Are you a new mom who wants to get in shape after having a baby? Or a not-so-new mom who could use a fitness routine that doesn’t require sitter time to go to the gym? Here’s a new idea for you: It’s called Func bags, and it might just be the solution for you.
“They are essentially sandbags that you can use to do a range of exercises, which you can use at home or at the park – places where your kids can run around while you work out,” says Trevor Spring, the Honolulu Club fitness trainer who invented the bags. “I sell the bags with podcast instructions so you don’t even have to read directions. I tried to make it as simple and convenient as possible, while giving you the best possible workout.”
The sturdy, hotdog-shaped bags are made of tough vinyl material, with handles (or cloth tags that function as handles) in a variety of places. Grab the top handles and you can do bicep curls. Grab the side tags and you can do chest presses. You get the idea. “I call them Func bags because they are functional,” explains Spring. “The reason they work is because they are unstable, so as you do an exercise, you are working your core muscles.”
Spring believes the bags work wonderfully for new moms. “After giving birth, a lot of women are unsure where to re-start their fitness regimen. The abdominal area is stretched out from the pregnancy, and while weight machines can help tone the arms and legs, they don’t use the midsection. My bags engage the whole body.”
He throws me a five pound bag to do some squats with. The bag is easy to cradle. The Func bags range from five to 45 pounds; just add or subtract the sandbags inside to find your desired weight. “Anyone can be challenged with these bags,” Spring assures.
Spring, who started as a personal trainer at the Honolulu Club in 2006, says he wanted to create a versatile workout tool that people could throw in the car and use at the park (like his boot camp clients). “They’re soft, light, and malleable, so you can easily transport it,” explains Spring. He also wanted something that could evolve with people’s fitness levels; hence the bags zip open to accommodate more or fewer sand bags.
He designed the bags in 2008 and plans to sell them at the Honolulu Club. Spring also plans to offer Func classes at the club, so people can learn all the different ways to use the bag. “I want the entire class to progress at the same time, so they’re going to be sign-up classes that last six to eight weeks,” he clarifies.
Originally from upstate New York, Spring’s first career was as a public relations agent promoting concerts. He moved into the field of fitness because, he says, he wanted to change lives.
Spring suggests a few exercises for new moms:
Russian twist: this works obliques
Dead lift and row: the dead lift works the hamstrings and glutes, the row works the back muscles
Trust twist: the twist helps abs, the lunge works gluts and legs, and doing it with correct posture works the back muscles.
To reach Trevor Spring at the Honolulu Club, call 543-3900 or
Trevor@trevorspring.com.
www.honoluluclub.com
