NEW YORK — Move over, yoga.
The days of the downward dog and tree pose aren’t over, but many health clubs are making a big return to offering high-energy classes such as boxing, fitness dance and trampoline.
Apparel makers are starting to address the resurgence with clothes designed for high-energy workouts. Nike launched a fitness dance collection featuring items such as mesh tank tops, capri pants with a built-in skirt and fitness shoes designed for studio classes. The company is targeting health clubs and boutiques for the line.
Brands such as Everlast and Danskin also have introduced products for this segment, and it’s likely more athletic companies will soon jump into this category.
“Cardio is definitely making a comeback,” said Michael Olajide Jr., co-founder of the new Aerospace High Performance Fitness, a machine-free gym in Manhattan that focuses on boxing techniques and cardio workouts. “People like a challenge and are craving new activities.”
In recent years, yoga has dominated the fitness scene. Celebs and personalities such as Christy Turlington, Gwyneth Paltrow and Russell Simmons have talked up the practice, and yoga centers have sprung up throughout the country.
But now cardio workouts are on the rise, inspired partly by the Oscar-winning boxing movie “Million Dollar Baby” as well as the desire of many people to get more — flexibility, cardio exercise and strength building — out of one workout, Olajide said.
“If you do only yoga and stretching, you reap certain benefits, but I fail to see how that can really change your body,” he said. “For people to really change their physique, they need fast-paced, muscle-taxing activities.”
Carol Espel, national director of group fitness at Equinox Fitness, said her health clubs have seen increasing interest in high-energy classes in the last six months.
“I think people have missed the freeing-type movement that dance classes offer,” Espel said. “It’s also a means of self-expression. It’s a chance to let go.”
Espel said the Equinox classes now are slightly more tame, not the “maniacal madness” of the step aerobic classes from the Eighties, and cater to people of different ages.
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“We see Baby Boomers and people in their late 30s and 40s who want a high-impact, challenging class, and we have translated that into our programming,” she said. “We haven’t had intensely choreographed classes for years and now we are back to having those.”
Equinox offers high-energy classes, including ones with names such as Dance Party; Abs, Jabs and Kicks; Cardio Kickbox, and Powerstrike, as well as ballet workouts and even a class that uses Samurai sword training.
The Crunch Fitness chain recently paired with Nike to launch a series of classes called the Nike Rockstar workout that was developed by celebrity choreographer Jamie King. Marc Santa Maria, Crunch’s New York fitness director, said this series already has exceeded expectations to become one of its most popular classes, drawing older and younger members. A second series in the Rockstar workout incorporating Brazilian dance moves will debut at Crunch clubs next month.
“Many of our dance classes incorporate elements from other cultures,” he said. “We have African dance, Indian belly moves and Brazilian dance classes. Hip-hop classes are also strong right now.”
Crunch also has a series of classes inspired by outdoor activities that are intended to get people in the right condition to do those activities. For example, there is a new class called “Boarding” that simulates board sports and is designed to build up muscles used for those activities. As part of the class, people jump from side to side to mimic surfer moves and slide on a glider for lower-body conditioning.
Santa Maria and other fitness directors noted that yoga hasn’t gone away, but more gymgoers are complimenting yoga with high-energy classes and there are a number of new classes that incorporate yoga techniques with other activities. Crunch now has classes called Rock Yoga, which sets yoga poses to rock music, and Disco Yoga, which has been a popular series.
“These classes have really peaked people’s interest,” he said.
Urban Rebounding is another popular Crunch class in which participants spend the entire class on mini trampolines.
“People want a release and they want to have fun,” said Santa Maria. “These classes are a form of celebration and about moving your body in different ways, as opposed to straight working out. No one wants it to be all work.”