From hot yoga to kickboxing and trampoline parks, Cy-Fair’s fitness scene is moving beyond traditional gyms with treadmills and weights.
Over the past year, several niche fitness concepts have opened in the Cy-Fair area, including high-energy workout studios, such as Orangetheory Fitness and Pure Barre, Urban Air Trampoline Park, Some Like it Hot Yoga, CycleBar and the 9Round kickboxing studio.
Tonia Jones opened Pure Barre in May in the Boardwalk at Towne Lake. She said people are moving toward smaller boutique fitness studios for two reasons: It provides clients more of a personalized sense of community and a more specific type of workout.
“They’re looking for a connection with their fitness instructors and definitely looking to see a change in their body quicker,” Jones said.
Jones said she was first introduced to Pure Barre after stumbling across a location in Houston, mistaking it for a fitness clothing store. When she saw the fitness class, she was not initially impressed with the level of intensity.
“I have a strong fitness background, and to me, [the class] looked easy,” she said. “I came back the next day, and it was one of the hardest workouts I’ve ever done.”
At Pure Barre, classes focus on small isometric movements that fatigue muscles quickly. A common misconception is participants do not need to have a background in dance, Jones said. Hourlong classes combine ballet, yoga and Pilates techniques.
“Everybody knows how to get on a treadmill and run or grab weights and lift,” she said. “[Pure Barre] is a specific technique you conquer after your third or fourth class.”
Jones said not only do her clients connect with instructors, but they make friends with other classgoers who can hold them accountable and bring about more motivation than they find at big-box gyms.
Urban Air Trampoline Park, which opened on Hempstead Road in October, offers classes in which participants can burn up to 1,000 calories in one hour. The fact the venue doubles as a recreational space for children helps Urban Air provide a unique experience, owner Stephanie Pederson said.
Each class costs $10 and includes a free pass for a child to enjoy the park while parents take the class, Pederson said.
“A lot of gyms don’t offer child care, but while you’re working out your child can be off jumping,” she said. “I feel like sometimes the kids push their moms to go work out because they want to go play.”
Pederson said people are attracted to Urban Air’s unique type of workout because they are looking for new ways to work different muscle groups while also doing cardio.
“Obviously they want to burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time,” she said. “It’s a full-body workout, but you’re landing on a softer surface than you would with running or kickboxing.”
In Urban Air classes, the instructor starts with a warmup and moves into cardio routines. Each class incorporates different exercises depending on class size.
For larger groups, individuals stay in their own space and do exercises, such as air jacks, pushups and planks. When classes are smaller, participants interact by doing relay races and other activities together, Pederson said.
“People are looking for new ways of getting a workout in, and they’re tired of the same old gym routine,” she said. “Especially when you bring your friends, it’s a lot of fun.”
