscription’ and accounts will be deleted. &nbsp;Your card will NEVER be charged anything. &nbsp;All finances are processed securely by <a href="https://stripe.com/gb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stripe</a> and STARDIO does not have access to your details. If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathantustain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jonathan Tustain</a> at jonathan@stard.io.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/booked_class_48259d5b48.PNG"></figure> Join your instructor's Whatsapp group Next, you will need to join the Instructor’s Whatsapp group, specially set up for this charity event. Head to your Dashboard and click on your Instructor (scroll to ‘Instructors you follow’). When you click on the Instructor’s profile, you will notice an icon that says ‘JOIN THE GROUP’. &nbsp;Click on that so you can ask your instructor any questions up to the class and ‘meet’ your fellow team! &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/Join_the_group_57aa115cb2.PNG"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/Join_the_chat_72dbd0c746.PNG"></figure>&nbsp;<hr> How to join the stream So you have cleared some space, got a bottle of water ready, maybe a towel and are ready to give it your all! Please ensure you have your laptop ready, with your webcam and microphone working correctly. &nbsp;Be sure to use a laptop or desktop computer, rather than a tablet computer or mobile device. You will be able to join the class 5 minutes before the scheduled start time. When the time is right, log in to your STARDIO account with the same credentials as before. &nbsp;On your Dashboard, you will see the class you have booked. 5 minutes before the start time of the class, refresh your browser and you will notice a new button called JOIN SESSION. &nbsp;Click that to be taken to the Waiting Room.&nbsp;<img src="/uploads/Join_session_82a4a454d8.PNG"> Be sure to select the correct microphone and camera… &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/choose_correct_mic_8e21a97b8f.jpg"></figure> Hit LET’s DO THIS! &nbsp;and you will join the others in the Waiting Room, ready for an awesome class!! Pump up your speakers LOUD! &nbsp;The music is amazing and will give you that extra energy!! Once the class is over, your Instructor will ask you all to pose, so we can post a grid image of everyone, along with how much money was raised in aid of the Trussell Trust, to be posted on social media. &nbsp;Please have your pose ready! &nbsp;However, if you DO NOT wish to be in the picture, you can turn your camera off via the camera icon. If you have any questions, leading up to the workout, or are having any issues logging into the love class, please send your question on your Whatsapp group, where a member of the STARDIO team will reply straight away!<hr> WIN A MYZONE SWITCH!!! We have one MZ-Switch to give away per GOOD SESSIONS class. We would love to get some video of a few of you working out, in case we can use some clips for future promotions with STARDIO. If you film a part or even the whole of your workout, and submit your video to STARDIO, you might be randomly selected to win a MyZone Switch. &nbsp;We have ten to give away. &nbsp;Once you have filmed your footage, you can email contact@stard.io for instructions as to how to send the file.<hr> Questions you might have Q) I am new to exercise. &nbsp;Will I be okay participating? &nbsp;Don’t worry! &nbsp;During each class, the Instructor will offer lower impact options and you will always be invited to take a break and return to the workout if needed. &nbsp;If you are completely new to exercise, we would probably not advise the POWER! Class, by Kat Hutchinson, Q) &nbsp;If this is a one-off and free, why do you need my bank details? &nbsp;STARDIO will officially launch in early 2023, and will be a platform for fitness instructors to earn a monthly income from subscribers who wish to join their online classes. &nbsp;That is the way the platform has been built. &nbsp;In order for us to do this event, we have to operate in the way the platform has been set up. &nbsp;It would be very costly and time-consuming to change for one event. &nbsp;Even though we have reduced the price to zero, the system has been coded to ask for bank details (as normally people will have to pay).&nbsp; Once the event is over, your ‘subscription’ and accounts will be deleted. &nbsp;Your card will NEVER be charged anything. &nbsp;All finances are processed securely by Stripe and STARDIO does not have access to your details. Q) &nbsp;What will you do with my data? &nbsp;Am I signing up to a database? Absolutely not. &nbsp;Again, the system will normally require people to register an account and this is the only way we can deliver these charity classes. &nbsp;Once the class is over, your account will be deleted. &nbsp; Q) Are your instructors insured and qualified? Absolutely! &nbsp;Our GOOD SESSIONS instructors are hugely experienced and fully qualified - we partnered with them because they are exceptionally good :-) Q) Am I expected to donate any money to Trussell Trust or pay anything? Not at all. STARDIO will donate on your behalf. &nbsp;We are doing this to encourage people to get fit and to also contribute to a great cause. &nbsp;Of course, you are more than welcome to donate separately via this link.&nbsp;&nbsp;

