Los Angeles is a dynamic and lively city that offers various forms of entertainment and quite a number of activities for health, wellness, fitness and leisure. Some of the best workout programs are available in Los Angeles, where celebrity culture, healthy living and adventurous people almost seamlessly exist. A few of the world’s unique fitness programs are only found in this effervescent city. Tone your body LA-style, with some of the best exercises programs you’ll find right in the city.
1. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts
For people who prefer to work in groups, it is pretty easy to find a Les Mills exercise class around Los Angeles. If you prefer to work out at any time, some of the HIIT workouts are available on demand. Because each individual’s fitness level and taste are different, Les Mills offers several HIIT training choices, each one lasting for only 30 minutes.
Les Mills Sprint is HIIT training using an indoor bike. It’s a quick workout but the effects go beyond the half hour. With a minimum of two sessions a week, you’ll be burning fat and building a leaner body in no time. Les Mills Grit helps you build lean muscle and improve your strength with the body weight exercises and activities using weight plate and barbell.
For the more athletic types, there’s the Les Mills Grit Plyo. It uses a bench and is a mix of agility training and jumping exercises that ensure you burn excess fat, build leaner muscles and keep your body is superb athletic form.
For improving cardiovascular fitness, go for Les Mills Grit Cardio. This workout is just as challenging as the others, with a higher level of intensity with various body weight exercises. All of the HIIT workouts are set to pulsating and motivational music that are sure to keep you inspired to get those muscles moving.
2. Stand-up Paddle-boarding Yoga
Ever heard of doing yoga exercises on a paddleboard instead of a mat? With LA being close to the ocean, you’ll enjoy the sun, sea and surf with this innovative yoga version called stand-up paddle-boarding yoga or SUP yoga. The sessions are conducted at Marina del Ray and the class fee includes rental of a 10-foot paddleboard. You’ll receive 15 minutes of paddling instructions before you head out on the water to do asanas. Your gear? A yoga attire that can withstand getting wet, a wetsuit or even a swimsuit. You’ll engage your core more with SUP yoga as you’re challenged to keep your balance while doing the yoga poses.
3. Circus Arts
Many children dream of being in the circus as it represents something fun and exciting. While the fun and excitement will still be there, the school teaches a combination of various circus acts with proper movements that make you flexible, strong, and agile and in shape. You’ll be learning so many things, from trapeze to juggling to contortion, using actual equipment used by circus performers.
Never fear, as the classes/workouts are designed by a former Cirque du Soleil aerialist, so you can expect precision and professional expertise. You’ll receive some of the best floor and aerial exercise training that gives you a full body workout. Fancy yourself hanging from colorful silks while doing some death-defying moves? Don’t take the exercises for granted. Stretching exercises alone last for 90 minutes!
4. Pound
Exercise benefits the entire body especially the cardiovascular system. While different workout programs target different parts of the body, Pound is an intense, full body cardio workout. The program was developed by Cristina Peerenboom and Kirsten Potenza, two avid female drummers. You perform various exercises combining Pilates, yoga and aerobics to the beat of the drum (literally). As you exercise, you pretend to make out various rhythms on an imaginary drum, using Ripstix. These are specially designed quarter-pound drumsticks for exercise. You’ll definitely burn up to 900 calories in 45 minutes in this rock star-like atmosphere.
5. Hoopnotica
Elevate the ordinary hula hoop moves into a fitness regimen. Hoopnotica brings back the hula hoop craze, using weighted hula hoops as exercise equipment. If you’re only familiar with using a hula hoop to circle your waist, you’ll be amazed about what it can actually do to keep you fit and trim. Hoopnotica classes take about an hour. It cleverly uses the hula hoop for stretches and low impact aerobic exercises. While having fun with the brightly colored hoop, you’ll be toning your core and loosening your hips. The workout is said to burn about 400 to 600 calories each session, depending on your level of fitness and your weight. The use of the spa after class is included in the fee.
