Porgy Franssen is an actor and director known for his work in film, television, and theater. Fitness isn't exactly his favorite hobby, but with Happy Bodies, he's finally sticking to it. "Those 35 minutes of training are manageable."

Never go to the gym again

Years ago, I started working out at one of the well-known, large fitness clubs. I hated it, and after about four sessions, I decided I'd never go back. But hey, you get older and still want to stay somewhat in shape. When I read about Happy Bodies, I was immediately drawn to it. I liked their philosophy, as well as the fact that you can train your entire body in just 35 minutes. I went to check out Happy Bodies in Amsterdam Zuid and was immediately convinced. The atmosphere is pleasant, it's small-scale, and everything is very well-organized. For the first time in my life, I'm able to stick with my workout.

Swimming in the canal

The only obstacle I face getting to Happy Bodies is the distance. I have to cycle fifteen minutes to exercise, which is actually my biggest challenge, even though cycling is incredibly healthy. I do dread winter a bit, but then again: I swim every morning at eight o'clock here in the Amsterdam canals. That bit of cycling in the winter actually fits into my strategy for braving the cold.

Hate cardio

I've recently cut back on my work by about eighty percent, so I can schedule my workouts effectively. I do the Milon Circle twice, the ideal combination of strength training and cardio. I actually hate cardio, but it's precisely the things you struggle with most that you need to do. The Milon Circle helps me with that.

In a world that's constantly on the move, it seems like time has become a scarce commodity. Especially when it comes to exercising, we want to "waste" as little of our precious time as possible. But how can you train effectively without endlessly waiting for equipment or space to become available? With the Milon circle, you can get a complete and varied workout in just 35 minutes. In short, no more waiting.

The efficiency of the Milon circle

Imagine walking into the gym and getting started right away. No wasted time, no waiting for your turn. That's exactly what the Milon circuit offers. This innovative system allows you to complete a complete, varied circuit training in just 35 minutes, with six strength exercises and two cardio sessions. Between exercises, you have thirty to a maximum of forty seconds to switch machines. This means your muscles stay constantly active and your heart rate stays high, resulting in a more effective full-body workout in less time.

Why waiting is not necessary

In traditional gyms, exercisers often wait until you're finished with a particular piece of equipment. The Milon Circle solves this problem with a smart rotation of equipment. The Milon Circle is centrally controlled, allowing all exercisers to move on to the next machine simultaneously. This allows you to effortlessly "zip" between machines, eliminating the need to wait. As soon as you start the next exercise, the machine is automatically set up for you. This means you don't waste time adjusting weights and can simply focus on your workout.

Variation in exercises

A common reason people get bored at the gym is a lack of variety in their routine. Variety not only makes training more enjoyable, but by varying the frequency, intensity, and duration, you also maintain progress. By alternating between different training phases according to a well-structured training plan, you get the most out of your workouts. At Happy Bodies, the programs are structured in different phases, keeping you motivated and ensuring continuous progress.

The power of good guidance

The expert guidance at Happy Bodies, combined with the innovative Milon circle, ensures you achieve your goals. Our coaches are always ready to help and answer questions. Whether you're new to fitness or a seasoned athlete, personalized guidance ensures you get the most out of your workout, without the wait.

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is damage to the brain that occurred after birth. It can have various causes, such as an accident, a brain tumor or stroke, or cardiac arrest. In the Netherlands alone, no fewer than 140,000 people are affected by a form of brain injury each year. The complaints are unique for everyone and vary from mild to very serious. Do you still want to exercise - and are you still able to do so -, but are you unsure about what is and is not possible? In this blog we will tell you how sporty exercise can help you improve your health.

Sports activities after brain injury

It can be quite exciting to start exercising again after a brain injury. Yet it is a good idea. Regular exercise has many benefits for your health. You improve your condition, strengthen your muscles and it helps you feel better about yourself.

