If you lost steam on your New Year, New You plans, let the spring thaw renew your vigor. We've compiled a full schedule of heart-pumping, metabolism-boosting, muscle-building workout classes designed to make you sweat and get you (dare we promise it?) pumped about hitting the gym.
1 | Home grown.
Transform yourself the old fashioned way: down on the farm. Elite athletes and average Joes and Janes cultivate a love for strength training at the same facility where growers are raising crops with an eye toward nutrients for optimal recovery. Garage Strength, $20 per session drop-in fee or memberships starting at $250 for six months plus $10 per session, 416 Snyder Rd., Reading, 484.269.6687. garagestrength.com
2 | Turn up the heat.
A 90-minute silent moving meditation may sound like a spa getaway, but the cranked up heat will make you sweat. The strict Bikram routine immerses students in a deep meditative state, focusing and relaxing the mind while physically strengthening, re-shaping and healing the body. BYO towels – you're going to need 'em! Hot Yoga at BIKRAM YOGA West Reading, $16 for a single class or $40 for an introductory month, 120 S. 3rd Avenue, Second Floor, West Reading, 610.374.2659. bikramyogawestreading.com
3 | High-flying Om.
Cirque du Soleil meets Zen with the acrobatics of aerial yoga, using a hammock suspended from overhead to make you feel weightless while striking a pose. The swathe of fabric helps to decompress the spine and joints, cradling your form in a fun take on inverted postures without standing on your head. Aerial Yoga at Just Breathe Yoga Fitness, drop in for $20, 4600 Penn Avenue, Sinking Spring, 610.207.4120. justbreatheyogafitness.com
4 | Kick, jab, strike!
If martial arts is more your speed, this hybrid course borrows from self-defense disciplines like karate, boxing and Tae Kwon Do for 55 minutes of non-stop, butt-kicking movement. With the help of dedicated classmates, an energetic instructor, and a rocking soundtrack, the time and more than 700 calories (that's about five cupcakes!) will be gone before you know it. BODYCOMBAT™ at Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex, $70 for a one-month Lifestyle membership pass (including 120 group exercise programs, wellness center and pool), 3103 Paper Mill Rd., Wyomissing, 610.376.2100. bodyzonesports.com/groupx
5 | Mindfully moving.
Channel your inner ballerina with the pretty and precise form of Pilates, building strength, flexibility and balance through the methodology of Joseph Pilates and his protégé Ron Fletcher. Students focus on breathing, centering and deliberate movement in private sessions and group classes. Fletcher Classes at every body Pilates, $20 and up per hour for group classes or $90 and up for a package of five, $65 per hour for one-on-one training with a discount for new students, 629 Court St. (rear entrance), West Reading, 888.509.1063. everybody-pilates.com
If you lost steam on your New Year, New You plans, let the spring thaw renew your vigor. We've compiled a full schedule of heart-pumping, metabolism-boosting, muscle-building workout classes designed to make you sweat and get you (dare we promise it?) pumped about hitting the gym.
1 | Home grown.
Transform yourself the old fashioned way: down on the farm. Elite athletes and average Joes and Janes cultivate a love for strength training at the same facility where growers are raising crops with an eye toward nutrients for optimal recovery. Garage Strength, $20 per session drop-in fee or memberships starting at $250 for six months plus $10 per session, 416 Snyder Rd., Reading, 484.269.6687. garagestrength.com
2 | Turn up the heat.
A 90-minute silent moving meditation may sound like a spa getaway, but the cranked up heat will make you sweat. The strict Bikram routine immerses students in a deep meditative state, focusing and relaxing the mind while physically strengthening, re-shaping and healing the body. BYO towels – you're going to need 'em! Hot Yoga at BIKRAM YOGA West Reading, $16 for a single class or $40 for an introductory month, 120 S. 3rd Avenue, Second Floor, West Reading, 610.374.2659. bikramyogawestreading.com
3 | High-flying Om.
Cirque du Soleil meets Zen with the acrobatics of aerial yoga, using a hammock suspended from overhead to make you feel weightless while striking a pose. The swathe of fabric helps to decompress the spine and joints, cradling your form in a fun take on inverted postures without standing on your head. Aerial Yoga at Just Breathe Yoga Fitness, drop in for $20, 4600 Penn Avenue, Sinking Spring, 610.207.4120. justbreatheyogafitness.com
4 | Kick, jab, strike!
If martial arts is more your speed, this hybrid course borrows from self-defense disciplines like karate, boxing and Tae Kwon Do for 55 minutes of non-stop, butt-kicking movement. With the help of dedicated classmates, an energetic instructor, and a rocking soundtrack, the time and more than 700 calories (that's about five cupcakes!) will be gone before you know it. BODYCOMBAT™ at Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex, $70 for a one-month Lifestyle membership pass (including 120 group exercise programs, wellness center and pool), 3103 Paper Mill Rd., Wyomissing, 610.376.2100. bodyzonesports.com/groupx
5 | Mindfully moving.
Channel your inner ballerina with the pretty and precise form of Pilates, building strength, flexibility and balance through the methodology of Joseph Pilates and his protégé Ron Fletcher. Students focus on breathing, centering and deliberate movement in private sessions and group classes. Fletcher Classes at every body Pilates, $20 and up per hour for group classes or $90 and up for a package of five, $65 per hour for one-on-one training with a discount for new students, 629 Court St. (rear entrance), West Reading, 888.509.1063. everybody-pilates.com
