The Fit Parade
50 ways to have fun and stay fit
By Roger Brooks, Courtney Nash, Jim Gullo, Meri-Jo Borzilleri, and Jessica VoelkerWith contribution from Jena Vuylsteke, Erin Pursell, Laura Peach, Lee Fehrenbacher, Stefan Durham, and Bill Thorness
21 | Bounce
Cardio Rebounding
Gear required Athletic shoes.
Vanity value Leap ahead of today’s aerobics trends—this is the workout of tomorrow.
The best thing about cardio rebounding at Ravenna’s cozy Community Fitness: You get to bounce on a trampoline! Blast calories as you spring your way to a toned physique on the soft, shock-absorbent surface of the rebounder, which requires you to reposition your feet each time you land and engage your core to keep your balance. Instructor Cherie Diel Calamba gives clear cues and emphasizes posture and breathing, leaving you both worked out and blissed out.
Community Fitness, 2113 NE 65th St, Ravenna, 206-523-1534; communityfitness.com
“It’s fun to bounce; honestly
I feel like I’m a little kid.”
—Tennille Gammelgaard, Northgate
22 | Earn Sweat Equity
Vinyasa Yoga
Gear required Form-fitting, breathable activewear (water, mats, and towels
are $2 each).
Vanity value Fast-paced posing leads to long, lean limbs.
Anyone who thinks all yoga classes are sweat-free stretch sessions should stop by Shakti Vinyasa’s heated studios in Ballard and Bellevue, where limber students speed though an hour of grueling strength and balance poses, then hit the mats for a half hour of leg and ab work. Yogis experienced in Vinyasa, Ashtanga, or “power” yoga can drop in on a 90-minute, “1.5” level class. First timers: Sign on for an eight-session intro series—and some sore muscles.
Shakti Vinyasa, 2238 NW Market St, Ballard, 206-297-9642. 10245 Main St, Main Place Bldg, Ste 104, Bellevue, 425-646-9642; shaktivinyasa.com
23 | Learn the Ropes
Double Dutch
Gear required Tennis shoes, comfortable clothing.
Vanity value Be the coolest kid on the playground—again.
The adult double dutch class taught by professional performer and Northwest Double Dutch founder Andrea Gardner involves moves that go way beyond your typical playground jumping. Held at Community Fitness in Ravenna, the class teaches tricks with an individual rope and lets students try to jump double dutch with a big group. Adult jumpers can drop in any time, and kids can sign up for a 10-class series.
Community Fitness, 2113 NE 65th St, Ravenna, 206-523-1534; communityfitness.com
24 | Knock Out Flab
Boxing Aerobics
Gear required Running shoes, comfortable workout clothing.
Vanity value Friends, family, and coworkers will thank you for taking out your anger on a punching bag.
From breakneck jump-rope drills to punch combos and footwork, each hour-long boxing fitness class at Cappy’s Boxing Gym melds classic calisthenics with fast-paced boxing exercises—and you won’t risk a fat lip. (Want to learn to land a punch? Try the sparring sessions.) The classes are open to everybody, but, on balance, the students are women and a few indomitable female pro pugilists number among the coaches. Not much yelling and chest-thumping here. Instead the staff offers encouragement and positive tips for improving technique.
Cappy’s Boxing Gym, 1408 22nd Ave, Central Area, 206-322-6410; cappysgym.com
“I am not a morning person,
but I drag myself out of bed
at 5 every day because I know
how amazing boxing at Cappy’s will make me feel.”
—June Ashley, Seward Park
25 | Build Core Values
Group Reformer Pilates
Gear required Form-fitting athletic wear.
Vanity value Sculpt your way to a movie-star physique.
Maya Whole Health Studio owner Erin Usher helps students locate and activate muscles they didn’t know they had, leaving them with stronger core muscles, increased flexibility, and improved posture—not to mention that signature lithe look that’s become a Hollywood must-have. Usher’s class uses medieval-looking reformer machines, tricked out with springs, straps, and pulleys that support the body and promote a fuller range of movement than a mat class. They may look like torture devices, but check out your abs after a few classes and see why “massive joy” is part of the studio’s mantra.