How to join a free workout and raise money in aid of The Trussell Trust 

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STARDIO GOOD SESSIONS - How to join

TOKYO MACHINE is the artist behind several of the tracks featured in the high intensity workout ARCADIA. &nbsp;He is the producer behind PLAY (Stealth Level), JOURNEY (Stealth Level), COOKIES (Jump Level) and BLAST (Stealth Level) and EPIC (Jump Level) in ARCADIA.&nbsp;TOKYO MACHINE debuted on Monstercat with his track “PARTY”, which was released in July 2016, followed quickly by breakbeat slammer “FIGHT”. The artist, who is never without his signature mask and shades, fuses 8-bit sounds with fierce, heavy basslines and energetic electronic beats.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/uploads/Tokyo_Machine_Artist_6314c578dd.jpg"> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Heavily involved with video games as a player and streamer on <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/tokyomachine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitch</a>, he has produced music for many games including a collaboration with Monstercat for Rocket League.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tokyo Machine is rarely without his two animal companions Tokimon and Robo.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/uploads/The_Tokyo_Machine_Plushies_2b53919ddf.jpg"> Tokyo Machine’s iconic right-hand bunny, Robo, has been adventuring around the world with Toki since 2016. Workout buddies? Both are available in cuddly form as Plushies from <a href="https://youtooz.com/search?q=tokyo+machine&amp;type=product" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Youtooz</a>. His music has won millions of plays and support from the likes of Tiësto, Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Dillon Francis, Afrojack, Slushii, Herobust and more.<h3> TOKYO MACHINE Exclusive Interview&nbsp;</h3> You have performed over 70 shows, but Slaughterhouse was your first European gig since covid. How did it go down? Was there a different 'feeling' to it, after two years of lockdowns? Definitely surprised, the energy was nuts, especially easy to notice in a smaller packed venue like that. Hearing the crowd sing along to my earliest songs warms my heart and I almost forgot what that feels like after these two blurry years. And let me tell you, European Toki-Crew knows how to party!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;First time I noticed it playing Bootshaus in Cologne, but they really do love to mosh, even to some of my more melodic stuff. Music to my eyes!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/uploads/Tokyo_Machine_Art_5688c893a7.jpg">&nbsp; &nbsp;Fans can post Tokyo Machine fan art on the official Tokyo Machine fan art <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tokyomachinefanart/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram account.</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSTQg1OqmyU&amp;feature=emb_title"></oembed></figure>&nbsp;Tokyo Machine at Dreamworld 2020&nbsp;&nbsp; EPIC, COOKIES, JOURNEY, PLAY and BLAST - We licensed them all! I know you have a special pride for EPIC. What is it about EPIC that stands out for you?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I've always wanted to do a triumphant pirate-themed or adventure-themed song. I was playing a little Sea Of Thieves at the time and I think it finally pushed me to do it. It was certainly slightly outside of my usual chiptune/16-bit scope, especially considering all the organic instruments I wanted to throw in - including my whistling! But putting the whole thing together felt really good, like a breeze of fresh air, no pun intended. On top of that, like you said - the opportunities it brought me have been wonderful, so it's hard for me not to count it as a success!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Many of your tracks lend themselves so well to fitness experiences. A track like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ib1oA-xtUw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Last Summer (Lyrics) ft. Lights by Tokyo Machine &amp; Weird Genius</a> would be incredible for a cooldown track, after the more frenetic energy of a track like BLAST. Have you considered your music would be used to get people moving (fitness wise) before VR apps came along? Did you see PLAY be used as one of the agility tracks in Body Attack?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Haha that's nuts! I assumed people would be listening to my stuff at the gym, but never expected it to be on such a scale! PLAY was always meant to be a shout-along rager so I'm not surprised it helps people get their blood pumping. When I noticed that on the gym playlists my songs were being added on a weekly basis, I realized the potential.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “THOSE RED AND BLUE BLOCKS AIN'T GONNA SLASH THEMSELVES, YA KNOW.