There’s a good chance you recently made a promise to yourself to be more active in the coming year. January 1 has that effect on people (which is weird, when you really think about it, because January in Maine is a pretty cold, dark, hurtful time of year to decide to get up early to hit the gym or start a running regimen). And yet here we are, doing it again. Because we’re optimists!
But maybe this is the year we decide to not focus on the calories burned or the accrual of miles on a treadmill. This year, let’s find a cool workout that we genuinely enjoy – because it makes us feel strong or because it’s new and different or because it involves a trapeze or because, dare I say it, it’s actually fun. Workouts like that DO exist. Over the last year, I’ve tried a number of them.
So here are 9 workouts from 2015 that were certainly sweat-inducing/strength building/muscle engaging, but were also a ton of fun (and it’s the “ton of fun” part that will keep you coming back).
Buti Yoga at Hustle and Flow, Portland
Buti Yoga will get your body to move in ways your grandma might think impertinent (unless you have a really rad gradma who understands the importance of a little tush shaking and hip gyrating). Buti is a blend of power yoga, tribal dance and plyometrics – and wow, it’s a good time. Classes are open to all levels (I couldn’t keep up the whole time and had to take breaks to catch my breath or get a drink of water. I did not feel bad about it whatsoever. In fact, I felt pretty awesome).
ALSO: They have a Buti Yoga class for new moms on Mondays at 1 p.m. Buti with yo’ baby!
Buti Yoga
Hustle and Flow, 155 Brackett St., 3rd Floor, Portland
$15 drop-in, 5 Class Pass $65, 10 Class Pass $120
hustleflowstudio.com
Read more about it: Buti Yoga at Hustle and Flow, Portland: You’ll shake, pop, sweat & love it
Aerial Improv with Apparatus Dance, Portland
For anyone who’s ever watched performers gracefully climb and swing and dangle and dance on an aerial hoop or silks and thought, “holy wow, that looks amazing, I want to do it but I could never…” I say: Yes. You can. You must. The two-hour session is held at the Breakwater School gym in Portland from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and there are all kinds of apparatus hanging from the ceiling – silks, trapeze, a lyra (aka an aerial hoop) and ropes with harnesses. And you get to swing, climb and explore.
Aerial Improv
Breakwater School, 856 Brighton Ave, Portland, ME
$16 drop-in
www.facebook.com/Apparatus-Dance-Theater and www.apparatusdancetheater.org
Read more about it: Try the silks at an Aerial Improv class in Portland (and trapeze! And aerial hoop!)
Adult Obstacle Fitness at Maine Warrior Gym, Westbrook
Maine Warrior Gym really is like a jungle gym for grownups. The monkey bars, warped walls, ropes and salmon ladder give that away as soon as you step inside the 5,000-square-foot warehouse space (and yes, you’ll immediately want to climb on everything). There’s a host of ways to engage with the course, too. I really dig the Adult Obstacle Fitness class (a “unique circuit-training program designed to deliver an aggressive full-body, full-mind workout”) or you can take advantage of open gym hours to create your own circuit or focus on a particular obstacle. Parkour classes, too!
Adult Obstacle Fitness
Maine Warrior Gym, 865 Spring Street, Westbrook www.mainewarriorgym.com and www.facebook.com/mainewarrior
Photos: Check out some photos from a recent trip to the gym
Read more about it: A jungle gym for grownups: Maine Warrior Gym in Westbrook is open!
Yoga on an island with Monhegan Wellness, Monhegan Island
Tara Hire (the founder of Monhegan Wellness) leads yoga and nutrition-based classes and retreats on the island she gets to call home (and let me tell you, Monhegan is worth a visit for any reason, but a day retreat of outdoor yoga overlooking the ocean, a seaside hike, lunch, maybe some chanting or post-retreat beer at Monhegan Brewery is an EVEN BETTER reason. The retreats are on hold for the winter, but check Monhegan Wellness out in the spring and summer.
