6 unique ways in WV to get in shape for the New Year

So, you made that New Year’s resolution to get fit, but now you don’t know where to start? Check out these unique activities that are sure to inspire and energize you.

Rock Climbing

Indoor rock climbing ranges allow you to test your hand-eye coordination while you burn some serious calories. eNeRGy Rock Gym in Charleston is a bouldering gym, so there’s no need to deal with complicated ropes or harnesses. A 16-foot climbing wall offers over 2,500 square feet of climbing surface, while the well-padded foam floor ensures a soft landing if you lose your grip.

Climbing New Heights in Martinsburg has a 12-foot bouldering wall as well as a more advanced rope climbing area. Rope climbing requires belay certification, but the gym offers a two-hour Climbing 101 class where you can “learn the ropes” to acquire your certification.

Rock climbing requires special shoes, but you can rent the equipment you need right at the gym. Sign up for a class to learn more about technique, balance and other skills, or get a day pass and tackle all the different climbing angles on your own!

yoga

(Not Your Average) Yoga

Aaerial yoga offers a new twist on an old classic by incorporating silk hammocks into traditional yoga. The hammock supports half your body weight and makes it easier for beginners to learn balancing poses by having a support hold. Thus, many beginners can complete advanced poses in just their first or second class.

At Yoga Power in Charleston, you can use aerial yoga to build up to traditional yoga, or stick with the hammocks and have fun performing flips, swinging and hanging upside down. It’s like being a kid again, and you get a great workout, too!

Jala Yoga in Shepherdstown offers several different types of aerial yoga, including the fast-paced Aerial Adventure and the relaxing Aerial Restore session. Aerial Chicks, a class just for girls ages 8-14, focuses on positive body image in addition to the workout.

Drum Your Way to Fitness

At WV Fit X in Bridgeport, you can channel your inner rock star with Pound, a high-energy cardio jam session that mimics playing the drums. You’ll use a set of Ripstix — lightly weighted drumsticks designed especially for this workout — to pound away to the music and work up a sweat. The class combines cardio, conditioning and strength training with movements inspired by yoga and Pilates. But there’s more! Numerous studies indicate that drumming is a good for relieving stress and boosting your brain power!

Train Like a Strongman

If the traditional gym workout is a little too ho-hum for you, Viking Performance Training in Morgantown has just the thing to shake things up. Strongman Level 1 is inspired by the strongman competitions you see on TV — you know, those guys you see tossing kegs and pulling airplanes?

The Strongman class is a combination of strength training, core work and metabolic conditioning that relies on unconventional tools like logs, tires, sandbags, chains and stones to help you become the strongman — or strongwoman — you strive to be. And who knows … Maybe someday you’ll follow in the footsteps of 2006 World’s Strongest Man titleholder Phil Pfister of Charleston, West Virginia!

Where are you getting fit this year?

This post was last updated on March 17, 2022