New Year’s Resolution: Fitness

I think it's safe to say that everyone has some kind of fitness related resolution every year. Luckily in Charleston there are ton of different workout programs to chose from so you're never bored. Here are some of my favorite workouts around Charleston: 

Urban Yoga: Yoga is one of my favorite ways to work out, but I never feel like I’m quite working out unless I’m sweating, which is why I’m such a big fan of hot yoga. Urban Yoga has been my favorite studio that I have visited because of its class variety and the studio itself. The studio is heated by infrared radiant heat which simulates the heat from the sun which definitely gets you sweating, but does not have the humidity that some hot yoga studios have, which I really appreciate. Most classes are in the Vinyasa style (a flow style yoga), but they have variations such as power flow (faster paced) and slow flow, they also have beginners yoga and kundalini yoga and offer classes at different heat levels, unheated 75-80 degrees, warm 85-90, and hot 95+. The studio itself is also pretty spacious considering it’s on King street which is nice when you’re surrounded by 20-30 sweaty strangers. To schedule a class or for more information, visit urbanyogachs.com or call 843.779.0660.  

The Barre Code: Barre workouts have really taken off in the past few years and it seems there’s a barre studio on every corner that you look. While there are slight differences with each class, for the most part barre classes follow a warm up, thigh work, glute work, ab work, cool down format. I have unabashedly done the introductory week/month at quite a few studios in the area and have found the variety in classes The Barre Code offers to be really enjoyable. For me, barre classes can get a little bit repetitive so I love that Barre Code offers something a little different in addition to standard barre classes, they offer HIIT, Restore, Brawl (Kickboxing-esque) and Total Body Conditioning classes. The mix of high, low and medium intensity classes is refreshing and helps me attend more often. They also have childcare during every class that they offer, which is nice. To schedule a class or for more information, visit thebarrecode.com/studio/mount-pleasant or call (843) 800-5515.

9Rounds: I was unsure of what to expect when I tried my first class as I’ve never taken kickboxing before. 9Rounds is not a traditional kickboxing class, but more of a circuit workout with kickboxing mixed in. The format of the workout is 9 rounds of different workouts with a break between each round. The studio has a timed light that goes off when it is time to move to on to the next round. Each station has the workout of the day written on a board and the workouts are different everyday. The stations have everything from standard squats, pushups, burpees, to punches, hooks, kicks etc. The nice thing about the workout is that there are no scheduled class times and you can work into the rounds every 2 or so minutes. I would say the negative to the workout is there is not a whole of supervision or direction. There is a trainer present to answer questions or demonstrate technique, but for the most part you are on your own. To schedule a class or for more information, visit www.9round.com.