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;VR did change the game for me though. Ever since Beat Saber incorporated my tracks, I noticed the power of very rhythmic staccato stuff. Those red and blue blocks ain't gonna slash themselves, ya know. As for cooling down after a workout - believe it or not I'm actually working on chillout lo-fi versions of my first 10 tracks released with Monstercat, so that one day after you build some muscle to the drop of PARTY, you can then drink your protein shake listening to PARTY (TOKYO MACHINE Lo-Fi Remix).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Your videos are heavily influenced by retro gaming - where did that love come from? I am thinking like the Toki 5000 and Capslock Quest arcade machine?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The first console I ever owned was the NES. I can't count how many hours I spent on the Gradius, Contra and the whole Mario franchise... okay, and Bubble Bobble. To me the gameplay was 50% of the fun, the other 50% were the soundtracks. That stuff stays with you, man. I've always been fighting to bring back that nostalgia factor somehow and seeing a gap in the EDM scene I decided to take a stab at it!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;As I said earlier - the music is always meant to be just 50% of the experience. So naturally everything else is the universe I'm building, including visuals, worlds, characters, cabinets, posters, merch and everything in between. A recent cherry on top was Konami contracting me to do the official remix for Gradius' 35th Anniversary. This timeline is so unpredictable, haha!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;About the visuals - how involved are you with the characters and the LED side of your live shows?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As much as I am the animator for all of my art and videos (aside from the Last Summer music video), a huge credit goes to Amanda (@gameshrimp) for designing all of the characters and settings I get to work with, pretty much perfectly according to my specs and ideas. I've been impressed by her art ever since her earlier work with Pegboard Nerds and Savant and was extremely happy to find out she was really excited to work on Toki together. I am planning something big for the upcoming years, though - A way more visual, story-based, narrative experience than until now. Just waiting for the right time!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQfrnMpSRMc&amp;feature=emb_title"></oembed></figure>&nbsp;

An exclsuive interview with TOKYO MACHINE

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TOKYO MACHINE Exclusive Interview

<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Behind the scenes of YouTube's most brutal workout - ARCADIA&nbsp;</h2> Earlier this year, along with my co-founder Adrian Iliescu, I produced a pilot workout called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zztXoNAv_Ko" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ARCADIA</a>. This high-intensity cardio workout fuses the aesthetics of the 1990s arcade era, rhythm game style music, bespoke authentic animations, special effects and creative choreography.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zztXoNAv_Ko"></oembed></figure> I have always wanted workouts to be akin to TV episodes, based on music, film and gaming, so took the opportunity to create a workout that looked, sounded and hopefully felt different to the content you get with Video on Demand platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;During the lockdown, I spent a lot of time crafting workouts, complete with cinematic trailers, to stream through Zoom with friends. This included Alien V Terminator, Brutal Berlin and Race to Rio. These were time-consuming to put together, but let’s face it, there was plenty of that available when stuck inside!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;To me, fitness can be another form of entertainment, and there are hundreds of ideas that have not even been tried yet.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ARCADIA was designed to scale up some of the ideas and lay the grounding of a series of gaming-themed workouts that fitness instructors can teach to their clients on the forthcoming <a href="https://stardio.com/">STARDIO</a> platform.&nbsp; The narrative of ARCADIA is influenced by the simplistic gameplay of arcade games of the 80s and 90s. The workout is split into 4 ‘levels’ and completion of each level awards a token. When all four tokens are collected at the end, a code is revealed to download the more intense ARCADIA BRUTAL DELUXE, from a specially created microsite.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The microsite was a place for people to read exclusive interviews with the music artists behind the music, such as Nitro Fun, Kasai Harcores and TOKYO MACHINE, download pictures, watch a ‘behind the scenes' video and view profiles of the instructors, or ‘gamesmasters’. People could also win prizes, generously donated by Monstercat, Myzone® and PUMA Group.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The inspiration &nbsp;As someone who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, I have fond nostalgic memories of that era, especially with gaming. I don’t appear to be alone, with a huge resurgence in retro gaming of late. The company <a href="https://retrogames.biz/">Retro Games</a> launched the C64 for new audiences, SEGA re-released their original Mega Drive console and YouTubers such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/Nostalgianerd">Nostalgia Nerd</a> receive hundreds of thousands of views per video.