Lindsay Arnold using The Everything Band.
Ambit Creative
Fitness
EXCLUSIVE: Lindsay Arnold’s The Movement Club Launches Its First Home Exercise Tool
“Dancing With the Stars” alum Lindsay Arnold is expanding her digital fitness universe with the launch of a home exercise tool, The Everything Band.
Out now, the all-in-one, multiloop resistance band is a first-of-its-kind product designed to replace clunky gym equipment such as reformers, leg machines, rowers, kettlebells and more. With 11 loops (five “levels” on each side of the center loop), the portable tool, $35, can assist more than 100 movements, all of which are modeled in Arnold’s four-week, low-impact Tone Program, available on The Movement Club app.
Speaking with WWD, Arnold described the band as a physical manifestation of her need to multitask. “I like to get things done. I like to be efficient with my time. And anything I create is going to be kind of a physical version of that,” she said. “The Movement Club is our digital version of that. It’s accessible movement that people can truly do anywhere. So when we decided to go into the physical product space, I knew I wanted something that’s multifunctional, that is versatile, that is innovative.”
Arnold founded the membership platform in 2020, after her 10-year run as a coach on “Dancing With the Stars.” The idea was born out of a sudden change in her own fitness regimen that occurred when she was pregnant with her first baby. “My body was my tool to perform, but when I stepped away from that career and became a mom, life looked a lot busier. I didn’t have as much time to get back to myself,” she recalled.
“I started looking at fitness in a different way,” she continued. “I felt like there was a missing space in the fitness industry for a program that’s for everyone, not a program that’s only for pregnant women or only for people in the best shape of their life, but truly a program that meets people exactly where they are at in their fitness journey.”
The Everything Band in the four-week Tone Program.
Ambit Creative
In 2025, The Movement Club saw a 190 percent increase in revenue, a 226 percent increase in new subscribers and 151 percent growth spike in returning subscribers.
With 12 programs including Full Body, Bridal, Postpartum, Pilates Strength and Self Care, the membership-based platform is, indeed, suitable for beginners, experts and every exercise level in between. Most workouts range from 18 to 30 minutes, with elements of dance woven throughout. “A lot a lot of my classes incorporate ballet, bar movements and also the stretching that I do feel like is a lot more targeted for dancers, which is really, really cool, because it’s all about lengthening and strengthening your muscles while also stretching and keeping your body safe,” Arnold explained.
The Tone Program, which is five days on and two days off, targets arms, glutes, legs and core, with short, high-intensity intervals and three-to-four reps of each exercise. The format, Arnold said, allows members to familiarize themselves with the band, and hopefully, inspire them to use it in their own regimen. “I will continue to add new videos with the band, like I always do, but first, I really wanted to launch with a good program for people to follow along with and track their progress,” she said.
Fitness
Experts Love These Exercise Trampolines for a Low-Impact Workout That Still Gets Your Heart Pumping
✔️ Look for a bungee-based trampoline. Avoid using trampolines that have metal springs. Those will be harsh on your joints. Instead, look for trampolines that have a bungee system or cords. “The bungee material is softer and it will have more give, which makes the workouts more challenging. “The tighter or harder that mat, the less bounce you’ll get,” explains Lo Russo.
✔️ Figure out the size. If you plan on using a trampoline inside a small-sized apartment, it’ll be best to reach for a pick that is small and foldable. “If someone is looking to workout in front of the television, I recommend going with a 39-inch,” says Lo Russo. If you’ve got a backyard then you can take advantage of the space and go for something bigger, like a 44-inch that will give you room for advanced movements.
✔️ Go with or without handlebars. “I know the handlebars look supportive and helpful but I recommended not using them,” says McGregor. “I’ve never had anyone fall off while teaching beginner classes and the handlebar may take away from the workout and the range of motion,” she explains. So instead of reaching for handlebars right away, try out a regular fitness trampoline first (maybe with someone nearby to help in case you lose balance) and then decide if you want to add on handlebars for extra support.
Fitness
I Swapped the Gym for Fast, Feel-Good Outdoor Workouts—and It Transformed How I Felt in 30 Days
I don’t know about you, but every spring I get this sudden urge to trade my gym membership for the great outdoors. I’m a self-confessed fair-weather exerciser, so after being cooped up inside all winter, the lighter mornings and budding flowers feel like precious opportunities I don’t want to miss.
This year, though, that pull feels stronger than ever – and, apparently, not just for me. A survey of over 9000 people by outdoor events provider, Massive, found that 89% of us plan to take part in the same, or more, outdoor events this year. At the same time, the Global Wellness Institute has reported a cultural backlash against overly optimised, tightly-tracked movement. And with the British Heart Foundation finding that joy is the number one fitness goal for a quarter of us this summer, it seems that what we’re craving is an injection of freedom and fun into our exercise routines.
