MIAMI — It’s only mid-January and dedication to that New Year’s fitness resolution may be seriously waning. Relax. Maybe it’s time to try something new — live DJs, fog machines, raves, obstacle courses, even cocktails.
A few ideas for fitness that goes way beyond the treadmill and free weights:
• COLOR RUN.
If you’re not a runner, keep reading. This is a no-pressure event. Their motto pretty much says it all. “Less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life.” Walk, run or skip through the 5-kilometer event while being doused in color powders. After you finish, take your rainbow covered body over to their insane party once the sun goes down.
If you go: There are dozens of events across the U.S. Basic entry fee is $25. Wear white.
• UNDERWATER BIKING.
Riding a bike underwater sounds easy, right? Not so much. Water’s zero-gravity-feeling is perfect for people with muscular, joint or obesity problems. Water offers an extra layer of resistance while its buoyancy supports the joints. Translation: A high-intensity cardio and body toning workout that will leave you a lot less sore.
If you go: You need special water shoes but you can rent them at most studios for a small fee. Some studios require showers before entering the water. Class prices vary at studios but most start around $20.
• BUNGEE FITNESS.
Crunch gyms are taking the fear out of flying with a new bungee class that uses gravity. Think planks with a bungee belt around your waist, allowing you to lift your arms and legs in the air at the same time and then back to plank position on the ground. The elastic bungee harness can make the workout more challenging or also reduce impact on your joints depending on the move.
If you go: You must be a member of Crunch gyms to take a class.
• IMAX SPIN.
Just when you thought the spinning craze couldn’t evolve any further than cool lightning and Hamilton-themed classes. IMAXShift, yes as in the movie theaters, recently opened a spinning class in Brooklyn. Participants will feel like they are cycling through the solar system, soaring over the coasts of Hawaii or pedaling to the beat with music-reactive visuals timed to the instructor’s choreography in a sensory overload experience.
If you go: Costs $35 for a 45-minute class. Currently only in Brooklyn but plans for expanding to several locations along the East Coast like Boston and Washington later this year.
• SWITCH PLAYGROUND.
What other workout requires special effect? Instructors lead group classes through a playground of activities with a partner stopping at various stations to work on a boxing bag, rowers or stability balls for two minutes before moving to the next station. Sounds like a pretty standard high intensity interval training class so far, but this one’s got a live DJ, a darkened room lit with lasers and a fog machine.
If you go: Switch is more studios planned around the country. Classes start at $35.
• YOGA WITH A TWIST.
There really is a yoga class for everybody these days. Steven Metz mixes virtual reality in an immersive yoga class at his Los Angeles studio with projected images of majestic canyons, twinkling galaxies and other serene pictures during his heated yoga classes. New York’s Retox studio hosts monthly wine tastings after class. Many studios around the country, including the Shakti Shala in Aspen, Colo., offer classes with live DJs. Black lights and glo sticks are becoming more common. Yoga classes for those with medical marijuana cards are popping up in a handful of cities and many cities have studios that offer the combo of yoga in craft breweries.
If you go: Check the schedules at your local yoga studios for offerings.
