Classes Les Mills Body Pump This class can be found in gyms all over the country from your local recreation center to the big-name chains. It is by far my absolute favorite class. My local rec center offered it for fairly cheap ($4/class), and I got a great workout. Basically this class combines strength training (using bars/weights) with cardio (by keeping you moving for the whole hour) all set to awesome tunes. The class works each muscle group from larges to smallest, using moves choreographed to a song. This is more enjoyable, in my opinion, than just doing straight reps, and it's challenging, because it means you are doing squats for 4-5 minutes! I felt this class was great for beginners as well as lifetime fitness gurus, as you adjust your weights according to your level. The music is fun, the class is upbeat, and you will feel the burn.
Spinning Spinning is basically just a fancy (or not-so-fancy) term for cycling. This, again, is a class that you can find at almost any and all gyms. I found that the classes varied greatly depending on the instructor, so one instructor would work to target heart rate one day, and another instructor would focus on intervals another day, and yet another instructor would choose to do all inclines. The spinning bikes feature adjustable tension, so you can mimic different terrain, and the instructor will direct you on how to adjust the tension throughout the class. You will be tired. You will get sweaty. You will see results. It is a great workout for your legs, glutes, arms, and heart. The video below gives an overview of what to expect at a spinning class...
Zumba Ok, so first off, I've never actually attended a zumba class, but friends of mine swear by it. Latin-inspired music, dancing, and a lot of fun with friends? Sounds like a blast to me! You probably won't get your man to join you for this class, but it's a great cardio workout to do with your girlfriends.
Yoga There are so many varieties of yoga out there, that you are bound to find a class that works for you. Some classes will focus on flowing through a sequence of poses, never holding one for very long, while others will focus on staying in poses for several minutes (I prefer the latter so I can adjust and really work on getting the pose just right). I personally love Bikram yoga which is done in a heated room -- the heat loosens your muscles allowing you to get deeper into the poses, and the same 26 poses are done in each class, so you won't miss anything if you miss a class. There are prenatal yoga classes to do during pregnancy that can help prepare your body for childbirth, as well as relieve pregnancy aches and pains. And after baby is born, they even have Baby and Me or postnatal yoga classes as well.
I know there are many many other options out there for fitness, but I really hope these gave you a glimpse into classes you may not have known about before. Next week we'll be going over basic fitness tips! See you then!
April is a new lover of running and all things fitness. After having her second baby, she set and conquered her fitness goals - having now completed four 5K races, including a mud run, and having worked her way up to doing 5 unassisted pull-ups. She is registered to do the Tough Mudder in Colorado this summer, and is just praying she survives. She writes about faith, family, and her life as an Army National Guard wife and stay-at-home mom over at Hearts On Guard. 