Still, as a health writer, I can’t ignore what we might be giving up by leaving the gym. The benefits of resistance training cannot be overstated, especially for women, with research consistently demonstrating its role in preventing conditions like osteoporosis. There’s also our cardiovascular fitness to consider: markers like VO2 max are one of the best predictors of longevity, and are much easier to monitor when hooked up to a treadmill or spin bike.
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All of which led me to the question: what would happen to my fitness if I pressed pause on my wearable and said goodbye to my gym sessions, at least for a short time?
To find out, I spent a month exercising exclusively outdoors, filling my weeks with padel games, hikes and runs, and even getting back on a horse for the first time in nearly six years.
To discover how my mind and body changed over the four weeks, read on. And if you’re after more alternative exercise inspiration, head to our guides to the best simple home workouts, the best home workouts for beginners and the most effective home workouts of all time, all of which can be done from your garden. Love a YouTube format? Don’t skip the best YouTube workouts and the best YouTube workouts in under 10 minutes.
I Replaced the Gym with Fast, Fun Outdoor Workouts – A Month Later, Here’s What I’ve Learned
What constitutes an outdoor workout?
When you think of a ‘workout,’ I bet your mind jumps to an exercise class or an organised gym session. Is there an instructor leading you through the moves, and does everyone follow in unison?
You’re not alone, and this has become the dominant form of exercise over the past few decades. But it’s not the only effective way to move. In fact, an outdoor workout can be any form of physical activity that takes place outside the confines of a gym or your home. Preferably, it will raise your heart rate somewhat, as this is what strengthens your cardiovascular system – but the way you do that could look different for everyone. It could be swimming in open water or an outdoor pool, cycling or hiking with friends, running on a trail or road, or booking a local padel or tennis court.
What’s interesting is that these types of activities lend themselves just as well as any gym session to triggering the release of feel-good chemicals in our brains. Research backs this up, with one study finding that swimming for 30 minutes significantly increased serotonin levels – our brain’s natural mood stabiliser.
What are the benefits of outdoor workouts?
Of course, from a purely physiological standpoint, you could trigger a similar endorphin release whether you exercise indoors or out. The real benefit of getting outside, says Dr Suzanne Hackenmiller, Chief Medical Advisor at AllTrails, is the way that nature influences our nervous system.
“Research shows that green spaces naturally activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is your ‘rest and restore’ state,” she says. That’s in contrast to many gym environments, which, thanks to their “loud music, bright artificial lighting, mirrors, and performance metrics, can keep you in a more heightened, ‘fight or flight’ state.”
She reminds us that “fight or flight” isn’t inherently negative. In fact, short bursts of it are part of a healthy stress response. The issue arises when it becomes our norm. “Many of us are already spending much of our days in these highly-stimulated environments,” explains Dr Hackenmiller, who says that using exercise as an opportunity to step away from that intensity can offer the nervous system a valuable reset.
“In nature, breathing tends to slow, cortisol levels can drop, and the body begins to feel safe again,” she explains. “When you combine physical movement with a natural environment and varied sensory input, you’re getting a triple benefit.”
Who are outdoor workouts best for?
One of the beauties of exercising outdoors is that it removes barriers many of us feel towards exercise. Whether it’s the cost of a gym membership or the very real (and common) intimidation factor, moving outside on your own terms, whether solo or with friends, takes away these pressures.
“Outdoor movement is for everyone, whether you’ve fallen out of love with your gym routine, you’re new to exercise, you have a high-pressure job and need some decompression, or you simply want to tap into the benefits of being in nature,” confirms Dr Hackenmiller. Crucially, she adds, it can shift how exercise feels: “When movement feels like play rather than a chore, it becomes something you want to do, not something you have to force,” she explains.
That shift is particularly important if your relationship with exercise has started to feel overly rigid. Certified running coach Liz Newcomer notes that exercise burnout can happen to anyone, and isn’t limited to one level of fitness. “The outdoors offers a chance to step away from data-heavy targets, soak up some vitamin D and simply enjoy moving, without something, or someone, dictating how you do it,” she explains.
Are there any risks to giving up the gym for outdoor workouts?
It would be wrong of me not to mention the benefits the gym offers, particularly when it comes to structured strength training. The access to equipment makes it easier to progressively overload your muscles (a key principle for building strength) and to track improvements through measurable increases in weight, reps or speed. “The ability to lift heavy weights in the gym is a skill that’s unfortunately hard to find in the outdoors,” says Newcomer.
