Pvolve promises \u201ctransformational total-body toning\u201d and if Jen at 56 is anything to go by it\u2019s got to be worth a shot. A devotee for years, she loved the concept so much she \u201cjust had to join the company\u201d, and is now a spokesperson and ambassador for the brand. <\/p>\n
Pvolve\u2019s early followers were in their twenties and early thirties and included the likes of Victoria\u2019s Secret models. However, Pvolve\u2019s demographic is now, \u201cskewing older\u201d, according to chief training officer Antonietta Vicario.<\/p>\n
\u201cJen definitely brought more people around her age to us, but the low impact nature of what we do really appeals to women in their forties and fifties. It\u2019s chicken and egg.\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
A study<\/a> from the University of Exeter Medical School, funded by Pvolve, is also fuelling the brand\u2019s popularity with women 40+. It found the training method can improve a range of common physical issues that affect women in menopause<\/a> and is actually more effective than the government\u2019s recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. <\/p>\n What is Pvolve?<\/p>\n Pvolve stands for \u201cpersonal evolution\u201d and promises functional fitness at its best. It pairs low impact movements which originate from physiotherapy with resistance band equipment to sculpt, strengthen and restore the body without the wear and tear of high impact exercise.<\/p>\n The brand\u2019s founder Rachel Katzman had tried almost every fitness fad in New York City in a bid to lose weight. A punishing training regime was making her scoliosis worse, intensifying her back and hip pain. Then she discovered functional fitness classes, where the focus was less on pushing her body to its limits and more on exercises which mimic common movements. Bending, twisting, lifting and loading worked wonders for Katzman \u2013 her musculoskeletal pains went away and her body started to look the way she wanted it to. <\/p>\n She started filming some of her workouts and soon opened her first Pvolve studio in New York. Now there are over sixty studios open or in development across the States and Canada. I\u2019m told the UK is also on her wish list. <\/p>\n Moving through menopause <\/p>\n Like many Pvolve devotees, I occupy the perimenopausal age bracket, so the results of the Uni of Exeter\u2019s recent study made me sit up and listen. On my quest to understand how much faith I should place in the study, I spoke not only with Pvolve\u2019s team but also with a range of experts who shed light on what happens to the body as we age and how the workout might influence common symptoms. <\/p>\n I read horrifying statistics, for example that muscle mass and strength decline between three and seven percent from our late thirties, contributing to an alarming rise in osteoporosis and sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) in menopausal women. <\/p>\n Dr Jan Toledano, founder of the London Hormone Clinic<\/a> explained that, \u201cwhile things like fitness, genetics, nutrition and alcohol consumption affect bone loss, hormones are the main player. Oestrogen is the most important hormone for bone integrity and its decline at menopause means there\u2019s less bone formation and more bone loss. And, as oestrogen supports joints and soft tissue, we find more arthritis and joint inflammation. Testosterone decline also contributes to bone loss and muscle decline and makes it harder to build and maintain muscle mass.\u201d <\/p>\n Toledano goes on to say that hormone replacement therapy<\/a> (HRT) can prevent and reverse all of this. But we can also help ourselves before we get to that point by ensuring we eat well and have sufficient vitamin D, while also doing weight-bearing exercise which stimulates bone growth. \u201cThe key thing is to be aware of all this in advance and work to prevent it, instead of just waiting for it to happen,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n Health coach Jodi Montlake<\/a> agrees. She explains that, \u201cwe may not want to think about the risk of falls and fractures and even death from them in our thirties and forties. These things are probably not on our radar but consider them we must. The sooner we start to build strength, combat muscle loss and work on balance and co-ordination, the better, especially if we want to live long and live strong. Moving in the right way and being proactive puts the power back in our hands and means we can take control of our future selves.\u201d <\/p>\n As a trip to the States to visit a Pvolve studio wasn\u2019t on the cards for me, I became one of Pvolve\u2019s international streamers. By doing this you can access the workouts from anywhere in the world, and if you\u2019re in the UK like me you can get all the patented resistance equipment delivered from the brand\u2019s online stockist<\/a>. <\/p>\n Read more: What is an acupressure mat and how can it help with back pain?