This ‘Mamma Mia!’ HIIT workout feels like a dance party

If working from home and social distancing have left you feeling a little soft, you are not alone. The Quarantine 15 is real. The combination of stress, comfort foods and binge-watching Netflix during the pandemic has led to weight gain and a lack of activity for many.

Emily Thorne is a certified physical therapist and fitness instructor. She is also the creator of “EMK FIT” and “EMK HIIT HOP,” who shares creative workout videos every week on her YouTube channel as @emkfit. One of her recent uploads has ABBA fans getting up off the couch and getting in a serious workout that feels like an old-school dance party.

Thorne’s Mamma Mia HIIT Workout has more than 200,000 views so far and viewers are raving over how much fun and motivational the exercise video is, which seems to be her goal as an instructor.

“Just over here trying to make working out a little less awful and a lot more FUN,” Thorne explained in the video description. “We’ll chat, get fit, build butts, etc., but we’ll always keep it REAL.”

The video is a little more than 26 minutes long and features a HIIT workout set to tunes from the movie “Mamma Mia.” If you are unfamiliar with HIIT, it stands for High-Intensity Interval Training, which means alternating periods of intense activity and periods of milder exercise or resting.

The video playlist features six ABBA hit songs, including “Mamma Mia” and “Take a Chance on Me.”

So what do participants of the on-demand workout class think?

“When I saw the theme, I reacted the same way as if I had won a million dollars,” commented user Courtney Bowman. “My body is READY!”

“You realize working out is really fun when it’s 9 pm and you’re about to watch a movie and relax,” Anne Lie wrote, “but you remember it’s monday and there’s a new Hiit Hop so you just get ready to dance. Thanks Emily!”

“Honestly I’ve always hated working out but Mamma Mia is THE INGREDIENT to make myself do it,” posted Sofía O’Connor. “Thanks for putting out this amazing workout! I got through 17 minutes today.”

If you are in need of some healthful movement but can’t seem to get motivated, perhaps feeling like a Dancing Queen is just the boost you need. And if other music might better motivate you, Thorne has done other themed workouts as well, like one based on Britney Spears songs and a Disney-themed HIIT and dance workout she did as a collaboration with That Disney Girl.

Many additional musical workouts exist on YouTube as well, so you’re sure to find something that suits you. Perhaps you might prefer to dance to tunes from “The Greatest Showman.” Or heck, just enjoy a medley of your favorite iconic movie music from the ’80s and get moving!