Five Unusual Fitness Classes to Keep You Motivated This Winter

Now that the mercury has dropped and the days are getting shorter and shorter, convincing yourself to get off the couch and onto the treadmill is harder than ever. If the fact that exercise is sure to raise your temperature isn’t enough to encourage you to go to the gym then these out-there fitness classes just might.

Hollywood, F45

The clue to what F45 usually does is in the name – 45-minute functional training sessions – but on Saturdays, they step it up a notch with a 60-minute high-intensity class that takes you on two circuits of 27 stations that will test strength, core stability, and cardio. You’ll have the body of your favorite Hollywood star in no time. 

Rm 2326, 3/F, Bldg A, Soho Shangdu North Tower, 8 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (173 1020 3820)
朝阳区金汇路东大桥路8号SOHO尚都北塔3层2326室 

JumpFit

Think trampolines are just for kids’ parties? Think again. JumpFit specializes in intense cardio exercise done on a trampoline. Every person gets their own personal trampoline and the instructor will lead you through a series of routines combining different types of jumps. You'll also get your own heart rate monitor too, so you can see just how hard you’re working. JumpFit has two studios, one in Sanlitun and one in Anzhen. 

B126-127, B1, Pacific Century Place, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District (4000 151 581)
朝阳区东三环北路三里屯盈科中心B1层B26-127

SUP Yoga, BOGA Floating Studio

If you’re looking to take your yoga practice to a new level, then this is the class for you. SUP is short for stand-up paddleboard and you’ll take to the water on one for this unique form of yoga that challenges your balance and core strength. Best of all, you don't even need to go outside (or to the sticks) to enjoy it, as the classes take place in CBD at Paradise Lounge and in Sanlitun at Green Essence in Intercontinental Beijing Sanlitun. 

5/F, Intercontinental Beijing Sanlitun, 1 Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6462 5556)
朝阳区南三里屯路1号通盈中心洲际酒店5层

Row Club

Rowing is a great low-impact form of cardio that also acts as a form of strength training, working both your upper and lower body simultaneously. Try it out at boutique studio Row Club in Jianwai Soho, which specializes in rowing paired with other equipment such as weights and resistance bands. Start with one of their first-time rower classes (even if you’ve rowed before) and go from there. 

2806, Bldg 18, Jianwai Soho West, Chaoyang District (5869 9557)
朝阳区建外SOHO西区18号楼2806室

Personal Training at BetaMe Fitness Center 

Finally, there’s nothing more motivating than having your very own personal trainer shouting in your ear. A personal trainer is usually a pretty significant outlay (think RMB 600 per session or more) but at BetaMe they have developed a model that keeps the pricing to around RMB 350 per session (less depending on how many sessions you do per week), thanks to a focus solely on personal or small group training. Still not a budget option, perhaps, but you’ll see results fast.

1806, 18/F, E-Tower, Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (188 1078 9817)
朝阳区光华路数码01大厦18层1806室

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Photos: paddlewanaka.co.nz, Dianping, courtesy of BetaMe, courtesy of F45, scrubbing.in.com