The days of treadmill sprints and hours on the elliptical are gone. It’s 2024, and there are hundreds of new, inventive ways to get moving and stay healthy that don’t require soul-sucking cardio. In fact, unless you plan on running a marathon soon, you need minimal to no high-intensity cardio in your workout split.
So what should you do instead? Great question! It’s well-known that consistency is key in health and wellness, so the best thing you can do for yourself is choose a workout (or workouts) you enjoy and stick to them! Learning which forms of exercise you enjoy and what your body responds to best can take some time and experimentation. Luckily, Gwinnett County has all kinds of studios and gyms, from Pilates to kickboxing to yoga, where you can test your skills.
Take it from me: Years of tedious cardio and repetitive weightlifting led me to resent my time in the gym. So, I gave in and traded my gym membership for a ClassPass subscription. The ClassPass app unlocked a world of movement, with classes I had been dying to try and some I had never even heard of before, all in one place. The beauty of ClassPass was its ability to plug me into a workout class immediately, with no admin required and at incredible discounts.
Since then, I have tried everything from barre to cycling to infrared yoga and have learned so much about my body and its astounding abilities throughout the process. I’ve found that trading my go-to weight training for a pilates or spin class twice a week works perfectly for me. It keeps me consistent and gives me more purpose in the gym, whether honing my Pilates posture or upping my cycling stats.
But that’s me. Only you can determine what works best for you! Branch out from your current workout regimen and get in tune with your body at these local studios.
*Book your spot in any of these classes through the ClassPass app!
1. Lifemoves Studio – Buford
For a holistic stretch session, a core-building reformer workout or a soul-centering barre routine, Lifemoves Studio has you covered. Focusing on synergy and promoting a balanced lifestyle, the classes at Lifemoves offer a little bit of everything, from muscle activation and cardio to stretching and mindfulness.
2. Powers Pilates – Lawrenceville
The megaformer enhances any floor pilates routine by incorporating resistance and balance. Powers Pilates is a great way to test your skills in a safe environment under the guidance of a professional. Their small, four-person classes allow for more one-on-one time and quicker improvement. With classes focusing on a range of areas, including classic Pilates practice, breathwork, cardio and seamless aging, there’s something for everyone.
3. Georgia Fitness – Sugar Hill
If you prefer to be your own trainer, Georgia Fitness has a variety of performance-promoting machines and workout equipment to assist you in your fitness journey. But if you need a few workout buddies and a friendly face to encourage you along the way, they offer heart- and iron-pumping group classes like Zumba, core, yoga and even martial arts.