Skip the Gym and Get Fit This Spring

Spring is here and summer is around the corner. If you’re finding yourself dreading your regular routine, Joburg and Pretoria offer numerous fitness alternatives which invite you to get up, get out and discover more of your body’s capabilities. If you are curious to try dancing, pole-dancing, Rebounding, bootybarre or yoga, this list is for you.

THE BODY WORKSHOP

The Body Workshop is an intimate space to have fun, work out amongst friends, dance or bounce your way to happiness and greater wellness. They offer unique, modern group classes and specialise in bootybarre, Rebounding, pilates, HIIT, personal training and TRX.

The Body Workshop was the first studio in South Africa to offer bootybarre – the global fitness brand which combines ballet, pilates, yoga and cardio into a high-energy, toning workout. If you want to tone up, lengthen and strengthen your body, bootybarre will certainly help you do that.

The Body Workshop also offers Rebounding, the ‘miracle exercise’ which takes place on mini-trampolines. It is an excellent form of exercise and the health benefits of Rebounding seem to be endless! You will leave the class feeling energised, invigorated, happy and with an overall sense of well-being.

The studio has beautiful wooden floors and is fitted with ballet barres and mirrors. The light, airy space lends itself well to the various classes on offer as well as other forms of dance. Their facilities include a comfortable change room and shower.

The studio also offers personal training. Their highly-experienced and qualified instructors will give you undivided attention as you continue on your fitness/wellness journey.

Where: Tuscan Place, Jan Smuts Ave, Craighall, Johannesburg

Contact: [email protected] | 083 234 0771
Website: thebodyworkshop.co.za
Facebook: body.workshop.SA
Instagram: the_body_workshop

BODYMIND STUDIOS

BodyMind Studios is the pioneer of pole dancing in South Africa. They pride themselves in having trained absolute beginners to most of the pole competition winners across the country.

Their pole classes include a Pole Basics class as well as beginner, intermediate and advanced classes. They also offer aerial yoga at both their Fairlands and Faerie Glen studios. Their Fairlands studio offers a Sensual Fitness class and Stretch & Tone, a class which combines chair fitness, glutes and abs, cardio fitness and flexibility. At their Faerie Glen studio, they offer a variety of classes – Ballet Booty Bar, Dance Fit, Bums and Tums as well as full body conditioning classes.

Their facilities are modern and constitute 6 poles and air-conditioning at their Faerie Glen studio and a 150m2 air-conditioned studio with 13 poles at their Fairlands studio.

Whilst BodyMind Studios certainly take pole dancing seriously, they also know that it is all about fun, feeling good and having a bit of a laugh. Therefore, they also host pole and lap parties. You can either have your party at one of their studios or they can bring their portable pole to your venue. After the party, the bachelorette or birthday lady will receive a voucher for one month of classes, valued at R610.

Where: Zotos House, Cnr Smit & 5th Ave, Fairlands, Johannesburg | The Glen Village North Shopping Centre, Faerie Glen, Pretoria

HOTPOD YOGA

Hotpod Yoga, Europe’s largest yoga company pioneering ‘yoga for real life’, has been stretching the bodies and calming the minds of the local community ever since it launched in Johannesburg in Greenside in 2015 before settling in Linden in 2016, with a more recent addition in Melrose in 2018.

Established in more than 50 locations around the world, Hotpod Yoga encourages customers to adopt a ‘yoga designed for real life’ approach.

Hotpod Yoga offers hot yoga classes inside their signature, 20-person, inflatable studios, otherwise known as pods. Heated to 37 degrees, the pods provide the perfect environment to zip away from the outside world and release the tensions and stiffness accumulated in the living of life. Classes are designed for all levels, from the complete beginner to the long-term yoga goer. You will leave class feeling loose, calmer, more alive and ready for real life.

Since launching, they have run an average of 20 classes a week per studio, 7 days a week. With significant demand from the East Rand, Johannesburg North as well as Joburg South, it is only a matter of time before new franchises will be seen in exciting new locations as they continue to bring the power of Hotpod to more people in the community.

Get your first consecutive 10 days for only R250. All bookings must be made in advance on their website.