Suitable exercise activities

There are various exercise activities that can be suitable after a brain injury. Think of walking, cycling and swimming, but also specific exercises aimed at balance, coordination and strength. You can of course do this alone, but also in a group. Exercising in a group not only has physical benefits, but also social benefits. By exercising together with others, you can make new friends and share experiences. Exchanging tips and ideas with fellow sufferers can also be very inspiring.

Tips for exercising and moving after a stroke

If you want to continue exercising and moving after a brain injury, there are a few important tips to keep in mind. Choose activities that you enjoy and that suit your abilities. Build up the duration, intensity and frequency gradually to avoid overload. Try to be active on more days of the week and take a rest day every now and then.

Brain injury in practice

Femke (56 years old) had a severe stroke two years ago: 'I was in top condition, had just received big compliments from the sports physician a month before my stroke. Yet I had a stroke. I was allowed to go home after three days in hospital. 'Without residual symptoms' was written on the discharge letter. In practice, that was a bit disappointing. I had a lot of loss of strength on the affected (left) side and I have had a drop foot on that side ever since. Thanks to personal guidance and adapted training, I now have the same amount of strength on both sides and my foot functions much better. Yet I still prefer cycling. I will probably never be able to run again, but thanks to my sporty lifestyle I feel super fit again.'

Personal guidance and customized training

At Happy Bodies we understand that personal guidance and customized training can be essential when dealing with a brain injury. Thanks to our unique concept, everyone can train with us. The innovative Milon circle helps you move safely and efficiently and strengthen your muscles and our coaches have all followed extensive training and have years of experience in the field. They can advise you on which movements are most suitable for you and what to pay attention to during activities. Together with you, they ensure that you can move with pleasure again and that your health improves.

We all want beautiful, full muscles. Right? But spending hours in the gym is something that few people really enjoy. Thanks to the unique Milon circle, that is not necessary. In this blog, you will discover how you can strengthen your muscles in just 35 minutes every five days and get the most out of your training.

The importance of time-efficient training

Strength training is essential for building full muscles. However, in a busy life there is often little time to work on fitness goals. That is why it is important to choose a training method that is time-efficient. The Milon circle is specially designed to give you a complete full-body workout in just 35 minutes, optimally combining cardio and strength training. If you choose Happy Bodies, your body will be scanned super-fast by the innovative Milonizer during the first training session. Based on so-called biometric markers, all devices are automatically and accurately set every time. This way you are assured of a personal and optimal training, regardless of your physical condition and you achieve maximum results with a minimum investment of time.

The benefits of the Milon Circle

The Milon circle offers numerous advantages for building full muscles. Firstly, it is an efficient training method, giving you a complete workout in just 35 minutes. Furthermore, the Milon circle is suitable for people of all fitness levels, as the equipment automatically adjusts to your personal needs. Furthermore, the combination of strength training and cardio ensures effective fat burning, so that you not only build muscle, but also reduce your body fat percentage.

The unique concept of Happy Bodies

At Happy Bodies we believe in a total approach to a healthy lifestyle. In addition to the Milon circle and personal guidance – but without the ridiculous price tag of a personal trainer – we also help you optimize your nutrition. This way you not only build full muscles, but you will also experience a sense of well-being and vitality. Our trainers are ready to guide and motivate you during your fitness journey. Personal attention, result-oriented training and an inspiring environment, that is what makes us happy at Happy Bodies.

Since 2019, Jorik van de Bilt has been a passionate club manager at Happy Bodies Veenendaal. In this blog post, Jorik explains how he expresses his passion for sports and health and why he chose to work at Happy Bodies.

Why Happy Bodies?

In 2019, I was at a point in my life where I started thinking more about how I wanted to shape my future. I wanted to turn one of my hobbies into something big, but I was still torn between something related to motorcycling or sports. As if it was meant to be, I suddenly saw a vacancy for a lifestyle coach at Happy Bodies. I decided to apply. My interviewer – now my manager – did see a role for me as club manager of the Happy Bodies branch in Veenendaal. That's how things got started. I still have my motorcycle, but now I mainly use it for commuting.

