Focus and Rhythm

Fitness Through Conscious Movement® is just one of many classes Stephanie Herman’s Esprit de Danse® offers to help people get in touch with their inner selves. This particular format “introduces breathing and Pilates techniques, alignment, balance [and] choreographed sequences” for a workout that “lengthens and strengthens.” According to the company’s website, the class is specially designed to “focus on the often neglected supporting muscles like the psoas, vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) and hamstring-buttock connection.”

IDEA member Jolene Puffer created Yo-Wei™ to merge traditional yoga with small weighted balls she calls “yo-weights.” The balls are soft, easy to hold and range between 3 and 5 pounds. Participants perform familiar yoga poses while holding the weighted balls, which, according to Puffer, “can help you develop better muscle structure and burn more calories.”

Sculptured Bodies in St. Petersburg, Florida, offers Kayakercise™ and Ka-Yoga™. In the former class, owner and IDEA member Tim Ganley instructs participants to paddle in different directions to get an upper-body workout while they are en route to an island where a boot camp awaits them. In the latter trip, kayakers paddle to a yoga class.

Rowing champion Josh Crosby used his expertise to enliven indoor rowing with his 50-minute Indo-Row™ class. Based on professional training principles, Indo-Row “challenges all muscle groups … and focuses the mind through synchronicity and teamwork.”

Joneeba™ incorporates floor exercise, yoga and African dance with drum rhythms. When refining the concept, creator Joneeba Mouflet drew on the “power and spirituality” of dance and drumming. The total-body workout breaks down the steps to make them accessible for all. “If you can walk, you can dance,” Mouflet says on his website.

Brides of Steel Ultimate Camp at the Sports Club/LA is a 6-week program for brides-to-be. The camp includes three group workouts per week, a fitness assessment, goal setting and other advice from facility wellness professionals.