On any given night, parents often jump along with their kids for a workout that engages the whole family. Popular highlights include slam-dunk basketball and two foam pits. Daytime Toddler Time sessions for children up to six years old help get wee ones and their parents out of the house and moving. Another draw is Jump n' Glow night on Fridays, when the whole park glows in the dark under lasers and black lighting. With all the hullabaloo, you might forget what a great workout you're getting. (NASA scientists say that jumping on a trampoline is one of the most efficient forms of aerobic exercise we have—68 percent more effective than jogging while requiring less effort.) Says Katz of Bounce!, "It's a great place to come, have fun, and get incredible exercise at the same time."
Join the Circus (for an Hour or Two)
With a focus on aerial fabric—also known as aerial silks or split silks—Hudson Valley Circus Arts has a brand-new home at BSP in Kingston. Owner Alisha Mai McNamara is offering a "soft launch" of two classes a week for adults and teens but plans to scale up with more diverse classes in the coming months. "Our tagline is 'Get fit, have fun, join the circus,'" says McNamara, whose aerial classes involve two pieces of fabric that extend from the ceiling to the floor; students learn how to climb them, wrap themselves up, unroll, and turn tricks as they get more experienced. "We tie a knot so people can hang from their hips or shoulders. They're really supported, and we have lots of protocols to keep people safe. One nice thing is it's low impact—kind of like swimming in the air."To watch an experienced aerialist doing spins, splits, and drops is inspiring—but, can be intimidating to newbie practitioners. Yet McNamara says anyone with a basic level of fitness can do it. "We do gentle strength training over time to help people gain ability," she says. Eventually, HVCA will offer lyra (or hoop trapeze), aerial rope, and dance trapeze, as well as handbalancing and flexibility training. "Because you're upside down and using the whole range of motion, aerial fabric involves the whole body. People get really strong and have this access to their bodies that they didn't have before." It might take time to get there, but it's fun and collaborative along the way. The community is mostly women, and the atmosphere is supportive and encouraging. "It's the antithesis of going to a gym. It's all play."
Spice It Up with Fitness Pole Dancing
The play continues—without hanky-panky, mind you—at Studio 9, where owner Sarah Jacoby and her instructors liberate women (and a few intrepid men) from their couches and chairs with fitness pole dancing. Not just for men's kicks, pole dancing has a lot to offer—from toned arms, legs, and core muscles to creative cardio that gets you moving. "It's really catching on in the Hudson Valley," says Jacoby, who has seen business take off at Studio 9's three locations in Middletown, Poughkeepsie, and Kingston. The Kingston studio is expanding to a larger space by year's end, and like the other two studios will also offer aerial silks, lyra, and yoga.It wasn't always this way: When Jacoby started teaching pole dancing as fitness six years ago, people thought she was crazy. "All they could think of was women in next-to-nothing clothing and men in dark clubs throwing money," she says. "We really stay on the fitness aspect. Yes, you do learn to dance, and yes, you feel very sexy and confident—but we gear it with the fitness in mind and let you play with the creative side of it being sexy or not." While the athletic payoff is notable, the mental boost that women get from fitness pole dancing is even more valuable, says Jacoby. One student started when she was very overweight and suffering from low self-esteem; after 10 weeks of classes (and help from a nutritionist), she's lost 20 pounds and walks into the studio with a newfound sass. The best part about pole? "It gives you a level of confidence and empowerment that doesn't come from running 17 miles on a treadmill," says Jacoby.