Contribute to the health of the members

Why did I choose Happy Bodies? While large fitness chains prioritize the health of the company, Happy Bodies focuses on the health of its members. This is not only beneficial for the members, but also for me personally. I live in Veenendaal, and it's truly valuable to be able to contribute to the health of people in my own community.

Dynamic role

As club manager, I have a dynamic role with various responsibilities. I hire new people, extend existing contracts, and ensure we achieve our revenue targets. I also ensure our members remain satisfied, and if there's a complaint, I make sure it's handled properly. Some of the administration is handled by the head office, but I handle some of it myself. I'm also regularly on the shop floor, where I love being most: among people. One moment I'm at the coffee table for an informal chat, and the next I'm helping someone with a hip replacement who's just returned from rehabilitation. This variety in my work makes it incredibly enjoyable and interesting.

The power of the Milon circle

When I first started here, I wasn't familiar with the Milon Circle. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical. The machine looks rather sleek, and I wondered if it would be intense enough. But I soon discovered how compact and comprehensive a Milon Circle workout is. I'm a bodybuilding enthusiast and enjoy sculpting that way; here, we focus primarily on health and strength, and the Milon Circle is a perfect fit. Although I enjoy all sports, I'm impressed by the results you get with the Milon Circle. I firmly believe this is the future.

Muscles more than just an aesthetic function

What we also try to teach our athletes is that muscles offer more than just aesthetics. They also play a role in preventing wear and tear and influence hormones like insulin. Many people in the Netherlands strive for a beautiful appearance, but muscles are important for so many more aspects of our health. And with the Milon Circle, there's no excuse not to train, unless you're in the ICU. Whether you're 90 or 18, enjoy walking or do triathlons, I'll create a program tailored to your level, without any risk of injury.

We previously wrote a blog about sarcopenia and dynapenia: the loss of muscle mass and muscle strength as we age. In this blog we zoom in on the major disadvantages that sarcopenia brings with it and - more importantly - what you can do about it.

Prevent muscle mass loss

Sarcopenia is a natural consequence of aging, where you lose muscle mass, strength, and function. This can lead to an increased risk of falls, fractures, and reduced mobility. Losing muscle mass not only affects your physical performance, but can also lead to a slowed metabolism and an increased risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

Strength training is king

Fortunately, there is something you can do about it. By doing strength training regularly, you can prevent muscle loss or regain lost muscle mass. If you think that strength training is not for you because you have physical complaints, we have more good news! Strength training is possible for everyone, even – or perhaps especially – if you have physical complaints. And fears of ending up like a female Schwarzenegger are also completely unfounded.

Nutrition and lifestyle for muscle health

In addition to strength training – properly combined with cardiovascular training – a healthy diet is essential to support muscle health. Make sure you get enough protein, as these building blocks are essential for muscle growth and recovery. It is also important to have a balanced and varied diet, rich in vitamins and minerals. Combining good nutrition with regular exercise and sufficient rest contributes to maintaining muscle mass and a healthy lifestyle.

Regular exercise not only makes you feel better in your body, it also makes you feel better in your head. In this blog, Thomas Esselink, franchisee of Happy Bodies in Hilversum and Soest, tells you how a well-functioning body makes you happier.

Nice concept

I ended up in the sports world more or less by chance. I studied tax law and started my own company in 2015. Through that company I came into contact with Happy Bodies. I was so enthusiastic about the concept that I decided to become a franchisee at the beginning of 2019. Not the best time to get started, in retrospect, but then it is nice to be part of such a group of smart and hard-working entrepreneurs, as colleague Gert Jan Straatsma already told in his blog.