That said, Newcomer maintains that outdoor exercise can still build meaningful fitness. “We tend to downplay activities like hiking or trail running, because we assume they’re less intense,” says the coach. “But climbing hills and navigating uneven terrain can be incredibly demanding, and you can build a lot of fitness that way.”
It’s why, long term, it’s less about choosing one over the other and instead, about finding balance between the two. Outdoor workouts can support cardiovascular fitness, mental wellbeing and functional movement, whilst some form of resistance training remains important for building muscle and bone density.
If you’re wondering how to strike the balance, Dr Hackenmillar has some advice. “Try swapping one gym session a week for a walk outside, or exploring a new trail nearby,” she suggests, adding that it might be wise to leave your headphones at home, in order to be fully in the moment. “Research has found that even 10 or 15 minutes of being fully present can shift your mood,” she explains. “Follow your curiosity by taking a new route, stopping when you want, and noticing your surroundings.”
I Worked Out Exclusively Outdoors For Four Weeks – Here’s How My Fitness Changed
Weeks one and two
Generally, I’m a big believer in balance and rarely advocate a full overhaul of routine. But having grown tired of the gym, of tracking everything and moving in ways that felt like a chore, I knew that I needed a proper reset. I wanted to bring some fun back into it, which is why a full month away felt necessary for me.
After pausing my membership, I thought about how I wanted my weeks to look. Exercise is essential for my mental health, so I didn’t want to do less of it. I just wanted to approach it differently for a while.
I’m currently living at home with my Dad, so on day one, my stepmum and I headed out early for a run with her dog. Aside from the run club I host on Saturdays, running is usually a solo activity for me, and is often focused on just ‘getting it done’. But that first morning felt completely different. We chatted the whole way, didn’t track pace or distance, and followed no set route, just heading out for around a short half an hour. I came back feeling more refreshed than I had in months; my mood noticeably better for the rest of the day.
That run quickly became a routine for both of us. We started looking forward to it, sometimes heading out even when we hadn’t planned to. It’s the most consistently I’ve run in months, largely because it stopped feeling like an obligation and started feeling like time I genuinely wanted to spend clearing my head.
Towards the end of week two, I had a rare free Sunday. A friend invited me on a group hike with people I hadn’t met before. Normally, I’d have defaulted to a Pilates class or the gym, but this felt like a better fit for what I was trying to do.
I wore a small backpack (this one from lululemon for those wondering), which added a bit of resistance, though admittedly I could have loaded it up more. Though the hike wasn’t super intense, it was a reminder of how effective walking can be. Hills and uneven terrain tested my strength, balance and endurance, and by the end of the three hours, I was definitely tired, but at the same time, energised. Meeting new people and spending time in a new environment had left me feeling more creative, inspired and connected. The next day, my legs were sore – not in the same way as after a gym session, but enough to know I’d worked them.
(Image credit: Ash S)
Weeks three and four
Before the break, I thought I might miss the gym, but by week three, I wasn’t in any rush to go back. Exercise was feeling more social, varied and less pressured, and I was enjoying it far more. I also hadn’t noticed any significant changes to my body or day-to-day strength, but of course, I wasn’t measuring it in the same way I would in the gym.
What I still felt was missing, though, was something more playful. So I booked a padel court with a couple of friends. We went to Padel Social Club in West London, which has a relaxed, social atmosphere, plus a recovery space with a cold plunge and sauna.
(Image credit: Ash S)
I’ve always enjoyed cold water, and doing the cold plunge with friends made it even more fun. One of them was new to padel and, without any prompting, said she understood why people love it because it feels like a more enjoyable way to work out. That really summed it up. You’re so focused on the game that you barely register the exercise. The coordination element keeps your mind engaged, too, and for that hour, I felt properly present, something I rarely experience when I’m constantly checking my phone mid gym session.
Towards the end of the month, I set myself one last challenge. My dad is an equestrian coach, and I grew up riding, but I hadn’t been on a horse in nearly six years. I booked a short session with him and, unsurprisingly, felt rusty. The next day, my core and inner thighs were sore, reminding me just how differently different forms of movement recruit your muscles.
The verdict:
Over the month, I didn’t notice any major changes to my overall fitness. If anything, my running felt stronger, and my strength felt fairly comparable to where it was before. Over a longer period, that would of course shift, but in the short term, it wasn’t significant.
What did change was my mindset. After months of feeling bored and burnt out, I felt re-energised. Bringing in more variety, fun and social connection made exercise feel enjoyable again, rather than something to tick off a list.
I will go back to the gym, as I want a structured approach to maintaining strength and supporting my long-term health. But it won’t be my only focus. I’ll keep running, hiking and playing padel, and I want to keep trying new activities too.
