Fun With Fitness

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IMG_6669 sup yoga-Ekam Yoga & Pilates
Ekam Yoga & Pilates offers paddleboard yoga classes. | Photo by Ekam Yoga & Pilates

Trade those boring workout routines for these fun fitness alternatives.

By Sharael Kolberg

 

Making time for fitness and finding the motivation to exercise regularly can be difficult. The same old gym routine of running on the treadmill or forever climbing up the StairMaster can become such a slog. But there are plenty of gyms in and around Newport Beach that make it fun to get fit. Whether you want to focus on cardio, strength or stretching, great music, a supportive community and a new routine can get you back on track with your fitness goals in no time.

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Burn calories while learning boxing moves at BoxHaus. | Photo by BoxHaus

Forget the boring weight machines and outdated workout classes, these gyms will have you dancing, skating and surfing your way to a new you with challenging and uplifting sessions.

 

Sweat It Out

At BoxHaus, guests can work up a sweat with a high-energy boxing class set to music that will get your heart pumping. This boxing-inspired fitness class utilizes punching bags to work a variety of muscle groups. The instructor leads the group through signature boxing sequences designed to burn calories. You’ll be punching, bobbing and weaving to the rhythm of upbeat tunes that will make the class fly by. The studio offers glove rentals, lockers and a complimentary alkaline water station. “BoxHaus is where strength, resilience and empowerment come to life,” says co-founder Andre Huseman. “Our mission is to deliver an intense, uplifting workout experience in a stylish, high-energy environment. We don’t just build muscle, you build confidence.”

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Workouts that incorporate punching bags at BoxHaus | Photo by BoxHaus

The Beats Ride class at Equinox Newport Beach (just over the border in Irvine), is not your typical spin class. It is a rhythmic cycling class with an addictive playlist that will motivate, inspire and challenge participants. With a focus on cardio, power and endurance, instructors use drills, intervals and various challenges to push participants. The stunning club also features a spa, outdoor pool and basketball court, as well as yoga, barre and group class studios. Equinox Sports Club Orange County, also in Irvine, offers a cardio dance class that combines various types of dance for a nonstop workout focused on improving cardio endurance.

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An outdoor workout space at Equinox | Photo by Equinox

For a fun and unique way to focus on fitness, try the Dance Roller Skating class at Atomic Ballroom in Irvine. At this group class, held in a dance studio (not a roller rink), participants will lace up their skates to learn dance moves and line dancing routines while rocking out to uplifting tunes. Bring your own skates and wrist guards; the ballroom doesn’t rent skates. There are also a variety of other dance classes available at the studio—from salsa and tango to swing and country—that offer an entertaining way to exercise while being social. You’ll be looking as good as the “Dancing With the Stars” participants in no time.

 

Get Your Stretch On

Take advantage of Newport Beach’s waterways for a challenging workout in a calming environment. Ekam Yoga & Pilates offers yoga classes on paddleboards anchored in the water off Newport Harbor Patrol Beach from March through October on the last Saturday of each month. Anyone can join those sessions, but custom private experiences are also available. “At Ekam Yoga & Pilates, our paddleboard yoga classes offer a unique blend of fun and motivation that you won’t find in typical gym settings,” says Studio Director Sara DuBoise. “The serene beauty of Newport Beach sets the perfect backdrop as you connect with nature and yourself on the water. Our instructors create a supportive and playful environment, allowing participants to explore their limits while enjoying the gentle challenge of balancing on the paddleboard.” Until the paddleboard class starts up again early next year, consider Ekam’s Friday night Pilates Dance Fusion class, which mixes Pilates and hip-hop dance moves with high-energy music; it’s taught by one of the studio’s instructors who is also a professional hip-hop dancer.

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A Pilates Dance Fusion class that mixes Pilates and hip-hop at Ekam Yoga & Pilates | Photo by Ekam Yoga & Pilates

For a high-energy fusion of yoga, tribal dance and sculpting movements that is a whole lot of fun, sign up for the Buti Yoga class at Newport Peach in Costa Mesa. It’s not your typical Zen-like yoga. This class will raise your heart rate in a supportive, judgment-free environment with instructors that are focused on building confidence and creating community to bring out your inner warrior. Occasionally, fluorescent body paint and black lights are added; on the schedule, look for Peach Feature: Black Light Buti Yoga Glow (one is planned Dec. 23 with a holiday theme).

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Buti Yoga at Newport Peach | Photo by Jennifer Wales/Wales Communications

At Vivid Movement in Costa Mesa, participants in the aerial arts fitness classes—also known as antigravity yoga—learn poses while suspended in the air using silk hammocks or lyra (hoops). These tools allow for a deeper stretch without added pressure on the joints and spine, plus decompressing postures that can’t be done on the floor. The class combines yoga, Pilates, dance and acrobatics. The studio offers a variety of other unique fitness classes, such as pole dancing, belly dancing, burlesque and Heels Fusion, a “heels” dancing choreography with a hip-hop twist (knee pads and heeled shoes for burlesque/Latin-style dance are recommended).

 

Build Some Muscle

For a total-body workout that is high intensity but low impact, try a class at Pure Barre Newport Beach in nearby Costa Mesa. The 50-minute classes uses yoga, Pilates and ballet moves to build strength, increase flexibility and tone muscles. There are five types of classes offered: Classic, Engage, Define, Align and Empower. Both floor work and exercises at the ballet barre are incorporated. For increased strength, dumbbells, light hand weights, ankle weights and weighted balls are used with isometric movements.

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A class at Pure Barre | Photo by Pure Barre

Also in Costa Mesa, Surf Ready Fitness offers workouts that integrate functional movements to improve strength, balance and endurance, whether you want to improve your surf skills or just challenge your body in a fun, new way. The studio utilizes a variety of equipment including Indo Boards. These mimic balancing on a surfboard, which is key for core strength.

Check Turns Balance practice at Surf Ready Fitness
Balance practice at Surf Ready Fitness

“At Surf Ready Fitness, we combine the thrill of surf-inspired training with a dynamic, community-focused environment,” says Paul Norris, owner and operator of Surf Ready Fitness. “Our classes are designed to not only challenge your body, but also connect you to the ocean lifestyle, even if you’re not a surfer. Plus, the energy in class is infectious. People come back because they feel like they’re a part of something bigger than just a workout; they’re part of a team pushing each other to get better every day.”

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