Step between big gym and PT

Happy Bodies is the ideal step between a large gym and a personal trainer. I have had a lot of lessons from good trainers myself, so I know what the body does and how it works. How great to be able to convey that to other people? With the training method of Happy Bodies you come as close as possible to a personal trainer, without having to pay a lot of money for it. With the Milon circle, the exercises are perfectly tailored to the person who is training. At the large gyms you often see that people just do something. Incorrect setting of equipment, wrong amount of weights, wrong pace, all that together can go very wrong. The Milon circle prevents that.

Better in your body

I even got my 63-year-old mother to exercise. She was very fixated on losing weight, but she has now made the switch to wanting to be healthy. By exercising twice for 35 minutes every ten days, under the guidance of your own personal lifestyle coach, you will feel better about yourself and live a few more years in good health. How great is that?

Better in your head

In this society everyone is in a hurry and busy, we have to perform, perform and perform again at work and socially. That quickly fills up our heads. Sports literally provide distraction, after all you have to keep your head with the effort. That makes you think about something else and literally creates space in your head. That is already a gain. But you also overcome something. People often see sports as an obstacle, but once you do it you have really overcome something. That gives self-confidence and makes your next decision that day probably wiser than you would have made otherwise.

More vitality

If you look purely from the body, sports ensures that you create all kinds of substances that make you healthier. The testosterone level increases, you slow down the aging process and create muscle, which increases your skeletal muscle mass. That in turn ensures that you have less chance of injuries later in life. In short, sports ensures more vitality and less risk of dying early.

Limburg resident Stans Lammerse has struggled with back pain since she was seven. Mensendieck brought her little, at most a profound aversion to exercise. As an adult, she tried various gyms, but these were always short-lived. In 2022, her back pain worsened to the point that doing nothing was no longer an option. Stans: "I went to Happy Bodies, and there I finally found what I was looking for."

Fall from the stairs

I was born and raised in Limburg. At age three, I fell down the stairs in the factory where my father worked. I was carrying a bucket and a broom when the broomstick got caught in my boot. Since then, I've had back problems. Mensendieck is supposed to alleviate the pain, but the only thing I've been left with is a complete aversion to exercise. At 19, I fell down the stairs again, resulting in a hernia and major surgery. After that, I started exercising again, but I still hated it.

After two months, I'm done with the gym again

Even as a teenager, I wanted to escape Limburg. I ended up in The Hague and found work in home care. After a few detours, I ended up in the graphics department of Shell. That's where I met my husband, and that's how this Limburg native eventually ended up in Heemstede, North Holland. I still have back pain. I felt that exercise was good for me, and I tried it more than once. I think many people recognize this: you sign up for a two-year membership with one of the big chains, and after two months, you're done with it. I tried several gyms in Heemstede, but it was always a nightmare.

Short, clear and efficient training

Last year, my back pain got so bad that I just had to do something. I went to Happy Bodies Heemstede, and it was a bull's-eye. Since then, I've been diligently working out every Tuesday and Thursday morning. I'm very conscious of going in the morning; if I plan it later in the day, I quickly think, "Forget it." It's great that it's a short, manageable, and varied program. No twenty minutes on the treadmill, or an hour staring into space on the bike. Six 35-minute workouts a month, training your entire body in the Milon circle. Super efficient.

The right incentive

My back remains a vulnerable spot—I call it my eggshell—but I can't help but admit that it relieves my back pain. Happy Bodies is a bit more expensive than the big gym chains, but it does me so much good and it fits easily into my life. It's an investment in my health, and there's no price tag on that. You really get your money's worth here. Besides, a cheap membership that you don't use is ultimately a waste of money. My regular instructor is Rémon Koetje. He encourages me in just the right way and is very interested in my progress and how I feel. I regularly get a pat on the back when I'm doing well. Rémon listens carefully to me, and if something is too much or doesn't feel right for my back, he adjusts the program. He deserves a big compliment!

Do you feel like you don’t have enough time to exercise and are struggling to achieve good results? Then it’s time to get to know the Milon Circle! In this blog, Romano Morais, the general manager and one of the founders of Happy Bodies lifestyle clubs, tells you what the Milon Circle is and why it’s the perfect training method for busy people.

