Creative Ideas That Inspire

Buzz: Students dance to video games and hang from the ceiling in these unique offerings.

Joann Melgar, founder of Exceptional Body Pilates Studio in Abingdon, Virginia, created Pilates Pump for her more “hyper” students. “They just can’t persuade themselves that they don’t have to work themselves into a dither to get fit,” says Melgar, adding that her class is for “those who want their Pilates ‘sweatier’ and more breathless.” The interval class features short cardio segments and uses weighted balls, resistance bands, BOSU^® Balance Trainers or “just plain speed with classical Pilates exercise segments.” “We adhere to basic Pilates principles and spend over half the class in traditional mat exercises, but some clients absolutely love the mix and feel better about the workout at the end,” says Melgar.

R-KAIDE^® is a “rhythmic, kinesthetic, arcade-inspired dance and exercise group fitness program created by IDEA members Fred Hoffman, MEd, and Biray Alsac, MS. According to the official website, the class blends entertainment technology with exercise physiology and is inspired by popular dance-based video games. The format includes dance pads for each participant, a big screen and “groovy music.”

Core Pilates Studio in St. Paul, Minnesota, offers Aerialates to its members. The class is “dynamic exercise that combines the aerial arts with Pilates to challenge the body and spirit.”

Steve Nave of Competitive Performance Strategies in San Diego uses a unique piece of equipment to create a fun group atmosphere in the Bulgarian Bag/Speed Workout. The focus of this workout is on gaining strength and endurance by primarily utilizing the Bulgarian Training Bag, a half-moon-shaped leather bag made for wrestlers and “designed to allow for both upper and lower body training while emphasizing grip strength at all times.”

IDEA members Chuck and Shelly Gonzales, co-owners of Pacific Personal Training & CrossFit Hillsboro in Hillsboro, Oregon, take their CrossFit affiliation to another level. The classes are based on CrossFit’s model of “broad, general inclusive fitness,” and use “constantly varied, functional exercises executed at high intensity to reach that goal.” “We are continually adding new classes to the schedule,” says Chuck Gonzales. “We integrate various modalities found in personal training into some of the workouts. For example, if a workout calls for 45 pull-ups, we might have participants do TRX pulls instead. If a workout calls for body weight dead lifts for 52 repetitions, we might suggest a PVC pipe overhead squat for the same reps instead.”

Aruna Karen Andes, co-owner of WorldDance Fitness in San Anselmo, California, teaches Yoga Sling Fitness using OmGyms that hang from the ceiling. The class combines yoga and strength and cardiovascular training and includes both low and—if students are ready—high- flying stretches and inversions. “The slings let students stretch farther and do pull-ups and push-ups in different dimensions, providing significant core strength and delicious back relief,” Andes says.

Have you heard of a creative new class? Drop us a line and share the buzz. Send an e-mail, a letter or a fax detailing the class. We’ll be publishing your ideas in upcoming issues.

E-Mail: jkeller@ideafit.com

Mail: 10455 Pacific Center Ct.

San Diego, CA 92121-4339

Fax: (858) 535-8234

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Joy Keller

IDEA Author/Presenter

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Joy Keller is executive editor of IDEA Fitness Journal and is also a certified personal t... more

Joy Keller is executive editor of IDEA Fitness Journal and is also a certified personal trainer, indoor cycling instructor, yoga teacher (RYT 200) and Reiki level 3 practitioner.

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IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 6, Number 9

September 2009

© 2009 by IDEA Health & Fitness Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

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