Oh, the fun, the eating, the chocolate, the toasting, the chocolate. If the holidays left you with hefty hips, thunder thighs or other protruding parts … well, join the club! And we mean that.

You could, of course, walk or jog or bike on your own. You could hire a personal trainer. You could look for a concentrated, more specialized way to fitness. Or you might want to try a full-service fitness center with a plethora of equipment and classes.

So here’s some information to help you determine where and how to shuck that extra poundage, shrink those bulges and, yes, get ready for Valentine’s Day! These centers offer a variety of approaches for trimming unwanted inches and building fitness.

Bally Total Fitness
Multiple locations

Classes include Kwando, mini-trampoline, hip-hop, salsa/Latin dance, boot camp, balletone and Pilates using Pilates equipment. Training camps or series offered for additional fees. Latest workout equipment and racquetball court.

Concord Athletic Club and Spa
7700 Jones Maltsberger

Classes include yoga, aqua/aquatic kickboxing, step, cycling, Pilates and dance such as belly, hip-hop, salsa or rock yoga. Free child care is available. Also offers circuit training, boot camp and a special class performed in a seated position for those who need to recover or gain muscle strength. Facilities include indoor pool, courts for racquetball and squash and an indoor running track along with mechanical and free weights. Locker rooms feature day lockers, whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms. Personal products, showers, towels and hair dryers are furnished as well. Spa offers treatments for face and body, massage, pedicures, etc. Some include lunch. A restaurant/café is also available.

Curves
Multiple locations

Women only. Program consists of 30-minute sessions, using hydraulic machinery said to provide cardio/fitness equal to a one and one-half hour workout. Drop in at your convenience and go through the machinery circuit.

Home Court America
8131 Pinebrook

Group classes include abs, yoga, cycling, kickboxing and Pilates and more. There’s state-of-the-art equipment, open play adult volleyball and basketball, youth volleyball and basketball and fitness programs for kids (a free supervised play area for children ages 3 months to 13 years). Personal trainers are available for an additional fee. There’s a new, free virtual trainer to customize a personal workout program.

Impact Self-Defense and Fitness
12066 Starcrest

Features a 10-week course that combines kickboxing and strength training, similar to a boot camp type of workout. New classes start every five weeks. Classes are offered several times a day. Progress at your own pace. Fitness and boxing equipment is furnished. Studio also offers self-defense classes, resistance training and nutritional programs/evaluation. Jesse James Leija boxing training will open soon.

Life Time Fitness
U.S. Highway 281 & Loop 1604

Pilates, yoga, spinning, kickboxing and aqua-resistance classes. Latest in fitness equipment and free weights. Basketball, racquetball, volleyball and squash courts. Indoor/outdoor water parks. Locker rooms include towels, personal items, showers, whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms. Private locker rooms available for families. Features spa, café and poolside bistro. Opened December 2005.

Spectrum Clubs
Multiple locations

Over 300 group fitness classes weekly, including cycling, spinning, kickboxing, step, yoga, Pilates, abs, NIA “fusion” dance classes, martial arts and aquatic classes. Class schedules are available online. Personal trainers are available for additional fees. Features two basketball and volleyball courts, indoor/outdoor pools, women-only workout areas, state-of-the-art resistance equipment, free weights and treadmills/elliptical trainers with upscale audio/visual equipment. Fully equipped locker rooms have showers, hair and body care products, day lockers, private family locker rooms, sauna, whirlpool and steam rooms. A full-service spa and a café are on site.

YMCA
D.R. Semmes downtown facility 903 N. St. Mary’s

Some 40-60 group classes are offered, including yoga, Tai Chi, boot camp and aqua boxing (kickboxing in the pool). This facility features an indoor track, treadmills, a gym with state-of-the-art equipment, studios with wood floors, indoor/outdoor pools, handball and racquetball courts, whirlpool and sauna. Locker rooms with showers and FREE laundry service. Your workout clothes are washed and dried daily and returned for your next day use

Author: Anne Moore