The Jersey City Independent"

Daylight savings is right around the corner, which means your New Year’s gym resolutions have reached their statute of limitations and you feel like a lethargic slob again, right? Alas, you’re not alone! The health club scene isn’t for everyone. (Fluorescent lights, grunting muscleheads and endless soul-deadening revolutions of the elliptical? Over it.) Good news: There are plenty of local workout alternatives that don’t involve stepping in someone else’s sweat. Read on for six ways to get a gym-free body that’s fit for the Jersey Shore in no time. (Tanning not included.)

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR…

JCF Boot Camp
jcfbootcamp.com | 201-484-7848

Hey ladies: if hauling your ass to Club H has become problematic for you, why not let somebody else do the work by enrolling in an intensive women-only fitness program? Daris Wilson, a personal trainer and former Divison I college athlete, leads boot-camp style sessions of outdoor exercises that run the gamut of resistance, cardio, and endurance activities. “It’s like getting the attention of a personal trainer but for a much more affordable price,” says Wilson. And if the words “boot camp” send a chill down your spine, relax. Wilson insists he’s not a drill sergeant. The benefit to a program like this is the sense of camaraderie that develops with your fellow trainees, he says, as well as having a coach who’s counting on you to try your best — and to show up in the first place. “When you’re not showing up I’m gonna be texting or calling you, wondering where you are,” Wilson says. “That accountability tends to lead to great results.”

The Details: Sessions meet an hour a day, Monday-Friday, in four-week sessions. The next session starts March 15, with time slots from 5:45–6:45 am and 6:45–7:45 am.
Insider Tip: If you insist on easing into it, you can also enroll in a three-day-a-week Mini Boot Camp.
The Bottom Line: $140 per cycle ($110 for Mini Boot Camp)
Bonus: Participants have access to a nutrition and weight loss coach for help devising a complete health makeover.

…JUST A HARD CORE

Project Pilates
1 McWilliams Place, Suite 101 | projectpilates.com | 201-432-5849

Even if you let the supine orientation fool you into relaxing, you can’t help but get a head-to-toe workout from a Pilates class — and feel it the next day. Project Pilates offers a range of group mat classes; small-group sessions on advanced equipment with names like the Cadillac and the Reformer (yikes!); and individual instruction. If you keep it up, the rigorous and precise methodology of this alignment/breathing/flexibility focused technique will improve your posture, muscle stamina, and bone density. Not to mention your abs.

The Details: A complete schedule of mat and equipment-based classes is available online; advance registration is required.
Insider Tip: A basics class for brand-new beginners is offered the first Saturday of each month from 12-2 pm. ($35)
The Bottom Line: Prices range from $15 group classes to $75 private sessions, with options for frequent attendees.
Alternative to the alternative: The Pilates Haus (155 Second St., 201-963-0436, pilateshaus.com) also offers individual instruction and a variety of mat and equipment-based classes. Beginners can take up to four introductory one-on-one sessions for $50/each.

…SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT

Seeking Samadhi Yoga
413 Monmouth St. | ss-yoga.com | 201-963-YOGA

If you think yoga is strictly the domain of type-A Manhattanites with a tendency to show off their bakasana in stretch pants that cost more than your rent, check out SS Yoga. Jersey City’s newest studio offers all the benefits of vinyasa yoga — a sweaty workout, some soul-centering — with none of the holier-than-thou attitude. “Yoga’s very easy on the joints, the muscles, and the body. It’s low impact, but it’s also extremely challenging so it builds your muscle strength and endurance,” says owner Jill Dalton. “And all you need is yourself and your mat. It’s designed to be a lifelong practice.” With classes called Hangover Hanaman and Manpower Hour (devised especially for the less flexible of the genders), this is a studio with a middle-of-the-road sensibility that leaves plenty of room for regular after-class offerings of cookies and cocktails.

The Details: Morning, mid-day, and evening classes at various levels; complete schedule online.
Insider Tip: Sunday’s 1:15 pm Beginner’s Luck class is donation-based.
The Bottom Line: Single classes are $15, with options to purchase multi-class cards and monthly unlimited memberships.
Bonus: Stop by Friday March 19th for Vino & Vinyasa, a 6:30 pm class followed at 8:15 by a photography reception with wine and snacks.
Alternative to the alternative: Try a class at Yoga Shunya, (275 Grove Street, 3rd floor, (201) 610-9737, yogashunya.com) and treat yourself to some instant karma with a beer at the Bar Majestic downstairs afterward.

