10 creative workouts for people who hate running
Boston is a running city. Luckily, there are tons of opportunities to get moving around town that focus on more than getting marathon-ready. From aerial yoga to trampoline dodgeball, here’s a roundup of the best ways to get fit without getting bored around Boston.305 Fitness Dance Party
Live music from an in-house DJ sets this cardio dance workout apart from local alternatives. All classes are 55 minutes of high-intensity rhythmic choreography, and 305 offers specific classes designed to target arms and legs. Beginners can sign up for a Cardio Basics class to learn the fundamental movements. (699 Boylston St., Boston)Ultimate Dodgeball at Sky Zone
The classic recess game gets a revamp at Sky Zone Trampoline Park, the original home of trampoline dodgeball, according to the Sky Zone website. Bring some friends and fly through the air on the wall-to-wall trampoline courts, where pickup games are held daily. Teams can also compete in Ultimate Dodgeball Tournaments, hosted by Sky Zone. (91-B Sprague St., Boston)
AirCraft Studio Director Jill Maio teaching a class.
AirCraft Aerial Arts
Instructors at this large, converted warehouse space provide group and private classes on trapeze, aerial silks, lyra (hoop), and more, including circus arts classes for children and non-aerial classes in contortion and acrobatics. Students sign up for eight-class sessions, but beginners can take 90-minute introductory Taster classes for $25. (14 Tyler St., Somerville)
Indoor rowing at Swet Studio and Burn Fitness Studios
Indoor rowing is a low-impact alternative to other cardio classes and a great workout for the legs, core, and arms. Taught at both Swet Studio in the South End and Burn Fitness Studios in the Back Bay and the South End, the high-intensity interval workout is paced by an instructor and set to music, just like indoor cycling. No rowing experience is necessary for class participants at either studio. (Swet Studio: 480 Tremont St., Boston; Burn Fitness Studios: 867 Boylston St., Boston and 547 Columbus Ave., Boston)
AntiGravity Fit at Swet Studio
Swet Studio also offers a range of suspended AntiGravity workouts—core-targeting classes, yoga, barre, and meditation—all of which are held in low-hanging yoga hammocks. The workouts focus on low-impact strength and flexibility training, utilizing swinging, twisting, and resistance movements while suspended in the air. There are plenty of beginner classes available, and an AntiGravity Restorative class emphasizes athletic recovery for injured and beginner attendees. (480 Tremont St., Boston)
Xtend Suspend at Xtend Barre
A twist on classic barre choreography, Xtend Suspend incorporates elements of TRX training, a suspended, bodyweight-resistance workout originally developed for Navy SEALs. Barre exercises at Xtend Suspend use TRX Suspension Trainer equipment, creating a low-impact workout that challenges participants even more than traditional barre exercises. There is a prerequisite of one Xtend Barre class, and attendees need to learn TRX equipment setup, so latecomers aren’t admitted. (338 Newbury St., 2nd Floor, Boston)
GlowYogaFusion class.
GlowYogaFusion at Acorn Yoga
Flow under black lights at GlowYogaFusion, a power yoga class that ends in a dance party every Friday night. Glow sticks and glow paint are included in the price of the hour-long class, which also features core, cardio, and partner exercises. Beginners can join the Saturday GlowYogaFusion session, which runs for 45 minutes and is designed to be a gentler introduction to power yoga. (576 Washington St., Boston)
Parkour with Parkour Generations
The improvisational French movement practice known as parkour involves getting from point A to point B as quickly, efficiently, and creatively as possible. Originally designed for military training, parkour movements can involve running, climbing, swinging, jumping, and rolling, all without any equipment. Parkour Generations’ Boston chapter provides indoor and outdoor classes for both children and adults at a variety of locations around Greater Boston, honing coordination and confidence through freestyle interaction with natural obstacles. Bonus: It’s a major cardio workout. (Various locations, call 617-302-7542 for more information)
Broga at Burn Fitness Studios
Broga uses vinyasa yoga techniques and focuses on strength and high-intensity interval training. It’s meant “for people who might not be able to touch their toes, but want to train like an athlete,” according to the Burn Fitness Studios website. And while the classes are geared toward men (see: broga), women are also welcome. (867 Boylston St., Boston and 547 Columbus Ave., Boston)
Bags x Beats at EverybodyFights
In Bags x Beats, from George Foreman III’s Seaport boxing gym, participants use boxing bags to box to music in choreographed combinations paced by the instructor. It’s a great option for people who already love workouts like dance cardio. The program is designed to build agility and improvisational skills in addition to the strength training and cardio benefits already garnered by boxing training. (15 Channel Center St., Boston)
