Take their X-Boxing class. Just mimic the moves of a videogame hero on the screen. Or learn how to be a cheerleader (and you thought it was too late). Too gimmicky? At the New York Sports Club, you can learn how to salsa like the actors in the upcoming movie “Dirty Dancing II.” These are just some of the new ways fitness clubs nationwide are trying to get people who hate working out into the gym. And it’s catching on. “It’s a perfect way to keep people motivated,” says Sara Matheu of Bally Total Fitness. Bally’s newest class, Zumba Dance, teaches Latin and African dances to a live drumbeat.
But is there any actual sweat with that shimmy? Wayne Westcott, research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass., says it depends on a person’s physical-fitness level. Workout newcomers “tend to get injured or become bored or don’t get the benefits expected,” he says. The best bet is to learn fitness basics and proper machinery use before moving on to these classes. They can be a good incentive, though. If the idea of pretending you’re in a videogame gets you to put the controller down, it might be a step in the right direction.
