Seven Cool New Boston Fitness Classes

The origins of group fitness can be traced back to 1968, when Kenneth Cooper taught his very first aerobics class. Needless to say, we’ve come a long way since then.

Today, Boston’s fitness scene runs the gamut from normal—yoga, Zumba, boxing, et cetera—to out-there offerings including aerial barre, naked yoga, and, for a minute there, lightsaber fitness. And in a city where activity reigns supreme, new classes are hitting the scene all the time. Here are seven you should try:

Barre at Studio U/Photo provided

1. Hot Barre at Studio U

You’ve tried hot yoga. Maybe you’ve even suffered through hot cycling. Now you can sweat it out at the barre.

Studio U is adding heated barre, a 50-minute class held in a 95-degree room, to its schedule. The studio says it’s the first in Boston to offer the steamy class, though Natick’s DanceFIT has also dabbled in heated barre. Proponents say it gives the muscles a deeper stretch and makes them more pliable, and helps the body clear itself of toxins.

$20 drop-in, Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. Studio U, 1065 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, studiouboston.com.

A Vixen Workout class/Photo provided

2. Vixen Workout and 3. Cize Live at the Z Spot

Zumba is going to look downright tame next to these workouts.

The Vixen Workout is a women-only cardio dance class inspired by moves that you’d see at the club or on stage. Consider it a workout and weekend preparation, rolled into one.

$15, Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 7:15 p.m. The Z Spot, 181 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. Register for Monday classes here, and Thursday classes here.

Meanwhile, Cize Live teaches you professionally choreographed dance routines over the course of the 45-minute class. You’ll learn each step piece by piece, then add on as the class progresses. By the end, you’ll have a routine you can pull out at parties.

$20, Mondays at 5:45 p.m. The Z Spot, 181 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, movewith.com.

Burn Fitness Studios/Photo by Kaitlyn Johnston

4. Glow Yoga at Burn Fitness Studios

If you’re taking yoga on a Friday night, you want it to be fun. Enter Burn’s new glow yoga class, an energetic power flow complemented by cardio, core work, and even dancing. Expect glow sticks, glow paint, and a playlist fit for a Friday evening class.

$18 drop-in, Fridays at 8 p.m. Burn Fitness Studios, 547 Columbus Ave., Boston, burnfitboston.com.

Recycle studio/photo provided

5. Reboot Push Ride at Recycle Studio

Short workouts are paramount in today’s time-strapped world, and Recycle Studio is filling that niche with a 35-minute class at its Boston Common location. Make no mistake, though—shorter doesn’t mean easier. Reboot Push squeezes a normal 45-minute class into a shorter block of time, so it’s all-out intensity from start to finish, with no breaks between songs.

$26 drop-in, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. Recycle Studio, 9 Newbury St., Boston, recycle-studio.com.

Coolidge Corner Yoga photo by Kadri Kurgan

6. Gentle Flow for Older Yogis at Coolidge Corner Yoga

While this class is open to all, owner Tatyana Souza says it was made with students ages 55 and older in mind. “We want to have an offering that’s just for them—that’s still movement, but slower-paced,” Souza says. “Moving that’s accessible, given they may have more limited range of motion, they may have a harder time coming up from the floor to standing.”

In addition to aiding healthy aging, Souza says the gentle flow is great for those recovering from injury, or those who simply want a lower-key class.

$16 drop-in, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11 a.m. Coolidge Corner Yoga, 1297 Beacon St., Brookline, coolidgeyoga.com.

Aerial yoga at Swet Studio/Photo provided

7. Namastgay at Swet Studio

Swet Studio, an LGBTQ-focused gym in the South End, is adding an aerial yoga class for the LGBTQ community—called Namastgay—to its roster. The class is open to anyone who identifies as LGBTQ, Swet member or not, for only $10. “We didn’t want the price to be an obstacle for someone that wants to engage in that,” says owner Silviya Mihaylova.

$10, third Thursday of each month. Swet Studio, 480 Tremont St., Boston, swetstudio.com.