By Josie Gulliksen and Yours Truly
No need to get bored with your workout routine — miles on the treadmill or bicycle, circuits on the elliptical or hours a week pumping iron. There are more creative ways to get your cardio, strength training and balance building fitness in. Read on about five fitness studios offering cool, new Miami workout options. And if you missed it, here are others we wrote about in January (click here).
Vixen Workout, 547 NW 28 St., Wynwood, (786) 334-6802 https://www.vixenworkout.com
The Vixen Workout is just that, a dance/fitness class that incorporates sexy dance moves. Think 1990s Janet Jackson and current J-Lo to envision what goes into these classes. It’s described as “a dance fitness format that uses commercial choreography, killer music remixes and stage lighting so you can experience yourself as a performer.” Meaning, be ready for a sweat soaked workout.
Milan Pole Dance Class Studio located in Wynwood Lofts, 250 NW 23 St., (305) 420-6831 https://milanpoledance.com/miami/
It’s more than just Pole dancing at Milan Pole. Here they offer three classes, all which use a pole. Yes, like the ones at a gentleman’s club. The Pole Basic & Flexy, designed for beginners, starts at a slower pace to build cardiovascular fitness. Work up to the Pole Dance class for an ideal cardio work out with dance routines and acrobatics using the pole as the centerpiece. In the Pole Gym Class, the execution of technical movements provides strength training. Instructors can advise which of their hour-long classes will best fit your fitness ability.
Fight Sports Miami, 339 NE 61 St., Miami (786) 290-6875 https://fightsportsmiami.com
Variety is key at Fight Sports Miami through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai/Kickboxing, Judo and Capoeira. Building flexibility and endurance are the key effects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a martial art that’s an offshoot of Judo and designed for all abilities. Imagine burning between 750-1,500 calories per session. Muay Thai is described as a “striking art that blends techniques like kicks, knees, elbows, punches and clinch work.” In Judo, evolved from a fighting art, the focus is on complete body control fine balance and fast reflective action. Capoeira features two people performing a game rather than fight, incorporating elements of fight, acrobatics, music and dance. Learn any of these from a skilled group of trained experts.
Pilates Strong Studio – 320 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, (305) 401-2665 https://www.pilatesstrongstudio.com/trx
At this studio in Miracle Mile you can work your core, balance and strength through traditional Pilates, but try the TRX class. TRX uses a form of suspension training that uses body weight exercises to develop strength, balance, flexibility and core stability simultaneously. The TRX Suspension Trainer leverages gravity to perform the workout. Not a free weight in site here, yet you get the same effect.
BodyTek Fitness – 545 NW 28 St., Wynwood (305 804-2467 https://bodytekfitness.com/workout/
For years, workouts were all about endurance, long stretches of hard training with short bursts of rest. However, High Intense Interval Training (HIIT) classes have turned that theory on its head. They are the exact opposite with “alternating short periods of anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods.” At BodyTek Fitness the HIIT classes change daily to keep the body guessing. It’s a high calorie burn with constantly varied functional movements. No room for boredom here.