Maya Whole Health Studio, 701 N 36th St, Fremont, 206-632-4900 mayawholehealth.com
“It has carried over into everyday
life as I tune into my core and leverage
those inner muscles.”
—Tracy Osheroff, Greenlake
26 | Sit and Spin
Spinning
Gear required Cycling shoes optional, lots of water.
Vanity value Legs like Lance Armstrong’s.
At Club Zum’s Saturday-morning endurance ride, the first drop of sweat hits the mat before the warm-up is over—a good thing since those pedaling quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves will need to be warm for another hour-plus. James Knippel leads 12 spinners in sitting and standing intervals that include steep hills and all-out sprints, and shouts cues in tolerable amounts so students don’t feel the need to chuck their water bottles at him. Call to reserve a spot
or check out his shorter weekday rides.
Club Zum, 2235 Fifth Ave, Belltown, 206-443-3933; clubzum.com
27 | Snag the Bee
Ultimate Frisbee
Gear required Frisbee, loose-fitting clothing.
Vanity value Take yourself (and your figure) back to your college days.
This isn’t a forgotten intramural sport embraced by the tree-
hugging stoners you knew in college. It’s a game of skill, strength, and speed sure to test your lungs, legs, and throwing shoulder. Hop onto Northwest Ultimate -Association’s DiscNW.org for leagues or pickup games in which teams of seven pass the disc until they either score or suffer a turnover. Sound easy? Keep in mind that players often run the equivalent of a 5k over the course of a match.
Northwest Ultimate Association, discnw.org
28 | Go Out Swinging
Swing Dancing
Gear required Comfortable shoes (leave the heels at home), change of clothes.
Vanity value Pounds drop off faster than you can say “hep to the jive.”
Seattle is graced with one of the most vibrant swing-dance scenes in the country. Get in the groove at the Century Ballroom, a bronze-trimmed and hardwood-appointed enclave on East Pine Street where beginners work it out in East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop classes before sweating to live or deejayed 1930s jazz riffs at the Wednesday- and Sunday-evening dances.
Century Ballroom, 915 E Pine St, Capitol Hill, 206-324-7263; centuryballroom.com
For more information on Seattle swing visit whiteheat.org
“It’s easy to forget how much quality exercise you’re getting. swing dancing really carries you away.” —Robin Nunnally, Capitol Hill
29 | Join a Peloton
Cycle Club
Gear required Bike, helmet, breakdown kit.
Vanity value The best way to get in with the cycle set.
For a rush of fresh air as you breeze down the trail, try one of Cascade Bicycle Club’s daily outings where you can train to ride faster, get stronger, and find new friends with similar abilities. Ride categories are based on pace and terrain (hint: Choose a lower-paced category if the description includes the word “hilly”) and are geared to all levels and lifestyles, from fast pace-line workouts to casual meanderings.
Cascade Bicycle Club, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Bldg 138, Sand Point, 206-522-3222; cascade.org
30 | Point Your Toes
Ballet and Modern Dance
Gear required Water bottle, loose layers, socks you don’t mind dancing in, knee pads as needed for floor work.
Vanity value The full-body workout will have you sashaying the streets like a dancer in no time.
Velocity Dance Center’s classes and workshops deliver high-quality instruction and big-city sophistication (though an occasional hippie circle cool-down may remind that you are, in fact, working out atop Capitol Hill). Beginners hone their tendus in Ellie Sandstrom’s strict-but-joyfully hip Monday-night ballet class, after which they can jeté upstairs to Liz Young’s nurturing modern dance lessons. Newcomers needn’t feel intimidated, everyone’s welcome to belly up to the bar at this dance school.
Velocity Dance Center, 915 E Pine St, Ste 200, Capitol Hill, 206-325-8773; velocitydancecenter.com
Published: March 2008