Fitness Guide: Ann Arbor Edition

For my exercise class fanatics, check out some of my favorites in my favorite city.

Any college student interested in fitness can relate - we all want to enjoy a fun workout class every once in awhile, but they’re incredible expensive and honestly not sustainable at all when you’re a full-time student. As someone who loves fitness classes , I’ve fully finessed the system in order to try a wide variety of classes that Ann Arbor has to offer. Check out the classes I’ve tried below:

1) Orangetheory: First class free!

Anyone who knows me knows that Barry’s Bootcamp is my favorite workout class to ever exist - it’s a high intensity interval training class with a mixture of both weights and cardio, aka the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The downside to Barry’s? It’s incredibly expensive and only available in large cities across the US. Luckily, Ann Arbor is home to multiple Orangetheory studios - interval training studios that use your heart rate to determine your body's caloric output. I love interval training because no matter how athletic or fit you are, you can still push yourself - by increasing speed, incline, weight, or reps - and tailor the workout to you! I’ve never left Orangetheory thinking I could’ve worked harder.

Grade: A

Type: HIIT

Avoid If: You hate running - you’ll be on the treadmill for about half the class.

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2. Solidcore: Get your ClassPass!

Knocking two fitness hacks out in one post, ClassPass is awesome because it lets you sign up for a month free, which will let you attend super expensive classes such as Solidcore for, well, free! Solidcore is an intense pilates workout that works the entire body with a specific focus on your core (shocker). The first time I went to Solidcore, I couldn’t move for two days after - it was that intense. The best part about Solidcore is that you can adjust it to your skill level (sensing a pattern here?) - I would highly recommend if you're looking for a toning exercise!

Grade: A

Type: Pilates

Avoid If: You want to focus on cardio rather than toning.

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3. AUM Yoga: First week - $20 for unlimited classes

As someone who loves yoga and has taken classes at the Center for Yoga Birmingham location and Citizen Yoga (two of my absolute favorite places in the state of Michigan), I’m a little hard on yoga studios. That being said, I really did enjoy AUM. While I found the classes to be less intense than I had hoped, it’s an incredible yoga studio with an incredible community. I highly recommend for beginners!

Grade: A-

Type: Yoga

Avoid If: You don’t like busy classes - its one of the busiest yoga studios on campus!

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4. Title Boxing: First class free or ClassPass!

Title Boxing (aka death if you’ve never punched a bag that weighs heavier than you before) is a workout consisting of boxing intervals, followed by 12 minutes of intense abdominal exercises. The first time I went to Title, I found myself so exhausted by the end of the workout that I couldn’t peel myself off of the floor. While I love love love to feel like I've pushed myself in a workout, I honestly don’t love classes that don’t cater to beginners, which I found Title to be of the sort. I don’t know - maybe you'll have a better experience there than I did.

Grade: B

Type: Boxing (intervals)

Avoid if: You’re not comfortable with the uncomfortable - your body moves very differently during boxing sessions, and you have to be ready to adjust!

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5. MVMNT Cycling: First class $15, second class free

I will be the first to admit that I love cycling. Whenever I’m injured (I have a sensitive tendon in my left foot), I hop back on the bike. Cycling is comparable to running for me, so I think that’s why I have a natural affinity towards it. Thus, I was stoked when a cycling studio opened up on campus. That excitement, however, faded fast when I realized that I didn’t love MVMNT as much as my other cycling studios. It has nothing to do with the instructors - they’re all incredibly nice people - but I prefer studios with stationary bikes and bikes that inform you of your energy expenditure. While the first two classes were fairly cheap, I don’t think the prices are worth it.

Grade: B-

Type: Cycling

Avoid if: You want to track your workout (e.g. caloric expenditure, energy output).

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6. Red Effect Fitness: First class free!

Anyone who has known me second semester senior year has known that Red Effect has been my second home, and the variety of workout classes explain why. Whether you want an Orangetheory-esque HIIT class, a yoga class, or cycling class, Red Effect has it all included in its membership. The instructors are extremely friendly, motivational, and knowledgable, and the workouts are never the same. I’m upset that my membership ended, but I hope to pick up a class next time I’m in AA!

Grade: A+

Type: They have it all!

Avoid if: You don’t like variety.

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Has anyone else tried workout classes around the city? Or, in Chicago (I'm moving there after school)? I would love to hear others' experiences and hopefully get out to another class before I head out of Ann Arbor.