Name: Cocoella studio
Location: Level 1, 225 Chapel Street, Prahran, 3181
Form of exercises: Rebound exericse - Low impact cardiovascular/endurance training
Classes we attended: Bounce
Most suitable for: Women (it's a women's only gym), especially those with previous joint injuries looking for low impact hard work-outs, however even without a history of injury you will enjoy
Caution For: People with acute injuires (knee ligaments, ankle ligaments) and poor balance
Overall rating: 4.2 stars
Introduction
This week we had the honour of attending Cocoella studio, yet again a calm oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of Melbourne's busy Chapel Street. When you walk into Cocoella you immediately feel valued, as you are greeted by the lovely studio owner, Elise, and introduced to your fellow exercisers. It was 7am in the morning when we attended Cocoella for 'bounce', so it had to be good to get us to rate it highly, and it certainly was that and more.
Class Description
In this class everyone gets their own mini-trampoline (AKA a rebounder), and for almost an hour straight you bounce around with slightly different variations of jumping in time to the high BPM music. Staying on beat is harder than it sounds, but for those who struggle or who are tired towards the end of the class, there are also stepping or smaller bounce options. The class also incorporated a few endurance sets of lunges and core work, all still whilst making contact with the rebounder. All in all it is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise which is also low impact on the joints.
5-star criteria
Fun: 5 stars
For the first time in 2CP's history we have rated this class a 5 for fun! What is not to love about bringing out your inner child and dancing up and down to music for basically an hour straight? You could not wipe the smile's off our faces (well maybe a little towrads to end when we were sweating bullets). If this class was an emoji it'd be the one where the smile is so big it looks like their cheeks are about to fall off!
Cost: 3.5 stars
Intro offer - $50 for 10 days unlimited Unlimited membership - 55$ p/week
10Pack - $225
Single class - $30
Pretty on par with what we are finding for similar classes around the area. Great news is Cocoella offer such a variety that the unlimited membership is well worth the price, as you'd be able to get in great strength, cardio and release classes all in the one membership.
Customer experience: 4.5 stars
If you are a female looking for a studio which simaltaneously calms you and makes you work up a sweat, Cocoella is the place for you. The decor is a beautiful blend of scandinavian with calming greenery throughout. Despite being a physiotherapist and having attended gyms since I was about 12, I've weirdly never felt like I've belonged so much in a studio. Part of this is a fact that it is a gym by women for women (sorry men), where you can sense the general happiness of all the customers to be there as well as the range of ages and fitness levels who are welcome to attend. There are no egos and no expectations. Simply a group of gals wanting to work towards their own individual goals at different stages of their lives. The studio is also drop dead gorgeous from head to toe, where they have thought about the small details such as lighting, aroma and surfaces.
The smallest drawback was that the unlimited 10 day intro offer starts from the day you pay for it, not the day of your first class, which ultimately meant that Tamar couldn't quite attend as many classes as she would have liked.
Accurate to description and effectiveness: 4.5 stars
Getting a high intensity low impact cardiovascualr work out is not an easy task. For those ex-runners and sports people, you would know the challenge of trying to find an activity that gives you the same endorphin rush and workout as what you achieved from your sport, butwithout the same impact on your joints. 'Bounce' class certainly does this. To do the class in its eintirety is brutal. Both Tamar and I found ourselves struggling towards the end, but not at the sacrifice of our safety or enjoyment. The only place this class loses half a mark is due to it's description of being able to target osteoporosis (low bone density). To build bone denisty studies show that you need around 50 high impact loads per session, 2-3 times per week. Whilst rebound exercise is 100% better than nothing for Osteoporosis (OP) (and also really great on the blaance front), Tamar and I both agree that there isn't quite enough impact on your bones for this to be the only activity you include to target OP. For more information on this, listen to this week's podcast or our bonus episode on exercise and menopause.
Accessibility and safety: 4 stars.
The roubounder has been built with safety in mind. There is an inner circumference that protects you from stepping on the edges of the tramp where you might fall. In addition, it is very secure and non slippery on the floor. Therefore all in all, there is a very low risk of falling. However, it is still an exercise which is elevated from the floor where you do require to have a good inate sense of balance, core activation, leg strength and proprioception (awareness of where you are in space). Elise does a great job of assisting those that may not feel 100% confident when first stepping on the rebounder, however we would not reccomend this if you are balance compromised in anyway.
Overall Total: 21/25 - average 4.2/5
Final Thoughts
I am extremely grateful to Cocoella in helping us find a form of exercise that is fun, gets the heart rate up and is low impact on the joints , and now we are very excited to share it to our clients and the world. Caution if you have any acute lower limb injuries and if you are concerned please speak to your physiotherapist first, however we cant wait to go back and to hear your reiews!
For more information please listen to our Podcast episode
If you want to learn more about exercise and menopause, click here
If you want to read more about how we calculate our star ratings click here
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