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Class Act
Class Act: Skinny Jeans Fitness Workout
I won't lie, the name caught my attention: Skinny Jeans Workout, a place where denim and my hamstrings collide. I find the fashion / fitness connection slightly amusing, but the 45 minute class left me more than slightly sweaty. It truly is a sculpting workout that borrows from a diverse array of fitness methods.
Class Act: Cardio Theater
One way I beat boredom while doing cardio inside is to watch movies. I'll start one and watch about 30 minutes or more, and then the next time I work out, I'm excited to continue where I left off in the flick. I'm lucky to have a machine at home I can walk or run on, but if you don't, check out Cardio Theater.
Fit Tip: Spy Before You Try
We've all been there: you waltz into a new group glass at the gym only to discover that the yoga is far beyond your reach or the dance moves are better suited to fly girls than fitness buffs. Getting in over your head can not only be embarrassing, but it can also lead to injuries.
So before you wander into a class based on a friend's recommendation or a cool-sounding description, stop by the week prior and peek into the studio.
Class Act: African Dance
In the mood for something with a little more action than a chill jog in the park? Try out an African dance class. Classes are most often accompanied by live musicians, mostly drummers, so the energy practically busts through the roof.
Class Act: CrossFit Training
When I showed up to meet my CrossFit certified trainer, Sean Murphy, I found myself approaching a co-ed group performing Olympic lifting as part of an ongoing group class. The outdoor facility was as simple as it gets — a group of mats under a weather-protective tarp, a set of monkey bars, a shed for housing basic supplies like jump ropes and weights, and tractor tires resting about. The rugged scene was a far cry from the luxury home of my morning workouts at Equinox, but the fitness element challenged me in an entirely different and refreshing way.
Class Act: Pilates Boot Camp
Most people think of Pilates as a mind/body exercise, and they think Pilates is a slow, nit-picky form of exercise. Now that boot camps and circuit training are big trends in the fitness world, Pilates studios and gyms are creating boot camps of their own. I was lucky enough to participate in a Pilates-style boot camp yesterday morning sponsored by Balanced Body at the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association convention happening here in SF this week.
Class Act: High-Heel Workout?
Looks like there is a new fitness class on the scene. The focus is to get you in shape, but not in the traditional meaning. Rather than focusing on burning calories, the goal of the high-heel workout it to get you in shape to walk comfortably in heels.
Class Act: Nia
As part of my New Year's resolutions, I vowed to try new things, so there I was — barefoot and in a room full of happy, chatty ladies, about to take a Nia class for the first time. I was excited because I had heard it integrated some of my favorite movements: dance, martial arts, and yoga. Once the music started, the instructor began demonstrating some simple movements to open the body.
Class Act: TRX Training Center
It is the new year and I have decided to try some new things — one being new ways to workout. My most recent experiment was a TRX class. TRX is a suspension training program designed to work every large muscle group.
Class Act: AntiGravity Yoga "Wings"
Inspired by the list of the upcoming fitness trends generated by the American College of Sports Medicine, I have started my own list of how working out will evolve in 2009.
The ancient practice of yoga is flexible enough (bad pun, I know) to mix with almost any other form of exercise or prop. The folks over at Crunch have been dreaming up trend-setting classes for years now, and their latest yoga hybrid is AntiGravity Yoga "Wings."
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