PRINTAlternative fitness options in Columbia
These fitness alternatives can spice up your repetitive workout regimen
October 4, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Not everyone has the mental fortitude to endure hours of repetitive workout regimens at the gym, so why not mix it up with an unconventional fitness option? For those who want to be entertained
while they keep fit, these alternatives might help spice up the routine.
Jazzercise
Where: Columbia Jazzercise Center, 120 E. Nifong Blvd.
When: Mon. through Sat., check website for details.
Cost: Prices range from $15
for a single day to $40 for a monthly pass
Call: 823-7600
Online: jcls.jazzercise.com/facility/jazzercise-columbia-fitness-center
Work those hips! Burn those calories! Here we go!
Jazzercise is famous for its flashy fashion sense and energetic workouts. The classes combine jazz dance, cardio, strength training and stretching to work muscles you didn’t even know you had.
Don’t worry if you’re not up for every butt bump and leg kick; the class instructors are trained to vary the intensity of the dance moves, Jazzercise instructor Laura Kitzi says.
Moon Belly Dance
Where: Missouri Contemporary Ballet Studio, 110 Orr St.
When: Tues., 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 per class
Call: 777-0917
Online: moonbelly.org
Just because you’re sweating doesn’t mean you can’t get in touch with your sensual side. Moon Belly Dance Studio teaches students new dance skills with the added benefit of intense abdominal and glute muscle workouts. Sure, it can be physically aesthetic, but owner and instructor Kandice Grossman assures it’s not erotic. “It really has nothing to do with any kind of sexual expression,” she says. “It’s really more of a self-empowerment dance form.”
Grossman also incorporates yoga and pilates in her warm ups as cardio training. Classes are open to all genders and ages.
Boxing
Where: Wilson’s Fitness Center, 2601 Rangeline St.
When: Tues. and Thurs.,
7:30-8:30 p.m.; private lessons upon appointments
Cost: $179 for 6 weeks
Call: 443-4242
Online: wilsonsfitness.com
Forget those weakling workouts. Wilson’s Fitness Center on Rangeline Street offers boxing lessons that will melt your stress away with each punch. Boxing is particularly great for upper body strength and endurance, director of fitness Jesse Wilhite says.
Bad news for the the people looking for a fight out there: Wilson’s is a noncontact gym. Those who want to spar will have to take private lessons with Hank Markin, who also instructs the group classes.
The classes attract participants of all ages and both genders, Wilhite says. If you can swing your arms, you can box.
Punk Rope
Where: Activity and Recreation Center, 1701 Ash St.
When: Every second and fourth Tues., 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Cost: Day pass for $5.50 or month pass for $30 (prices vary for youths and seniors)
Call: 874-7700
Online: gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/ARC
Recess is back. It’s just a little later in the day.
Punk rope is a high-energy workout that instructor Heather Demand describes as a “mishmash of recess, playground, boot camp and jump roping” set to punk rock music.
Expect everything from exercise balls to improvised, playground-inspired workout games. For example, Demand describes how participants play “Duck, Duck, Goose,” while holding a squat position instead of sitting on the ground. Demand’s attendees range from high schoolers to elders, but that doesn’t necessarily lessen
the intensity.
“It can definitely leave you sweating and panting,” Demand says.
Pole Fitness
Where: Muse Pole Fitness,
400 N. College Ave.
When: Classes available Mon. through Sun.; check website
for details.
Cost: Ranges from four weekly sessions at $50 to four-week unlimited sessions at $100
Call: 219-776-7157
Online: musepolefitness.com
Pole dancing isn’t just for strip clubs. It might have originated in nightclubs, but in recent years,
pole dancing has become a global art form that some are petitioning to be included as a sport in the Olympics. Jordan Mazur, 21, started her own pole-fitness business in Columbia in February.
Mazur’s classes range from two to six people and include participants from college age to women in their 60s. She’s even taught men, though she doesn’t have any male students currently.
This alternative exercise is appealing because of its quick and intense full-body workout, so be prepared to spend some quality time with the pole.
Don't forget Hacky Sack! They're cheap, you can carry them around in your pocket, and kick almost anywhere. Hacky circles are social, too. ;-)
Posted by Derrick Fogle on Oct 8, 2012 at 10:40 a.m. (Report Comment)