It’s a soggy monday morning, and you’re stuck in a queue for the gym rowing machine, again. It’s no wonder though – according to a 2018 report, around 10 million of us in the UK have gym memberships!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get away from the crowds, and workout without money as an object? We definitely have, so we set out to discover the envy-inducing, yet sometimes bizarre ways the 1% exercise:
Richard Branson
Like him or loathe him, there’s no denying that the Virgin founder is an entrepreneurial success story, with a remarkable net worth of $5.1 billion. As you’d expect, the exercise programme of such a wealthy man doesn’t involve a gym membership.
Instead, Branson prefers to visit his 74-acre private island, known as ‘Necker Island’. Situated east of the Dominican Republic, this small piece of paradise is a fully-functioning holiday resort. It took $10 million to turn the once deserted rock into an indulgent retreat, which now features a 10-bedroom villa.
The resort also includes access to two beaches, private pools, tennis courts, a personal chef, 100 staff, and a wide array of water sports equipment. It’s a far cry from a Travel Lodge!
Branson claims that he starts his day with a game of tennis on one of the island’s courts, before unwinding with a spot of yoga. He then follows up with favourite sport – kitesurfing! Taking business calls whilst riding the waves is commonplace for him, and he’s even been spotted enjoying the sport with Barack Obama!
If you fancy ditching your treadmill in favour of a private island experience, you can actually stay at Necker Island. You’ll need deep pockets though, as it’ll set you back an eye-watering £4000 per person, per day.
Mark Wahlberg
Wahlberg was the highest paid actor in 2017, and his strict regimen of diet and exercise is almost as well-known as his films. This routine includes a staggering 2:30am start to the day, followed by two workouts and seven meals.
However, with exercise you need quality as well as quantity, and Marky Mark spares no expense in looking after his well being. His former Beverley Hills home featured a plethora of lavish features to help him stay fit.
These included a gigantic two-floor gym, a full-sized basketball court, and a regulation-sized boxing ring – all housed in a converted aeroplane hangar. Suddenly that living room exercise bike feels a little inadequate!
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Lebron James
The NBA legend somehow takes things even further than Mark Wahlberg, and goes to incredible lengths to get in shape for the season. Reportedly, he spends $1.5 million on his fitness each year!
This off-season routine includes a few things that seem to belong in the pages of a sci-fi novel. Chief amongst them are cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers and NormaTec leg boots.
These technologies do actually exist though, and Cryotherapy is commonplace amongst high-level athletes. It involves sitting in a -150c chamber for two to three minutes, with the help of protective gloves and socks. This chilly process helps to speed up injury recovery, relieve pain, and decrease muscle spasms.
Imagine a pressurised napping pod that feeds your body with 100% oxygen – sounds nice, right? This is exactly what a Hyperbaric chamber is. In theory, it maximises muscle recovery from exercise and injury – important for an 82 game NBA season!
Normatec leg boots may look like something from Back to the Future, but Lebron takes them everywhere. Using pulses and vibrations, the computerised massage machines shift unwanted lactic acid, to lessen the impact of an intense workout. Who needs a masseuse!
Grimes
The daily grind of this enigmatic pop star makes Lebron James’ day seem dull in comparison. In a bizarre instagram post, Grimes outlined her surreal fitness regimen, which has sparked a debate on it’s legitimacy.
According to the post, her day starts with a long soak in a sensory deprivation tank. These tanks are pitch black, sound-proof pods filled with salted water. The water matches the user’s body temperature, cutting off all senses to create a meditative environment. A fittingly futuristic habit for the partner of Elon Musk!
Surprisingly, she then opts for something a little more medieval – a 2 hour sword fighting session, followed by 25 minutes of screaming therapy.
It all sounds a little too much for us – now where’s that rowing machine?