More results, less time, lots of fun

One of the biggest advantages of the Milon circle is that you can do a complete workout in just 35 minutes. The Milon circle consists of a series of hypermodern and fully automatic fitness equipment that you go through in two rounds. Because the digital circuit is centrally controlled, everyone turns to the next device at the same time. A kind of zipper for athletes. This way you perform your workout as efficiently as possible and you never have to wait in line. In addition, there is a lot of interaction, because you train in a circle. Fun is therefore an important aspect at Happy Bodies.

Personal settings

Another great advantage is that the training is completely tailored to your body. During your first visit to Happy Bodies, the innovative biometric Milonizer scans your body based on biometric markers and we look for any injuries or other limitations. The devices are then automatically set correctly for each training session. This way you always get a tailor-made workout and the chance of injuries is minimal. In addition, your progress and performance are automatically tracked digitally, so that you always know where you stand and we can adjust your goals at any time - in consultation.

Full-body workout

The Milon circle offers a balanced full-body workout, involving both strength and cardio. This ensures that you train all muscle groups and at the same time work on your endurance. Another unique aspect of the Milon circle is that the return movement of the exercise is heavier than the upward movement. This is also called concentric. This not only makes the workout more intense, but also ensures that you train the muscles twice as much in the same time as with normal fitness equipment. This makes a complete workout on the Milon circle possible in just 35 minutes. The result is a varied and effective workout that contributes to better health, a tighter body and more energy.

Motivational training

Training in the Milon circle is very efficient and effective, which helps you stay motivated. In addition, our trainers give you personal support and guidance, but without the price tag of a personal trainer. This way you get the best out of yourself, in two times 35 minutes every ten days. The solution for people with a busy life who still want to work on their health and fitness. You can come whenever you want and always train with other people in the circle. That motivates twice as much!

It's not just learning that makes you smarter. Reading can also increase your knowledge, and you can continuously train your brain with puzzles and memory games. But did you know that you can also become smarter by exercising? In this blog, Danny Kors, head trainer and nutrition coach at Happy Bodies, explains how that works.

Intelligence as a multifactorial concept

There are several factors that determine how smart we are. A large part is genetically determined. Scientists have discovered that there are genes that influence our cognitive functions, such as the ability to learn and remember. The environment in which we grow up also plays an important role in determining our intelligence. Think of the extent to which we are stimulated and challenged, but also the nutrition we receive. Then of course we also have education. Good education helps to increase our level of knowledge, learn new skills and increase our thinking ability. Finally, we become smarter by supplementing all of that with experience. If you have gained a lot of experience in a certain (professional) area, you can solve complex problems in that area better and faster.

Exercise for a smarter brain

What few people know is that exercise is also good for the functioning of your brain. For example, we read on the website of the Brain Foundation that exercise can contribute to improved memory, better sleep and a reduction in stress. Sufficient exercise ensures good blood circulation in the brain, which provides the brain with sufficient oxygen. This allows new brain cells to be formed and connections between nerve cells to become stronger. Communication between brain cells also improves. Exercise also reduces the risk of various brain disorders, such as dementia, depression and Parkinson's. Of course, exercise is also important for your physical condition and general health. So it's a win-win situation, really.

How much exercise?

How much exercise is good for you depends on many factors. The Health Council has drawn up exercise guidelines. As an adult, it is good to exercise moderately intensively for at least 2.5 hours per week. You can achieve this by walking for half an hour every day, which will cause you to breathe slightly more quickly. But don't forget daily activities such as climbing stairs, vacuuming and gardening. In addition, it is advisable to do muscle and bone strengthening exercises at least twice a week. Not only good for your brain, but also essential to prevent loss of muscle mass or to regain lost muscle mass and strength, as we already mentioned in our previous blog.

Do you exercise enough?

Are you keeping your brain flexible? You can check it here. Whatever the results, remember: Exercise is good, more exercise is better, and some exercise is better than no exercise!