Get fit and have fun

It’s holiday time, and that translates to lots of packed calendars and socializing. After work soirees, gatherings with neighbors, boozy lunches with friends, and late-night parties certainly catch up with us. Yummy food, festive cocktails, and decadent desserts are plentiful this time of year, but unfortunately so are the calories. 

During this season, many of us vow to shed the weight we gained from the period between Thanksgiving and the New Year. In our quest to get healthy and fit, many of us make New Year resolutions. Fitness and losing weight are always popular picks. 

According to Statista, a global data and business intelligence platform, 17% of Americans made resolutions to exercise more, and another 15% vowed to lose weight in 2025. 

Unfortunately, it’s often challenging for people to stick with their resolutions. According to an article posted on The Ohio State University website, researchers said that only 9% of Americans that make resolutions complete them. In fact, research revealed that 23% of people quit their resolutions by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January.  

The art of play

Rather than joining a gym, try upping the fun factor by exploring workouts that you truly enjoy. There are so many to choose from, including upbeat dance-based workouts and even aerial yoga. Flip around, and practice inversions with the support of a silk hammock. Making your workout feel more like play will make it easier to remain committed. 

On the topic of play, the National Institute For Play states that it’s important for all of us to be in touch with what puts us in a state of play. Exactly what is play? 

“The definition of play is that it is an absorbing, apparently purposeless activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of self-consciousness and sense of time.” The motivation to do it comes from inside you; you are instinctively drawn to it, so you want to do it again.

The positive effect of play is not dependent on age; we can all experience the joy, relaxation, relief from day-to-day stresses, and self-satisfaction that comes from being in a state of play.

There are lots of fitness studios in the Hudson Valley to choose from. There’s also cycling and hiking in the great, but cold outdoors. Here are a few fun ideas to get you started. Get creative and mix it up. 

Studio time

Breathe Studio – Barre and Pilates Studio, Rhinebeck, NY

Just breathe! This Rhinebeck-based boutique fitness studio offers a lineup of small group classes in an array of disciplines, including barre, Pilates, sculpt, Pilates/barre fusion, barre/sculpt fusion, yoga, cardio kickboxing, and beginner adult ballet.

Regardless of the type of class, instructors at Breathe Studio focus on core-based workouts that build strength and stability while toning muscles and improving flexibility. All workouts are low impact and provide a full body workout for all fitness levels. Private classes and special event sessions are also available. Breathe will come to your Airbnb and provide a private class for girls’ weekends, family reunions, or other gatherings.

Breathe’s adult ballet class embraces the beauty of ballet in a welcoming and supporting environment. Whether you are a true beginner or have some dance experience, this class is designed for adults of all levels who want to explore the art of ballet while also getting a great workout. 

Breathe Studio’s owner, Nicole McGrath wants to ensure that every fitness enthusiast feels challenged, supported, comfortable and safe, regardless of their level. Modifications are encouraged and always provided.

“At Breathe Studio, we believe our community is everything. The studio is a special place because our staff and members are welcoming and inspiring and cheer each other on. Small classes enable our clientele to connect, grow, and feel supported,” said McGrath. 

6423 Montgomery Street, Suite 17A (2nd floor), Rhinebeck, NY, breatherhinebeck.com

Hudson Valley Circus Arts, Kingston, NY

Remember when you were a kid and enjoyed climbing trees and hanging upside down on the monkey bars? Well, Hudson Valley Circus Arts offers a bunch of fitness classes that tap into that same spirit of fun and adventure, but in a more adult, artistic fashion.

Although Alisha Mai McNamara, founder of Hudson Valley Circus Arts, loves to perform, teaching and coaching are her passions, specifically assisting students in achieving what once seemed impossible.

McNamara’s background as a registered yoga teacher and expertise teaching all styles of yoga, from athletic to gentle, have helped her break “circus” into digestible lessons for students of all fitness levels. 

Via her studio, McNamara offers a playful, safe environment for physical learning and creativity. All are welcome to join in the fun. That means everyone from circus-curious beginners and recreational students to dedicated athletes. 