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;When I look around my local area of Digbeth, where we filmed ARCADIA (and also where Spielberg shot some of the scenes in Ready Player One), it is like stepping back into the 80’s, with bars such as <a href="https://nq64.co.uk/">NQ64</a> and <a href="https://www.thefloodgate.co.uk/">The Floodgate</a> bringing back the beauty of creative graffiti, original arcade cabinets and spectacular neon lighting. Trendy yes. Fun - definitely. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/Picture1_c48d3579fd.jpg"></figure> I wanted to inject that sheer sense of fun into ARCADIA, where it was more about the movements, the energy and the music, than just the workout itself. I wanted it to be as authentic as possible, from the locations to the way the animations were produced.Fortunately, I hit gold with the animations, after being introduced to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissayer?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAAHIjngB6gYatvhzCrjDPTUuGBOeDW8HcVA">Chris Sayer</a> from <a href="https://www.picnicstudio.tv/">Picnic Studio</a>. Chris is an award-winning VFX artist who is just as much of a geek as I am.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; His focus on detail was incredible, and it was amazing to work with a guy who shared the same gaming experiences as I did.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="/uploads/Blog_Arcadia_Animations_7b7a014626.png"> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="/uploads/Blog_Arcadia_Opening_Sequence_a10e31643c.jpg"> Influence&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;When crafting the workout, I watched a lot of YouTube videos of games from the era. I soon realised that the genres lent themselves well to different styles of workouts. For example, games like OutRun and Daytona Racing scream speed and energy, ideal for aerobics-style cardio. Titles such as Fatal Fury and Streets of Rage naturally inspire mixed martial arts and combat-style exercise. Platformers like Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario feature a lot of jumping and side-scrolling - perfect for plyo and lateral cardio! And of course, games like Metal Gear Solid, which are slower and more deliberate, are the perfect inspiration for bodyweight strength classes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;With this in mind, I broke the workout down into four levels, NITRO, JUMP, FIGHT and STEALTH, with four End of Level Boss rounds, in the Brutal Deluxe edition (the name itself inspired by Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe by The Bitmap Brothers).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;To get an idea of how the grade, animations and overall style for the microsite should look, there was a lot of YouTube viewing, Pinterest surfing and retro gaming websites, to pick out key styles, colour schemes and fonts to be consistent throughout. Walking around NQ64 was very inspirational in itself - the sounds were hypnotic, the colours otherworldly and the lighting immersive.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Special effects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Video on-demand workouts can be formulaic so I wanted to feature elements of surprise. I have an absolute giant Google Docs document with so many ideas that can be injected into home exercise to make it progressive, unpredictable and challenging, but for ARCADIA, I wanted to use effects that were relevant to gaming.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/uploads/Blog_ARCADIA_Stealth_Mode_and_NITRO_Boost_c397a4defd.jpg"> &nbsp;&nbsp; Overclock was where the workout timer malfunctions and starts rising again when it almost hits zero (so cruel I know!), Stealth Mode (which I was inspired by the Slomo scenes from the film Judge Dredd) is when the ‘enemy is close’ and the participants have to do the moves in slow motion, adding to the challenge. Nitro Boost was the opposite, sort of like the Turbo Mode you have in Chase HQ2, where the participant speeds up.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/uploads/Blog_ARCADIA_End_of_Boss_Graphics_bae24f1e2a.png">&nbsp;The narrative&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;ARCADIA was originally one scene in a larger workout called Miami Nights, which was a concept workout that featured cut scenes shot in a casino, car park and Chinatown, and told a story over the duration of an hour. However, for reasons of scale, I decided to make ARCADIA the main workout on this occasion.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The structure of the workout was decided first, which involved multiple conversations with Picnic Studio. Animations and the quasi-form of gameplay had to be fed through to the script of the workout, and after a lot of storyboarding, we established the layout and game mechanics. Obviously there was no true interactivity to the workout (Although I have plenty of ideas for one!) but I wanted to offer a sense of gameplay. The goal of the workout was to unlock a golden token at the end, with the reward being a code to unlock the special version of the workout - ARCADIA BRUTAL DELUXE, which featured four additional end-of-level boss scenes. Each ‘Boss’ gets progressively harder, from Mini-Boss to Final-Boss.