Yoga​

 

• I don’t know how much I really have to explain here. 

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• It took off in the West because it works. Like, it really, really works. 

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• Some people have a strong preference for either authentic yoga or suburban rec center yoga. If you do, know what you’re getting into either way. 

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• ”Hot yoga” is worth trying at least once, for the story if nothing else. 

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HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

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• Newish and popular. Focuses on anaerobic training, aka pushing yourself to almost your maximal heart rate really fast, and then taking a break.

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• It will be pitched to you as a more efficient and effective way to work out, that can boost your metabolism, etc etc. 

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• Depending on your fitness goals, it can be very useful. It’s also undeniably great if you want to vent as much energy as possible over the course of your lunch break. 

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Pilates​

 

• It’s kind of like the Westernized Yoga, but with more strength work incorporated. There’s often very fancy looking specialized equipment involved. 

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• Works great for a lot of people, especially those who could benefit from low impact strength conditioning. Athletes in the off-season or in rehab often find it helpful. 

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• For the longest time, I couldn’t really get a proper grasp on what it was, because so many people explained it differently. It turns out that this is because it’s very unregulated and got popular enough to be a fad, so a lot of people will call a lot of different things “Pilates”. 

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Barre

 

• Dance related fitness class incorporating heavy use of the ballet barre.

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• For the same reason as Pilates, classes vary greatly in quality and content. 

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• I want to err on the side of saying that people hate on it because it is a fad that women like, and the hate is undeserved. However, I will caution this- I have seen it being sold to people as the best possible workout for them, when they would be better served by something more aggressive. Of course, the best workout for you is the one you’ll actually do, so if it appeals to you, you should absolutely try it. But if you’re being told in more words that this is all you could possibly need to do, be aware that this is false. 

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Zumba and Similar Stuff

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• It’s dancey aerobics. 

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• If that sounds fun to you, then you should try it. 

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Step (Step Aerobics) 

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• Aerobics incorporating a small platform that you step on and off of. 

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• Nowadays, will often incorporate weights, HIIT, and so on. 

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• Like spin and yoga, it’s popular because it works. ​

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Anything “Boot Camp”

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• Can take many forms, but is basically a large group class modeled on military boot camp methods. (In terms of the actual workout. Typically, the instructor will not actually behave like a drill sergeant.) 

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• The group dynamic is often utilized for various exercises, as well as played up for a sense of camaraderie and the motivation that comes with it. 

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• It’s hard to really speak to the effectiveness of these, because they can take so many forms. The large group format does necessitate some degree of a “one size fits all” approach, even if various options for exercises are given, so it may not be the best option if you have very specific needs. 

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Anything “Circuit” 

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• You’ll be in a place where a bunch of different exercises are set up as stations. You’ll have a certain amount of time at each station before moving on to the next, and will likely be rotated through the whole thing a few times.

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• This can be in a gym using different weight machines; in a field doing various bodyweight exercises and running laps; or anything in between. 

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• Really good as a point of entry, or if you’re looking to expand your horizons and try some new stuff. 

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Aquafitness

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• Low impact aerobics/pilates type stuff, in a pool.

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• Very popular with people who need things to be very low impact, as well as people who just really like water. 

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• While many people do need the reduced impact that being in the water provides, it is worth noting that, unless directed to by a medical professional, avoiding higher impact activity entirely is actually bad for your bones and joints in the long run. If you are concerned about your joints/bone health/etc and have not seen a physio, you should do so in order to develop an exercise plan that exposes your body to an appropriate amount of moderate/high impact activity. 

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Group Running Clubs

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• Sometimes an instructor teaches these. Sometimes they’re totally informal. 

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• Sometimes they’ll incorporate trail running or similar things. 

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• Typically, they’ll be split into difficulty/speed levels, with a leader or instructor assigned to each group to set the pace. 

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0R@ngethe0ry and Its Competitors

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• A franchised group class that takes up its own facility, that you need to buy a membership to.

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• Will provide a full body workout, combining strength, moderate cardio, and fast cardio.

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• Will be pitched as everything you need fitness-wise. This is not true for everyone, but as long as the workout is actually good, you could certainly do worse.

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• Provided you like the class, these can be an excellent point of entry to fitness. 

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• I briefly worked at one of these places after college, and was only made to sign an NDA regarding plans for class formats (who the heck do they think cares…). As such, I don’t mind saying that I have some Thoughts And Opinions on how these places operate generally. But that feels like it should be its own post- I don’t want to come off like I’m discouraging you from trying one of these classes if you think it would work for you.