Recess anyone? New workouts are child’s play
Posted: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 6:48 PM
By Gina Lombardi
Were you always the last kid picked in gym class? Or the one who didn't make the team?
If that’s a sore subject, well, now’s your chance for revenge.
The hottest fitness classes sweeping the country happen to be flashbacks from our past – Hula-Hoops, dodgeball, relay races, jumping rope, tag and even tug-of-war. For added nostalgia and fun, some even include music from decades ago.
But this time everyone gets to play!
Here’s a sampling of some of the new classes:
*Dodgeball. Crunch Fitness offers four or five rounds of hard-core dodgeball, followed by an abdominal workout and stretching. At Equinox, there’s a staff member monitoring the game and keeping score, kind of like in 9th grade.
*Hula-Hoop Pilates. Some gyms are offering a hybrid class that incorporates traditional Pilates movements and techniques with core routines that use hoops, fitness balls, bands and foam tubing.
*Jumping rope. Punk Rope at the YMCA is a jump-roping class that features tunes from the Ramones and The Clash.
*Old-fashioned drills. At The Gym in New York and Chicago, trainers divide the class into teams and use standards like relay drills and dodgeball plus circuit training and explosive plyometrics drills.
With these classes, you can get a great “adult” workout in a child-like environment. It’s the most fitness fun I’ve had in years!
If your gym doesn’t offer these classes, don’t let that stop you. Just grab some friends and head out to the park or recreation center for some good, old-fashioned child’s play.