Classes include aerial silks, an acrobatic art form that fuses elements of dance with acrobatics. Performers use two long pieces of fabric or “silks” suspended from the ceiling to climb, wrap, drop, and strike different poses.

For beginners, McNamara’s team works primarily in supported positions, including a knot that creates a hammock-like structure for the hips and armpits. Another knot is tied around the feet to enable standing. As students progress, the team incrementally spends more time supported by the hands and shoulders with appropriate progressions. There are no prerequisites for this class.

Other fun fitness workouts include a hammock class in which a loop of fabric is suspended in the air at a variety of heights for accessibility. This class offers fluid transitions, freedom of creative movement, and the opportunity to spin. As you advance, an array of acrobatic movements will be introduced. No prerequisites are required for newbies through level 1 classes.

Hudson Valley Circus Arts

Get Fit. Have Fun. Join the Circus. 

(845) 377-3393. Those who have already learned the ropes can enroll in hammock and silks level 1-1.5, and hammock spin and flow; 1300 Ulster Ave., Kingston, NY (845) 377-3393, hudsonvalleycircusarts.com

LifeWorks Studio, Great Barrington, MA

LifeWorks offers a spectrum of mind-body wellness programs designed to support all levels and life stages. Whether you’re just beginning your wellness journey or seeking to deepen your practice, there’s a spot here for you. More than a yoga or dance studio, Ilana Siegal founded LifeWorks Studio in 2013 with a vision to offer a welcoming space where people could move, heal, grow, and connect. The practice is rooted in Siegal’s extensive background in yoga, Pilates, dance, bodywork, and personal development. 

Remain fit and fab while having fun and engaging with other like-minded people at group yoga, strength-building workouts, and dance classes. As for dance, there’s everything from cardio dance to dance for fun, and even a high-intensity workout that masquerades as a dance party. During this electrifying class, you’ll burn calories while grooving along to a series of cool beats that hail from destinations around the globe. There’s even an isolations and undulations class – a cardio and strength-building session that invites female participants to move in a slightly irreverent way. The mantra: “Move your body, twerk your booty, and shake what your mama gave ya.”

Time to bring it down. For those who want to ground, there’s private and semi-private yoga and yoga therapy sessions. Beyond the class schedule and various programs hosted throughout the year (from weekly parents’ groups to a doula collective, childbirth education, a lending library of baby gear, and beyond), LifeWorks hosts a two-week retreat in Costa Rica every year. This immersive experience unites a group of adults and teens who go there to reset, recharge, and reconnect through movement, mindfulness, and community – all set against the backdrop of lush tropical beauty.

The studio welcomes all bodies, all levels of ability, and all people who are curious about living more fully. 50 Castle Street, Suite 2, Great Barrington, MA, (413) 591-0189, lifeworks-studio.com

Yogamat, Tivoli, NY

The mission at Yogamat is to bring the fun and excitement of fitness to the community. The Tivoli-based boutique studio offers a range of classes, which includes vinyasa (a flow that moves through fluid transitions, synchronizing movement with breath to focus on grounding in the present moment); flow, and Pilates mat and tower (half hour mat with core workout; then on to the towers, an apparatus that offers resistance through springs), and TRX Pilates workout – where guests will learn to execute core TRX movements such as planks, pulls, squats, and lunges. 

It also offers Ashtanga – a flowing yoga style rooted in karma practice. Up the adventure with aerial yoga or Zumba, a dance workout that mingles Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow salsa.

For those who enjoy moving in a different way, there’s adult aerial yoga, which combines yoga poses with the aerial fabric, promoting flexibility and strength. Yogis can also do inversions with the hammock. Kids aerial is another super fun class that teaches balance while building strength and flexibility. Kids can have fun with flips and hanging upside down like a bat.

Once a month, Yogamat offers floating sound baths. Slip into the hammock for an hour of absolute bliss, in which you can meditate while floating above the ground and tuning into the sound of the crystal gong and other instruments. 

1 North Rd, Tivoli, NY (5180 701-3717, yogamattivoli.com

With all these fun, fab offerings, there’s no excuse to abandon your workout schedule. Even better, grab a friend and you can both keep one another accountable, ensuring that you’ll make this year’s resolution