…FRESH AIR

Jersey City Road and Trail Running Meetup
meetup.com/jcrunners

Four mornings a week a group of dedicated runners meets for a jog, training exercises and Runners World-esque shop talk. “We run in a loop, so people can run at their own speed,” says the group’s organizer, Jitendra Rawat, who says he could only run for five minutes when he joined two years ago but completed his first marathon last May. He estimates that the regular group is about five to 10 people (though about 250 belong to the meetup’s online message board; he hopes attendance picks up in the spring), some of whom are training for races and marathons. “Once you get the hang of running you want to run faster and you want to run longer, then you need to train, either with a coach or by meeting other runners,” he says. “We have good runners who can share their experiences so new runners can ask questions. All in all, it’s nice to meet people.”

The Details: The group meets at 6:30 am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and at 9 am on Saturdays outside Dunkin’ Donuts at Grove Plaza. Weekdays, the run is a loop to the waterfront and back; Saturday’s long-run is 6.5 miles through Liberty State Park.
Insider Tip: Hit Runner’s High (35 River Drive South, 201626-6220, runners-high.com) for professional help choosing the right running shoe.
The Bottom Line: Free!
Bonus: The group has had one non-running meetup at Zeppelin Hall and is planning another for the spring.
Alternative to the alternative: Bad knees? The brand-new Grove Street Velo cycling club (grovestreetvelo.com) will be hosting weekly local rides starting in May. Annual membership dues of $45 to the organization, which is devoted to bicycle advocacy and racing opportunities, entitle members to discounts at Grove Street Bicycles.

…SICK MOVES

Kennedy Dancers
79 Central Ave. | kennedydancers.org | 201-659-2190

Did you know Jersey City has its own professional dance troupe, Kennedy Dancers, whose studio also offers a full schedule of classes for civilians? They do it all: Hip-Hop, Funk, Ballet, Latin Ballroom and, yes, Zumba (think salsa meets cha cha meets Slumdog Millionaire). With small classes and plenty of individual attention, you can count on improving your technique, but most importantly, dancing is just fun — which means you’ll stick with it for the long haul (maybe even all the way down to Seaside’s Bamboo Bar this summer).

The Details: A new round of classes kicks off the week of March 8.
Insider Tip: The studio is home to Hudson County’s first certified therapy cats, Silvio and Sylvester, who do dedicated work with senior citizens.
The Bottom Line: The current seven-week session is $100.
Bonus: For a limited time on a first come-first served basis, students who register for Latin Partnering, Salsa, or Tango/Ballroom will receive a free pair of Ballroom shoes.

…ALL OF THE ABOVE

Au Capoeira
Grassroots Community Center | 54 Coles St. | aucapoeira.com | 908-432-2405

As far as working out goes, it doesn’t get much more involved than capoeira. It’s singing. It’s dancing. It’s drumming. It’s even martial arts. Not surprisingly, practitioners of the centuries-old Afro-Brazilian art form come from all walks of life. “Everybody has a different background in our group — young, old, musicians, professionals; all types of people come together in our group, so you’re not going to be judged, you can just be yourself and relax,” says Regina Cassorla, administrator of Jersey City’s local capoeira group. “Capoeira is a lifestyle. There’s a social aspect, we’re like a family. It’s a whole new level of exercise, where it’s not just your body working, it’s also your mind.” Sounds brilliant!

The Details: Adult classes are ongoing Tuesdays and Thursdays 7–9 pm and Saturdays 1–2 and 2–3 pm (advanced). Kids classes are Thursdays 6–6:45 pm, and Saturdays 11–11:45 am at the Grassroots Community Center.
Insider Tip: Drop in for a free trial class.
The Bottom Line: $20/class or $140 for a month of unlimited classes.
Bonus: In addition to making new friends, you won’t be able to help picking up a little basic Portuguese.
Alternative to the alternative: The Grassroots Community Center also offers regular classes in “Gurlesque,” (neo-burlesque/jazz), Modern Improvisation, Middle Eastern and Bollywood dancing. Check grassrootscommunityspace.com for a complete schedule.