Monhegan Wellness
Monhegan Island
monheganwellness.com
Read more about it: Do yoga and chill the heck out on Monhegan Island with Monhegan Wellness
Kickboxing Yoga at Fearless Phoenix
Kickboxing and yoga. Together! Together? It’s true, these two disciplines don’t seem altogether compatible at first glance, but hear me out: The class is divided into two parts: The first half focuses on kickboxing (the proper technique and form) and the remainder of the hour is focused on yoga. The intense cardio of kickboxing and the flexibility and strengthening of yoga make for one serious, sweat-inducing, panting, flushed face kind of workout.
Fearless Phoenix Fitness
331 Ocean House Rd, Cape Elizabeth
$15 drop-in, also free intro class on Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
www.fearlessphoenixfitness.com
Read more about it: Kickboxing Yoga: It exists! KICKASANA at Fearless Phoenix in Cape Elizabeth
Circus fitness with Circus Maine
Yes, you can work your muscles with a little help from aerial silks, a trapeze, some juggling and whole lot of tumbling. The circus school at Thompson’s Point offers classes for folks like us who probably haven’t done a somersault in a few decades, let alone come into contact with any kind of aerial equipment, and that’s why these classes are so neat. Instruction starts from the beginning, helping you to gain the muscle and form to do cool stuff, from juggling and object manipulation to climbing the silks. Winter classes begin in mid-January and include adult circus fitness, foundations in aerial technique, general circus arts and Chinese pole.
Circus Fitness
Circus Maine, Thompson’s Point, Portland
Winter session begins in mid-January
$125-$275 for the session, depending on the class
circusmaine.org
Read more about it: Circus fitness, aerial, tumbling & juggling: Adult classes with Circus Maine
SURFSET fitness at Magnolia,Portland
You can finally realize your long-harbored surfing fantasies without the fear of undercurrents, frigid waters and sea creatures with big teeth and a thirst for human flesh (note: we don’t really have those in Maine). SURFEST is a surf-inspired fitness class that uses a RipSurferX board, which is designed to mimic the movements of a surfboard on the water (imagine a small surf board mounted to a platform – except the board tips from side to side like a giant Bosu ball). It’s wildly tippy at first, which is comical, but it also makes for a solid workout.
SURFSET
Magnolia Fitness, 116 Free St., Portland (inside Headgames Salon)
$14 first-time drop-in, $20 drop-in after that, $80 – 5 class pass (ask about their sliding scale option, too)
magnoliafitnessmaine.com
Read more about it: Work out like a surfer: SURFSET fitness classes at Magnolia in Portland
Women’s beginner hiking/snowshoeing group, Augusta, Gray, Scarborough, Brunswick
For new hikers or folks who haven’t been hiking in a while, getting started can feel daunting, especially when “hiking in Maine” makes most of us think of hours-long treks up 3,000+ foot mountains. Never fear – hikes (or snowshoe excursions) are always beginner-friendly (they go as slow as the slowest person), and all fitness levels are welcome. (I found it to be a really welcoming and chatty group, too.)
Women’s beginner hiking/snowshoeing group
Locations vary (Augusta, Gray, Scarborough, Brunswick and elsewhere)
Free
www.meetup.com/Maine-Hiking-Women/
Read more about it: Explore new places: Women’s beginner hiking/snowshoeing group
Boot camp on the beach with Biddeford Saco Boot Camp, Biddeford Pool
This boot camp runs year-round. On the beach. Sure, beach workouts in the winter don’t appeal to everyone (then again, it’s pretty nice to own the beach and work up a sweat on those cold mornings) but planking in the sand on warmer days feels absolutely spectacular.
Biddeford Saco Boot camp
On the beach, Biddeford Pool
6 to 6:45 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday
$12 drop-in, $99 for a 4-week session
www.biddefordsacobootcamp.com
www.facebook.com
Read more about it: Do boot camp on the beach with Biddeford Saco Boot Camp
