Here in Santa Monica the endless summer season keeps Angelenos trying to stay board shorts and bikini-fit year-round. Because of southern California’s focus on health and fitness, there’s no better place than Los Angeles to find unique, motivational, and challenging classes and gyms. Here are three of the best beach body workouts in and around Santa Monica that will get you fit and toned for the boardwalk in no time.
You’ve heard of yoga, and you’ve heard of paddleboarding, but have you ever thought of the two combined? YogAqua founder Sarah Tiefenthaler came up with yoga on stand-up paddleboards. It’s a workout that combines the best of both activities. YogAqua holds regular classes at the marina at Mother’s Beach and puts the “beach” in “beach body workout.” A third of the class is spent paddling which keeps the core, back, and arms toned and fit, and the rest of the class is an hour long yoga session. Founder Sarah Tiefenthaler puts a fine point on YogAqua’s appeal, “To be on your board, going through your yoga practice with the rippling sounds of the water, sun on your skin, and seagulls flying above, how could you not feel at peace?”
YogAqua, 4101 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey; (805) 283-9642
For those looking for an intense full-body workout, you don’t need to look further than SoulCycle which combines high energy music and inspirational coaching all on a bike saddle. SoulCycle has become one of the hottest workouts nationwide and they offer sessions right around the corner here in Santa Monica. “We created SoulCycle because we were looking for a fun, inspiring, and challenging workout. We wanted to make exercise joyful!” says Elizabeth Cutler, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, SoulCycle. Get ready to get psyched by the super speedy pacing and push-ups off the handlebars. Aficionados say it’s like a dance workout on a bike. The classes combine “climbs” and “sprints” and hand weights. SoulCycle promises to tone the abs, obliques, shoulders, triceps, biceps and back, all while keeping your heart rate up at prime fat-burning levels.
Soul Cycle, 120 Wilshire Blvd, Sanra Monica, CA 90401; (310) 622-7685
Don’t need disco lights or paddleboards to get motivated? Crossfit Reflex is the place for you. Crossfit Reflex is a no-frills gym that has a workout of the day (WOD) daily with simple but challenging moves, but the clincher is that you don’t get any breaks. The keyword for Crossfit workouts is efficiency. You’re required to put in intense, demanding, all-out exertion. Crossfit’s exercise style comes from a mixture of aerobics, gymnastics and Olympic weight lifting. Fans of the Crossfit school of training enjoy the challenge of competition against themselves. Crossfit motivational quotes often include sayings like: “No one has ever drowned in their own sweat,” and, “You can do anything for one minute.” Crossfit workouts promise to get your body in the fittest condition in the shortest amount of time.
Crossfit Reflex, 1637 16th Street, Santa Monica, CA; 1-858-414-1524
For those who really want to leap into the future of exercise, Iobella is innovating the way we sweat, tone, and lose pounds. At this new body-shaping spa, clients crouch in a heated Plexiglas pod while pulling on arm and leg resistance bands. The temperature-controlled pods encourage the body to work harder in less time for maximum results. Bioelectric muscle stimulation (EMS) is also offered at Iobella. Muscles are contracted by electrode jolts, which promote muscular definition and weight loss. After a hard-hitting workout in this space-age gym, clients can rejuvenate in a private O3 lounge of warm, swirling, highly oxygenated air. A customized session of cutting-edge exercise at this Santa Monica fitness spa will set you back $180, but multi-visit packages are also available.
Iobella, 507 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA; 1-310-579-2078
