As a fitness writer, I’ve subjected myself to pretty much every gruelling fitness trend under the sun. I’ve winced my way through cardio classes. I’ve strapped myself to high-tech gym equipment that could be mistaken for a medieval torture device. I’ve inevitably had grown men scream in my face during boot camp classes.

The fitness industry has long thrived on its ‘no pain, no gain’ mantra that suggests a bit of discomfort is essential for our long-term health. But the reality of this unhealthy belief hit me hard when I recently convinced my boyfriend to join me at a HIIT class in what could only be described as a strobe-lit dungeon. As we reluctantly pushed through the warm-up with ear-splitting EDM blaring around us, we turned to each other and confessed we’d both been secretly ‘dreading it’ all day.

“Stepper classes are going viral on TikTok – after just 1 session, I can see why”