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="/uploads/Blog_ARCADIA_Filming_Bonus_Scenes_db45128fbb.jpg"> &nbsp;&nbsp; Taking inspiration from modern mobile phone games, each level starts locked, and only when the preceding level is over, the next one is unlocked, awarding one of four tokens.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/uploads/Blog_ARCADIA_Justin_prepares_for_his_martial_arts_scene_0b8416cf9f.jpg">&nbsp;Music The next stage was music - the essential element of any workout. As a highly choreographed workout, this was a very time-consuming process. Music in general can make or break a workout.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;When I go to Blaze by David Lloyd Leisure, I am always impressed with the way they incorporate bespoke music and audio effects to augment a sense of drama to the workout.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I have literally been known to play Strong Nation and Les Mills International Grit workouts in the background as I work, simply for the amazing music.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;For ARCADIA, I wanted a soundtrack that people would want to listen to after the workout had finished. The cost of licensing original music artist was considerable, in comparison to using royalty-free music. These days, royalty-free music is of exceptional quality, from providers such as ALIBI Music, or even exercise music specialists, like Pure Energy Go. However, because ARCADIA was so specific in its theming, I decided to incorporate music that I wanted for its fit, with its very specific sound.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/uploads/Blog_ARCADIA_music_production_6c890099fc.jpg"> &nbsp;&nbsp; You can split workouts into two types - choreographed and non-choreographed. Non-choreographed is less time-consuming, as you are using the track as background to the moves, rather than guiding the moves. To assist with choreography, 32-count music can make things more simple, again designed for exercise.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;32-count music is naturally divided into phrases, which can be broken into smaller parts called measures, which normally consist of 4 beats of music, simplifying choreography, but none of the music I licensed was 32-count, meaning I needed to be more creative in the choreography.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Having heard PLAY, by TOKYO MACHINE, during a Les Mills Body Attack workout, I knew that was exactly the sort of sound I wanted, which led me to discover Canadian independent electronic music record label Monstercat who represents TOKYO MACHINE.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This opened up a whole new world of future bass, speedcore and video game-style music.&nbsp;It was an absolute pleasure working with Monstercat, whose support for the project was amazing. They even facilitated the interviews with the music artists for the microsite and it was actually very difficult to settle on a final playlist, such was the choice of incredible music.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;It took weeks to listen to many tracks, choosing ones that first were tight for the workout, but also ones that I felt I could choreograph moves to, that had breaks in the tracks, build-ups and speedy moments.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;For the FIGHT level, as someone who grow up playing Streets of Rage, I contacted the soundtrack composers Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima and was over the moon to be able to license three of the tracks composed for the beat-em-up masterpiece.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;For the bonus scenes, we needed bespoke tracks, so commissioned Music Producer and Sound Designer <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewconsoli?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAAZkfNMBnE1jxvi0KkwTrh1WKT3P38pa5fc">Andrew Consoli</a> to create 4 bonus tracks that included audio effects such as Overclock, Stealth Mode, Beep challenge and Nitro Boost. We partnered with DJ and vocalist <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-vox-danielarhodes?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAB7soAUBm2IeKmozZECZFzoY-NUDU7pZilE">D-Vox / Daniela Rhodes</a>, to record the voiceovers, which were laid onto the soundtracks, along with support from <a href="http://www.laurentschark.com/">Laurent Schark</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Talent&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Looking for instructors was a challenge. I know many instructors, but there is a difference between teaching a live class to a group, to instructing a workout to three cameras. As opposed to a live group ex setting, where people can get cues from the surrounding people, a video class requires more vocal cueing and instruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I posted an advert on social media and chose four instructors after video auditioning. Unfortunately right at the last minute, one of the instructors could not do it, so I had to personally step in at the last minute! That was never the plan and I still cringe when watching myself back when I was meant to always be behind the camera!