Home Workouts with Shannon Dooley
We had a chat with RetroSweat's founder, Shannon Dooley, about what makes a good workout, and whether we can do it at home!
Shannon Dooley is the founder of RetroSweat, an aerobic workout, that is all things 80's inspired! Her workouts are much the same as her - energised, enthusiastic, and above all, fun! Shannon is a proud alopecian, and brings to her workouts a sense of inclusiveness and encouragement, wrapped up in spectacular neon colours and the best hits the 80's has to offer. RetroSweat believes that working out is a pleasure when you’re getting hot ‘n’ heavy with Michael Jackson, The Pointer Sisters, Prince or The Police and looking bodacious while you’re doing it. Retrosweat is more than a workout. It’s an experience.
We’ve all dragged ourselves to a workout, but left on a high! What are your favourite benefits of exercise?
I think when you actually commit to it and it’s done, the feeling of accomplishment, and the pride you feel, having pushed yourself and leant in to the challenge is a good self-esteem boost. Scientifically, there are chemicals released in your body, especially when you do aerobic exercise, called the ‘Fabulous Four’ – oxytocin, serotonin, beta-endorphins, and dopamine. They’re the feel good hormones that are released in your body when you start jumping around and doing any form of cardio, and that makes you happy!
Lunchbreak workout? Can our short workouts be just as effective?
Yes, I think a minimum of 20 minutes of doing something is enough!
Procrasti-baking is a WFH lifestyle… what are your best workout tips to toning up quickly?
Well, exercises that are good for your mid-section and obliques, would be a mixture of situps, crunches, and Russian twists. A little ab-blast workout! But even though aerobics does burn fat, that doesn’t have to be the ultimate goal! Working out is about feeling good!
When our bodies get tired it’s easy for our minds to waver…what are your top tips to making a workout fun?
Definitely picking a playlist! Put on your favourite songs, or songs that make you happy. I don’t believe workouts should be taken too seriously or intensely. Because songs are quite short, you know that if you’re doing something and it’s challenging, as the song progresses, you know there’s only one more chorus, or 30 seconds left! I think staying motivated is definitely the power of the beat.
With all the gyms closing for now, RetroSweat is the best WFH workout! Where can we find it to get our workouts in?
On our website, you can find an invitation to join the ‘RetroSweat VHS Workout Club’. Click ‘Join the Club’ on our website and tell us your name, age, and favourite 80’s song to get access to the library of full-length workouts we’re putting up! Another way to find us, is to subscribe to our YouTube channel, because there are lots of bite-sized workouts there that are the length of a song, so you can choose your own workout adventure. You only have to do three to get your 15-20 minutes!
Chatting with Shannon about her top fitness tips was so much fun, just like her workouts! You can find our IGTV Video Workout with her HERE, or head over to her website to find more follow-along videos that you can do from your own home.
