Rock climbing: fun for all levels

Indoor rock climbing

Indoor rock climbing

Planet Granite has a fun introductory rock climbing class for new members. It is an hour long and you learn the proper rope technique to go up the rock wall and to spot a friend while they go up. After about 30 min of training you take turns going up the beginner wall. The class gives you a day pass to continue practicing  even after the hour long class. They have a variety of walls based on difficulty so you can work your way up to the hardest. They also have an area where you do not need a harness and you can free climb.

Before you leave they offer promotional deals for a membership. A membership includes the rock wall and access to their gym. I booked my first class through a Groupon offer and they still honored any additional discounts. 

I chose Planet Granite over Mission Cliffs because of the discounted class, location (right by the water in Presidio), and nice instructors. Although I have heard great things about both companies, from experience I can say Planet Granite  is worth a try.

Until next time. Stay tuned.

Unique work outs that are fun and affordable

SF Surfset at the beach

SF intro to aerial silk

LA anti-gravity aerial yoga

NYC Row house picture repost:@transformingmommy

I am constantly looking for new workouts that are both challenging and achievable. When I signed up for ClassPass I was excited to try new routines. Below is a short story of the most unique work outs I have tried in SF, LA, and NY!

San Francisco

1. Left Coast Sweat: Surfset at the beach: this workout includes a surfboard, two balls and some ropes to tie it together. The surfboard lays on the balls so that when you stand on the board it moves to simulate waves based on your body weight and positioning. I first tried a class in the Marina (Sweat Republic) and enjoyed it. I thought it would be much more fun to do it outdoors the second time. Luckily it was a gorgeous day which made the workout even better.

• Type of exercise: squats, push ups, lower body, plank

• Unique moves: mix of yoga moves and surfing techniques. Think downward dog meets duck dive.

• Length: 1 hour

 2. Aspen Aerials- this was a great class because it was small and the instructor paid a lot of attention to each student. We were all first timers in the class. We started with some warm up exercises on the floor including planks and then moved to the silks where we learned about 6 moves

• Type of exercise: upper and lower body. When done properly: lower body, as a novice: upper body

• Unique moves: mermaid

• Length: 1 hour, 15 min

Los Angeles

1. Coolhotyoga: Antigravity aerial yoa- yes, more circus moves. This one was slightly easier since everyone had their own station to practice with rather than using the silks. 

• Type of exercise: mostly yoga type moves with some opportunities to flip upside down

• Unique moves: chandelier (pictured above)

• Length: 1 hour, 15 minutes

New York

1. Row House- This was the first time I tried a rowing class. It felt very much like a spinning studio with loud music and an instructor yelling commands. I mean that in a good way actually, the instructor did come around to make adjustments. He also made it challenging for the veterans in the group by encouraging us to go faster than our previous time. There is a monitor on the machine that allows you to tell Rows per minute to benchmark your progress. Additional workout benefits of rowing here.

• Type of exercise: upper body mostly but your legs are tired from pushing your weight when done properly

• Unique moves: floor work off the machine was included such as side planks and push ups

• Length: 1 hour

And yes I  have a lot of black sport leggings and white workout shirts :)

Until next time. Stay tuned.