<\/a><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n The exercises were focused on functionality and longevity (The Independent \/ Rhiane Kirkby)<\/p>\n First impressions of Pvolve<\/p>\n On opening my freshly delivered Pvolve parcel, I sensed the product had been designed with a certain audience in mind. The branding is simple yet stylish and the monotone packaging is classy yet contemporary. I pictured the lycra-clad New York in-crowd, working out in a whitewashed industrial unit with views of the city\u2019s skyline, a world away from my rather chilly living room. <\/p>\n I had opted for the brand\u2019s signature bundle; a sleek black precision mat divided into squares with dots and numbers printed across it, alongside a P-band and a P-ball. The band offers a pair of gloves, attached a bit like a toddler\u2019s with a string \u2013 this is less about keeping the gloves together and more about providing resistance when pulling them apart. And the ball? That too has a resistance band wrapped around it, which initially looked far too tight to go over anything except my wrists (it\u2019s supposed to be worn over the ankles and thighs.)<\/p>\n After a little hiccup logging on, which was speedily resolved, I started my programme. Head trainers Dani Coleman and Maeve McEwan introduced me to my bundle of equipment and the Pvolve Method, then we started work on strengthening<\/a> and sculpting \u2013 building mobility, stability and strength. This programme is Pvolve\u2019s \u201cbread and butter\u201d apparently, pairing functional fitness with its specially designed resistance equipment. From here you move onto progressive weight training and, if you wish, sculpting and burning. I decided to stick with strength and sculpt to begin with. <\/p>\n A cardio-lover at heart, I\u2019m happiest when spinning, swimming and generally getting sweaty. In lockdown, I became yoga obsessed and I\u2019ve done my fair share of barre, Pilates<\/a> and conditioning classes. But to be perfectly honest, I can find these workouts repetitive and even meditative, which turns me off after a while. Pvolve is a little different, and it\u2019s meant to be. Its approach promises variety and I\u2019m told \u201cno two classes will ever be the same\u201d. The different equipment combinations, movements and sequences challenge both my body and my brain. Two workouts in one, it seems, which keeps me focused and engaged. <\/p>\n The other immediate difference I notice is the specific foot positioning and frequent hip rotations and mobility exercises \u2013 movements I\u2019ve never intentionally put my body through before. However, chief training officer Vicario tells me I do these every day when I tie shoelaces, pick things up off the floor or get in and out of the car. These are, not that I realised it, movements for life and for longevity<\/a> \u2013 this is what sets Pvolve apart. Basically, if I want to be able to carry my shopping, hang out my washing and be active and mobile in my eighties, I need to start working on this now. <\/p>\n Read more: I\u2019ve been drinking kombucha for years and it\u2019s transformed my gut health \u2013 here\u2019s how<\/a><\/p>\n The Pvolve equipment <\/p>\n The precision mat certainly helps with this, and as I progressed through the classes, I began to understand what the pattern of lines, numbers and dots drawn upon it are for. I\u2019m sometimes worried that my positioning isn\u2019t always where it should be and I can certainly see the benefit of doing Pvolve in person. But the quality of the trainers \u2013 they\u2019re all highly experienced and accredited \u2013 and their clear instructions are a good enough substitute for now. <\/p>\n Along with the mat, the P-band and P-ball make frequent appearances in my classes and are exceptionally easy and comfortable to use. I may have winced a little on realising I had to wear the aforementioned P-ball between my thighs, but it was surprisingly easy to put on and stayed in place \u2013 no chasing it around the room in comedy fashion like I\u2019ve done many times before in Pilates. <\/p>\n In fact, I\u2019m so impressed by the quality of the equipment I\u2019m tempted to go shopping for more; the foam roller<\/a>, slant board and gliders catch my eye, as does their premium price tag. The signature bundle I\u2019m using costs \u00a3290.49 and the bundle with all the extras will set you back \u00a3799.99. <\/p>\n The Pvolve Schedule <\/p>\n My suggested schedule involves 12 classes over a three-week period. Even for a busy working mum who is often frustrated by workouts being pushed down my priority list, this feels achievable. The sessions are relatively short, lasting around thirty minutes on average, and, as I don\u2019t have to leave the house to do them there\u2019s little excuse. <\/p>\n Full of enthusiasm, I did the first two workouts back-to-back and although I worried I\u2019d be stiff as a board the following day, I wasn\u2019t. In fact, I didn’t ache at all and, more than that, didn\u2019t feel as depleted as I can do after a long swim or spin class<\/a>. The sessions grew in intensity though and I soon found that one a day was enough \u2013 I definitely felt the burn. <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/rhiane-kirby-pvolve-The-Independent.png\")
<\/p>\n