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The Choreography&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Once I had established the playlist, I built up a bank of moves I wanted to incorporate. I roughly laid these down onto video editing software and got creative with how they can be adapted to the beat of the music. It took about 4 weeks to complete the choreography. I would create the training videos in my apartment, unfortunately upsetting the neighbours a few times, before sending the video choreography. We rehearsed in our local F45 before the filming days.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The microsite&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The <a href="https://stardio.com/arcadia">microsite</a> took some time, but the artists behind the music were so humble and accommodating. We started with a design that we can re-format for future workouts, and incorporated the animation artwork from the workout. We secured interviews with most of the artists behind the playlist, with support from Monstercat. I was so humbled by the artists themselves - so enthusiastic and supportive. It would take 2-3 hours to light. Sometimes we ran out of time to shoot on-set special effects, which can be disheartening when you have worked on them!Doing this again, I would shoot 3 episodes back to back and have each instructor shoot their 3 different sequences in one day. This keeps the lighting, and sound all the same and would make for a more efficient shoot, both in time and costs.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I would also have three camera people filming at the same time and include the gimble within the shot, so the gimble was recording in real-time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/uploads/Arcadia_Behind_the_Scenes_in_NQ_64_Birmingham_c307d997da.jpg"> &nbsp;&nbsp; Finding the balance between cueing, choreo, presentation and instruction&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;That is a bit of a mouthful! But let me explain. Because ARCADIA was quite ‘visual’ with all the animations and quasi-gamification elements, there was sometimes a priority given to how it LOOKED over the instruction to follow at home.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;On the choreography front, there were moves I would not repeat again, such as the highly lateral moves, due to many people only have limited space to workout in.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I learnt that cueing on a workout video is different to cueing in a class environment. For example, when you are doing floor moves, there needs to be a lot more audio cueing, as you don’t have people around you like you would in a gym studio, so you can follow the moves in your peripheral. In the edit, my priority went to the style over the instruction. I have to remember - we are not making a music video - we are making an instructional video.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Go easy on the detail&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I over-engineered some of it. Clothes were chosen based on the colour schemes. Even the additional lighting hired for the bonus scenes took time to programme, from the lighting sequences to what the colours were. People would never notice such minor details in the final video!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Know what you can do yourself&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One of the biggest takeaways for me on this is that when you throw so much passion into a project, but there are certain elements to its production that you are not skilled in, it can be worth having a bit more self-belief and even dedicating time to learning. When paying other people, you are working on a per-hour basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I ended up producing the trailer myself, as only I would put the time in, learning some basic Adobe After Effects skills and not worried about how long things would take to render.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The edit took a lot of time. Most of the editing was me pointing out errors, sending long lists of people in the background, bad continuity, crew in shot etc, as well as doing my own edits to show how the choreography should look.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I even produced the special effects scenes myself, so if I can do that, I can do the actual main edit too next time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With so many tutorials online, people should have faith in themselves. If you have the time and passion, nobody will put the same effort in as you, who are not as invested in your project.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;If you are feeling brave <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zztXoNAv_Ko" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">why&nbsp;not&nbsp;head to YouTube</a> and try it for yourself! &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

ARCADIA is an arcade themed high intensity workout that fuses authentic animations with a killer soundtrack.

