Mar 24, 2024 - Health

We tried miha, which packs a 2-hour workout into 20 minutes

Carrie Shepherd

Man with outstretched arms facing a woman in an all black suit with outstretched arms. — Nolan Lee leads Carrie through a miha routine with electrical stimulation. Photo: Moyo Adelou/Axios

There's a new workout in Chicago called miha that sends actual electric currents — known as electrical myostimulation — to specific areas of your body.

Why it matters: Efficiency. A 20-minute session is said to equal a 2.5-hour workout. It can be used to heal injuries faster and build strength for sedentary and older people.

How it works: I tried the technology at Balanced Flow Wellness in Bucktown. Nolan Lee, my trainer for the day, started by taking a full-body scan that measured my weight, BMI and muscle mass.

I took off my yoga pants and sneakers and put on a special shirt and shorts that help conduct the electro currents.
Lee snapped belts across my hips, thighs, chest and arms that connected to magnets attached to a treadmill-like machine that delivered the currents.
As I did exercises like squats and crunches, Lee would either increase or decrease the level of current vibrating through my body.

My take: Electrifying! It's odd to feel electricity pulsing through your body, and you have to really be honest with yourself about how much is too much.

But for anyone who gets bored lifting weights or just doesn't have time for an hourlong workout, it's worth a try.

Watch Carrie do miha.

💵 By the numbers: $150 for four personal training miha sessions (not covered by insurance).

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We tried miha, which packs a 2-hour workout into 20 minutes

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