Coming in second to the holiday season, traveling is the best way to kill your diet and exercise regimen. Lucky for you, South Florida’s unforgiving weather doesn’t give us much of a chance to cover up, hence there are more gyms, health clubs, yoga studios and unique workout classes than you could ever need. When you’re in town, be sure to try out some of these.
Pilates
This isn’t floor pilates, this is the original Pilates class with reformer machinery. Although they might look like something used back in the Inquisition, Sue Spinelli at Equinox gym at the Aventura Mall will lead you gently through using each machine to work every muscle in your body, improving your flexibility and strength at the same time. Whether it’s pushing off, pulling weights, stepping, and back bending, each seemingly primitive machine will get you where you need to be. Spinelli leads private and semi-private classes from a closed-off room in the gym, but with large windows letting in natural sunlight (and a view of the shoppers below). Equinox is also stocked with a regular gym with machinery and free weights, a spa and lots of other fitness classes to try out.
Equinox at Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., in Aventura, 305.935.9514
Jump/Rebound
This is easily the strangest workout we’ve seen in quite some time, but man does it work. Wearing jump boots known as Kangoo Jumps with a “spring” mechanism at the sole, it’s all about pushing harder to get a higher jump. At POLESTARS in Hollywood, the ever enthusiastic instructor pushes students through a high energy class starting with light jogging in place and moving up to more advanced side-to-side motions, kicks and turns that will leave you out of breath if you’re not prepared for it. With twice as much of a workout stuffed into one, don’t be surprised if you tire out faster than you think.
POLESTARS, 2039 Harrison St. in Hollywood, 954.609.1155
Surfset
Surfers might be totally chill, bro, but there’s a reason they all have rockin’ bods. Surfset Fitness taps into the balance and body control required to dominate the waves with on-ground surfboards. At the Viceroy’s gorgeous studios overlooking the water, boards come at two different levels, with the balance being more challenged the higher off the ground the board is. WIth small balls underneath, the board is will shift from side to side with your weight as you do squats, jumps, planks, crunches, and other moves that don’t seem so hard when you’re not wobbling all over the place. A definite core work out, it’s all about keeping your body in control for the best workout.
Viceroy Miami, 485 Brickell Ave. in Miami, 305.503.4400
Barre
Ballerinas were once an underestimated group, but after that Under Armour ad with Misty Copeland, everyone’s since changed their minds. Get her killer calves at Barre Motion, where Julie Jacko and her team of instructors will work your whole body at the barre. Using micromovements, students spend pretty much the entire class in some form of a squat- or should we say, a plie. When your calves and quads are screaming for relief, Jacko shows no signs of letting you give up. Then there’s the small exercise ball and strap for added torture. No joke, this writer couldn’t walk right for five days after this workout because it hurt so good.
Barre Motion, 1560 Lenox Ave. Suite 103A, Miami Beach, 305.534.8087
Yoga
Boy, does South Florida love to hit the mat. Yogis can probably find a class at any old gym, but some of our favorites include the three Green Monkey locations, where they also host special events to focus on arm balances, meditation, and other ways to better your practice. The newly opened Pulse 163 is also a unique place for yoga, as well as barre classes -- they also have speciality classes for teens and seniors, so no one is left out. In the ambience of Wynwood’s artsiness, Jugofresh offers free yoga classes on the third Wednesday of every month. In Fort Lauderdale, Bombay Room Yoga Studio offers classes all day long in a relaxing, warm room and also sells fun yoga gear to spice up your work out closet.
Green Monkey, 5792 Sunset Dr, Miami, 305.669.4949
Pulse 163, 3447 NE 163rd st North Miami Beach, 305.454.0549
JugoFresh, 350 ne 60th st, miami,786.472.2552
Bombay Room, 3354 NE 33rd Street Fort Lauderdale, 954.567.1110