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What we learnt making YouTube's most brutal workout - ARCADIA

Instructors are Superstars. We know that, so let's SHOUT ABOUT IT! <img src="/uploads/calling_group_ex_instructors_ff24b88b20.jpg"> Get paid £50 to share your group exercise experiences in 5-minute video. I am looking for 20 group exercise instructors to share their honest thoughts on what is involved in being a great group exercise instructor. &nbsp;If you would love to join us and get the word out, and you would like to send a video, please email <a href="mailto:jonathan@stard.io">jonathan@stard.io</a> and let us know you plan to send a video :-) <a href="https://stardio.com/#subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="/uploads/waiting_list_90bf0762f4.jpg"></a> I have long known how much time, energy, commitment and preparation group exercise instructors have to put into their craft. &nbsp;It was group ex instructors who literally changed my life, from being overweight and unfit, to entering the industry myself. Ever since my own training, I now know I had previously under-appreciated the sheer time commitment of planning classes, learning and rehearsing choreography, attending training and all the administrative work that goes with it, never mind the costs involved. When I put together the <a href="https://youtu.be/zztXoNAv_Ko" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ARCADIA workout,</a> the sheer time dedicated to choreography, music selection and crafting the moves to follow a journey of peaks and troughs, ensuring the right mix of heart rate intensity and rest times, was more challenging than I could have imagined. During the shoot, my mind was filled with remembering the script, cueing, previewing forthcoming moves, offering options and trying to concentrate on not sounding completely out of breath! And I didn't even have an audience watching my every move. Group exercise classes are to me, the equivalent of performing on stage multiple times a week, where all eyes are on you. It really is a mastery of presentation, communication, interaction and the ability to read the audience. &nbsp;The multitasking is so intense - offering options, remembering the cues, keeping everyone motivated and excited, watching out for people’s alignment; all in real-time. Regardless of any injuries you may have developed after so much training and teaching, or even if you are just having a bad day, you have to be just as smiley, enthusiastic and motivating on the 20th class as much as the 1st that week, and still give time to clients who want your advice after class.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/Fitness_instructors_dedicate_everything_63a877888c.jpg"></figure> It sounds as cheesy as F@$K, but for me, a group instructor is more than an instructor. He or she is a motivator, a mental health worker, an administrator, a performer and genuinely a life changer (certainly in my case!). We want to create a video of ‘Instructor Stories’ that we would love you to share and be part of! I am inviting group exercise instructors to upload a video to us, to share their experiences, of no more than 5 minutes each. &nbsp;To thank you for your time, you will be paid £50. Thank you for listening! Jonathan <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Stardiolive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow on Facebook</a>. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/stardiolive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow on Instagram</a>.<hr><h3>How to submit.</h3> So I can edit the videos together, please read the script below and add in the personalised information. &nbsp;&nbsp; As soon as you are committed to sending a video, please email <a href="mailto:Jonathan@stard.io">Jonathan@stard.io</a> so I don't take too many submissions.&nbsp;&nbsp; Please record the video in a head and shoulder frame. &nbsp;Please try and have a ‘clean’ background. &nbsp;Please try and use an external microphone to ensure the audio quality is good or at least record in a quiet environment. You can either use a webcam or your phone. &nbsp;If you use a phone, please use a tripod or something to keep it stable. Don’t worry about doing the video all in real time. &nbsp;If you make a mistake that is fine! There is no need to stop recording and try again. &nbsp;You can simply start over and keep recording. &nbsp;If you do wish to say another line again if you can leave a second or so before and after of silence, that just makes it easier for us to edit the video together. &nbsp;We will take care of the editing - Just be your natural amazing self! Once you have finished the video, you can either upload it to YouTube as an Unlisted link. &nbsp;Please upload in the highest quality possible. &nbsp;Or you can Wetransfer the video to me. Once you have done that, please email Jonathan@stard.io with your link, and tell me your full name and any other information you would like to share, such as your website or social media handles. &nbsp;I will also send you an invoice template.&nbsp; Once I have edited the video together, I will email you the link. I will post the video on the STARDIO social media channels, so please feel free to follow us on the links below. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Stardiolive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow on Facebook</a>. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stardiolive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow on Instagram</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/stardio" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Subscribe to YouTube</a> &nbsp;<hr><h3>Script</h3> Introduction&nbsp;&nbsp; (Please leave a few seconds of silence between each line) My name is …&nbsp; I have been a group ex instructor for … (amount of time)&nbsp; I teach … (classes you teach)&nbsp; On average I teach (x) number of classes per month … Freestyle&nbsp; These are more freestyle. &nbsp;Please say the line before the answer. &nbsp;Don’t forget. &nbsp;It’s fine if you want to start over or say a line again. As long as there is a few seconds of silence before the line - there is no need to stop recording. &nbsp;Relax and have fun with it!&nbsp; I love being a group exercise instructor because:&nbsp; How I prepare for hosting an online workout is : (here you can talk about things like going through the choreography in your head, preparing your mindset, hair/makeup, asking for injuries, asking if there are newbies in the audience etc) During a workout I have to remember :After a workout I feel : The funniest OR most embarrassing thing that has happened to me as a group ex instructor is:&nbsp; The hardest thing/s about being a group exercise instructor is:&nbsp; The most time-consuming aspect to be a group exercise instructor is:&nbsp; I love my profession because:&nbsp; The most inspiring/kindest/memorable/touching thing a client has said to me was: &nbsp;&nbsp;

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