So let this be your reminder: exercise doesn’t always need to be rigid to be effective, and for me, variety feels key to maintaining a routine that actually lasts.
Shop MC-UK approved outdoor workout gear now:
lululemon All Rounder Backpack
This little backpack is the perfect thing for day hikes. The chest straps and back panel distribute the weight of the 10L capacity evenly, so you’ll never find yourself with a sore back mid-hike. It looks chic too, making it the perfect accessory to any gorpcore look.
Speedo Sculpture Butterfly Back Swimsuit
If a trip to the pool or your local open water spot is on your outdoor workout agenda, then a proper swimsuit (rather than the bikini you use for sunbathing) is probably a good investment. I’ve been a Speedo girl since my swimming lesson days, and this training suit is a great all-rounder.
What’s that saying – all the gear, no idea? Well, that pretty much sums up my love for these padel rackets. As much an accessory as a piece of equipment, their pastel coloured range is made from lightweight carbon fibre, making it easy to move around the court.
From the teeth-gritting clench of a bicep curl to the dip of a squat, we tend to think of upwards movements as the most beneficial part of strength training.
The “lifting” motion in which our muscles shorten – known as concentric exercise – is important. But what happens on the way down, when we lower a weight and our muscles lengthen – known as eccentric exercise – can be just as beneficial, according to a new article published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science.
Professor Ken Nosaka, director of exercise and sports science at Edith Cowan University and the article’s author, has been researching eccentric exercise, which includes movements such as chair squats, wall sit-ups and walking downhill, for decades.
What is eccentric exercise and who is it for?
There are three different ways our muscles contract: concentrically (lifting), eccentrically (lowering) and isometrically (staying static). Many common exercises combine all three.
But Nosaka believes we often overlook this second type of movement. His research suggests can be just as beneficial as concentric movement for building strength and muscle size, as well as less fatiguing.
“Eccentric movement is a more powerful stimulus for muscles to get stronger,” he says.
This includes findings that the same strength gains can be achieved with half the reps if you lower instead of lift, while a 2023 study of his found even a single, three-second eccentric arm contraction each day can improve strength.
Given that eccentric exercises require less metabolic energy and oxygen to perform, Nosaka thinks they are particularly beneficial for older and/or sedentary adults.
However, Dr Lewis Ingram, a physiotherapy lecturer at the University of South Australia says purely focusing on just one component of exercise can be a little reductionist.
“I think that the general population should just do the whole exercise. Breaking the exercise down and just doing the eccentric component is a lot more work to do in terms of the feasibility of it,” he says.
A bicep curl, for example, needs to involve an upwards movement for it to be repeated.
But Nosaka says one way to focus on eccentric movement is with the “2:1 method”, which involves using both limbs to lift a weight, and just one to lower it.
He adds that this style of exercise can be just as beneficial for bone density.
“When you are doing eccentric contractions, the tendon is more stretched. The stretch signal is going to the bone, which is getting stronger,” he says. “When you are descending stairs, you have put more weight on one leg, right? So then that can increase bone mineral density.”
While Ingram points out many studies referenced in the paper don’t rely on robust enough evidence – small sample sizes, for example – he says it is important to slow down and focus on eccentric movement to build muscle (around three seconds, according to Nosaka).
He says solely focusing on eccentric movement can be beneficial for elite athletes, and exercises in which someone is not strong enough to perform an “upwards” concentric movement, such as a pull-up.
What muscle soreness after exercise means
Another common belief about exercise is “no pain, no gain”, the idea that muscle soreness correlates to effort and results.
“Eccentric contraction can cause muscle soreness, especially the first time you do it or after a long time without exercising,” says Nosaka.
“But the important thing is that muscle damage or muscle soreness is not necessary if you want to get strong or get a bigger muscle size.”
To prevent the muscle soreness that can come from eccentric exercise, he recommends performing fewer reps at lower loads to start with.
However, hypertrophy or skeletal muscle building does require increasing load over time, says Nosaka.
Ingram agrees that soreness is generally most attributed to eccentric contractions, but is not necessarily an indicator of a good workout, and tends to dissipate with repetition over time.
Keep it simple
One of Nosaka’s favourite eccentric exercises is one we do daily.
“We normally sit down on the chair maybe 20 times a day – at mealtimes, for example, and when you watch TV or you go to the toilet. So whenever you sit down, try to lower yourself more slowly,” he says.
Ultimately, Ingram says the general population should just keep it simple, particularly given most adults fail to meet benchmarks for physical activity.
He says most people should aim to follow the World Health Organisation’s guidelines, which recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the week, and at least two strength training sessions per week.
“If we can just get people to do the basics right, then that’s a lot more effective.”
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