Fit Lingo

Gone are the days when “going to the gym” simply meant hitting the free weights or jogging on the treadmill. In fact, the names of the latest exercise trends just may leave you scratching your head. Piloxing? Pole fitness? Relax. Keep this list of workouts on your radar so you can sound like an insider when you’re chatting with fitness buffs. Or better yet, try these newfangled training methods out for yourself.

Zumba
This fitness phenomenon boasts the tagline: “Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!” It combines Latin and International music with a dance fitness workout. Offered at Luxe Fitness Clubs in Wakefield and Westerly.

Pole Fitness
These classes combine dance, gymnastics and aerobics in a fun, total-body workout with an emphasis on upper body and core strength. Let loose as you learn choreography, spins, grips, climbs and inversions. Offered at Pole Fitness Rhode Island.

TRX
This suspension-training workout uses your own body weight to create resistance. It was invented by a Navy SEAL to build strength, balance and core stability, so you know it’s going to be hardcore. Offered at Gold’s Gym East Greenwich.

Indo-Row
Designed by a World Rowing Champion, this indoor rowing machine workout challenges the body in a motivating, team-oriented environment. This total-body workout touts itself as “The Perfect Calorie Burn.” Offered at Platinum Fitness Studio in Narragansett.

World Beat
Move to the beat of live drumming in the spirit of African dance. No experience is necessary to partake in this high-energy, spirited dance class. Offered at High Street Yoga in Westerly.

CrossFit
Using a variety of functional strength and conditioning movements, this high-intensity training program gets results. If you’re looking for a workout that presents a different challenge each day, CrossFit is for you. Offered at AlphaFitness in East Greenwich.

Hooping
Hooping utilizes weighted fitness hoops to strengthen and tone your core, while helping to improve balance and coordination. Instructors are certified through “Hoopnotica.” Offered at Mix It Up Fitness Studio in Westerly.

Tabata
This interval training class is made up of a series of exercises that participants perform for 20 seconds at a time, in sets of eight, for four minutes, before moving to another exercise. The idea is that while the exercises themselves are simple, they become more challenging throughout the intervals. Offered at West Bay Family YMCA in North Kingstown.

Holistic Wellness
Sara B. Sprague owns The Mindful Life Practice in Wickford, where she counsels and teaches integrative/holistic fitness. She helps people create a sense of total wellness in their lives through nutrition, mental health, physical fitness, family/community connections, career and spiritual life satisfaction.