Where: 66 6th St, Linden, Randburg, Johannesburg | 102, Corlett Dr, Birnam, Johannesburg

Contact: [email protected] | 076 484 7216
Website: hotpodyoga.com/johannesburg| hotpodyoga.com/johannesburg-melrose
Facebook: hotpodyogajoburg
Instagram: hotpodyogajoburg

FIVE6SEVEN8

Five6seven8 Dance Studio strives to offer an all-inclusive and versatile dance experience for everyone. Their list of classes is extensive and includes both private and group classes in Latin and Ballroom, Wedding Lessons, Sokkie, 2Step, Argentine Tango, Salsa, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Burlesque, Ballet, Modern, Tap, Zumba Fitness, Afrobeat, Acro and Bollywood.

Whether you are three or 83 years old, a total beginner or have years of experience, there is no reason not to put on those dancing shoes. Through dance, they give you the space to find greater joy, physical strength, somatic awareness as well as mental wellness and focus.

Five6seven8 strives to create a fun, motivating and safe environment. They assist clients to explore different avenues through dance, whether for recreational or competitive purposes.

If you have considered yourself to have two left feet, but have always wanted to dance, Five6seven8 is inviting you to conquer your fears with a 15% discount to all new members this September. Whether you have always wanted to learn to Sokkie or would love to get some more body confidence through Burlesque dancing, why not give it a go?

Where: Fontainebleau Village, Corner Rabie Rd and Fourthlane S, Fontainebleau, Randburg

Contact: [email protected] | 011 791 5997
Website: five6seven8.co.za
Facebook: five6seven8ds
Instagram: five6seven8_ds

VERTICAL VIXEN

Vertical Vixen offers pole dancing as a fun, empowering and alternative form of exercise. Their classes are all about keeping fit, being happy, feeling healthy and stretching the capacity of the mind and body.

They offer a range of classes, including one-on-one classes, beginner’s pole, bridging pole class, an intermediate pole class and an advanced pole class. Their sensual dance class combines pole moments, floor choreography and dance techniques, whilst their stretch class combines yoga, stretch, contortion and conditioning techniques.

Vertical Vixen also offers Aerial Yoga and Pregnancy Yoga classes. Aerial yoga will increase your strength, mobility, balance and flexibility through a combination of yoga, pilates, aerial arts and strength training. Vertical Vixen’s Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga classes offer you a wonderful opportunity to connect with the changes in your body and connect with your baby.

Vertical Vixen also enjoys hosting parties. You may want to organise a ladies night, book club function, team building event or something different to try with a group of friends.

Whether you are looking to increase your fitness and body confidence or benefit from dancing out of your comfort zone and trying something daring, Vertical Vixen would love to be a part of your journey towards greater health, fitness and wellbeing.

Where: Northriding Square Cnr, Bellairs Dr and Blandford Rd, Northwold, Randburg | Glendower Shopping Centre, 99 Linksfield Rd, Dowerglen, Edenvale

Contact: [email protected] | 072 199 3133
Website: verticalvixen.co.za
Facebook: VerticVixSA |VerticalVixLinksfield
Instagram: verticalvixensa | vertical_vixen_linksfield

YOGA WARRIOR

Yoga Warrior is one of Johannesburg’s pioneer studios which was established in 2006 and offers vinyasa (flow) yoga. It became a Registered Yoga School through Yoga Alliance in 2008, being instrumental in teaching many of Joburg’s best loved teachers through its renowned 200-hour Teacher Training course.

Yoga Warrior also specialises in teaching beginners through its regular beginner’s series held throughout the year. They take novices through the fundamentals of yoga, allowing them to establish correct technique and alignment in order to get the most of a yoga practice.

The studio also teaches pregnancy yoga, mommy and baby yoga, toddler and kids yoga, and also offers sports and rehabilitation focused practices. While there is an array of daily regular vinyasa classes to choose from, the studio also provides teachers for events, corporate wellness programmes and private lessons for all ages and levels.

All information can be found on their website, where you can register and book online through MINDBODY Connect or download the Yoga Warrior app.

This studio is also the new home of Ashtanga JHB, a group of dedicated practitioners who meet early morning Sunday to Friday for a pre-dawn Mysore practice.

Get your first consecutive 10 days for only R250.

Where: 6 Tyrwhitt Ave, Rosebank, Johannesburg

Contact: [email protected] | 082 559 6713
Website: yogawarrior.co.za
Facebook: YogaWarriorRSA
Instagram: yogawarriorrsa

Abigail Samuelson