It seems to us like nearly everyone in Calgary has settled into a pretty comfortable spin, yoga, barre fitness routine, either attending one or all of these classes regularly. But do you ever get bored of doing the same fitness rotation over and over? Don’t let your new year’s resolutions falter this year, keep things exciting by trying some of these unique workouts in Calgary.
Versaclimb at Kult Fitness
Calgary’s brand new fitness studio is bringing this total-body workout to you in the form of an epic group fitness class. Versaclimbers aren’t a new invention, but they’re gaining a lot of popularity fast because of all the benefits they offer. Since you exercise in a neutral position, the workout is very low impact but forces you to use every part of your body. Most fitness machines allow you to slack on using a certain part of your body, but definitely not the Versaclimber — you’ll be feeling the burn all over. The dark room, intense light, and loud music will make you want to push yourself to the absolute max. The biggest bonus is that the workouts are short, as in only 30 minutes which is totally doable no matter how busy you are. Oh, and did we mention that on average you’ll burn around 500 calories per class? Making the Versaclimber a lean mean fat burning machine.
Lagree at Lagree YYC
As long as you can get past the daunting spring, strap, and cable laden Megaformer (the machine you’ll use during this class), you’ll quickly reap the benefits of this super core-strengthening workout. Doing Lagree will help improve every aspect of your fitness self. Whether you’re looking to improve your cardio, endurance, strength, balance or flexibility, every single move in this class will help get you closer to your goal. The groups aren’t huge, but not so small that you feel like all eyes are on you. The room is simple and clean, so you can put all your focus on the difficult moves you’ll be doing. This class can take a little getting used to, so make sure to take their free first timer class that’ll show you the ropes of the machines and the workout.
Antigravity Yoga at Fit Republic
Yoga lovers will appreciate adding an acrobatic twist to their practice. Also called aerial yoga or hammock yoga, you’ll find yourself doing your poses in an apparatus that looks a bit like a hanging blanket. So what are the benefits of this, besides seeming way cooler? Antigravity is amazing for decompressing your spine, so much so that you will almost definitely walk out of class legitimately taller than when you stepped in. You’ll also get the same benefits of a traditional yoga class, but we would argue that you might be even more relaxed, especially after cocooning yourself in the hammock. Besides, what’s better than stepping out of the norm and trying something that will be completely new to you?
Rowing at ROW 17
Quick to learn and fun to do, rowing is another workout that has been picking up around North America. The instructors here are certified, helpful and most importantly, motivating, so you don’t feel like quitting halfway through the class, plus the music and lights help to keep you going. Having the energy of other rowers by your side, rowing in a group setting is much easier than going at it on your own at the gym — has anyone actually been able to do it for 45 minutes on their own?! Using the Indo Row, which uses real water as resistance, the machines are completely powered by you and give you stats on your workout so it’s easy to understand how you’re improving from class to class.
Kickboxing at Square1 Fitness
With the growing popularity of boxing classes, other martial arts have fallen by the wayside. We think it’s time to bring them back, and kickboxing is the perfect place to start. While you can expect to have similar classes to plain old boxing, this workout burns more calories, since you use your legs as well as your upper body. A whole different kind of stress relief from yoga, these classes are the ideal spot to work off some of the week’s pent-up energy. If punching and kicking the hell out of a hanging bag doesn’t give you some inner peace, we don’t know what will! Let the pros at Square1 lead you to calm and fit.
square1fitness.ca; @square1yyc
By Michelle Pijanowski
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