5 Unusual Group Fitness Classes
These quirky new exercise options indicate new trends at the gym.
Feb. 24, 2009 — -- Not that long ago, yoga, Pilates and spinning were new at most gyms, but now they've become staples at most clubs. To keep people coming in the door and returning again and again, health clubs are continually looking for the next big thing to add variety and innovation to their group fitness classes.
These days, some of the latest exercise trends are ethnic-style dance classes -- from belly dancing to Bollywood, muscle conditioning workouts that produce quick results in terms of strength -- as well as boot camp style athletic formats.
"Mind-body classes like yoga are ... popular because people don't often have time in their busy lives to relax or have a spiritual experience," said Tavia Patusky at Healthworks Fitness Centers for Women, which runs seven clubs in and around Boston.
Some of the new, more unusual fitness classes now offered at Healthworks or at other fitness centers around the country include punk rope (jumping rope to punk rock tunes), cardio strip-tease, which tastefully mimics lap or pole dancing, circus-influenced exercise and hula hoop classes.
Whatever your preferences, the reason many gym-goers gravitate to group classes, according to Patusky, is they create an environment where people come together for a common goal.
Group classes are also offered at scheduled times, the instructors helps to motivate you, and they're social, which provides a built-in positive support system.
Get Your Fitness Questions Answered at the ABCNews.com OnCall+ Wellness Center
Here are five new routines gaining traction at health clubs around the country.
Zumba
It's hard to keep your body from moving when Latin rhythms fill the room, and that's just one of the reasons Zumba has become such a popular exercise. This dance-based fitness class set to Latin beats is influenced by salsa, merengue, flamenco and other international dance styles, with some hip-hop and freestyle mixed in.
Zumba and Other Fitness Classes
Developed in Miami in 2001, Zumba was named for a slang Colombian expression meaning to move fast or buzz like a bee. And in class, your whole body moves. Generally, you start by moving your legs, then you add a change, such as moving your arms or changing direction, so you go side to side or forward and backward. But it's one change at a time, making it simpler and easier to follow for those who feel like they have two left feet.
According to Patusky, "Zumba feels like a dance party. It's a joyful experience, and you leave feeling good and knowing that you burned calories." Zumba is a great activity for children and adults alike.
Smart Bells
Designed as a more "intelligent" fitness tool than a dumbbell, SmartBellshave a circular shape with two oval cutouts for handles. These colorful metal weights resemble an oval steering wheel and are used for strength training. They range from 1½ pounds up to 12 pounds and more, but group classes tend to use 5- or 6-pounders.
Watch a Smart Bells Class in Action
Unlike dumbbells, which are primarily used for linear -- up and down or side to side -- movements, SmartBells have a unique shape that also lets them be used for more arcing or curving patterns. You hold on to one with both hands gripping the outer or inner handles, which allows for more swinging movements.
Because you can do more flowing motions with them, the weights also increase your aerobic fitness and flexibility. You can use one for a solo workout or use two if you are training with a partner, and they're suitable for kids and grown-ups.
Forza
An Italian word for strength and power, forza is a class-based in Japanese sword-fighting techniques. A wooden sword is used as a stand-in for metal as participants slice, chop and thrust it through the air in addition to doing lunge movements or taking steps with their legs.
Forza offers a fun way to discover one's inner samurai: It's a demanding physical workout that shapes both the arms and legs; at the same time it's mentally rigorous and requires plenty of concentration. Forza gives new meaning to the phrase "workout warrior."
Urban Rebounding
If you haven't been on a trampoline since childhood, urban rebounding might make you feel like a kid again. The class is taught on a mini-trampoline, used for much of the session.
Watch an Urban Rebounding Class in Action
The trampoline provides an unstable surface to jump on that makes the exercise more challenging; it also cushions the landing and places less stress on your joints than a floor-based workout.
Urban rebounding requires some coordination, because your arms and legs will often be moving simultaneously, and you'll get a high-energy, heart-thumping, whole-body workout in the process.
The activity not only improves your balance but also builds aerobic conditioning as well as arm, leg and core strength.
Bosu
The novel twist in this class is that it is taught on a Bosu ball, a piece of exercise equipment shaped like a half-dome. Bosu is an acronym that stands for "both sides utilized" because you can face the blue rubber shaped dome up and exercise on top of its surface or flip it over and work with the base of the device.
Many of the moves are similar to those in a step aerobics class, but the main difference is that the Bosu offers a wobblier surface than the step. You can stand on the Bosu, lie down or place your knee on it or use your arms to push off of it.
Any exercise you would do on the ground, whether it's lunges, squats, crunches or pushups, becomes trickier when attempted on a Bosu ball. Participants develop balance, and it tones muscles as the class works the upper and lower body as well as the midsection. Bosu training also has cardio elements to it.
-------
Have more questions on exercise and weight loss? Visit the ABCNews.com OnCall+ Wellness Center to get your answers.