When you think of jazzercise, do Flashdance flashbacks come to mind? Despite the strong ties to all things ’80s, the aerobic exercise is having a moment in 2020. Southlake Jazzercise, which opened in 2017, is one of the more than 8,300 franchisees promoting fitness by getting up and moving, with or without leg warmers. If your last memory of jazzercise comes from Jane Fonda VHS tapes, here’s why it’s time to jump back in.
Not Your Mother’s Workout
It’s easy to lose track of time and just focus on the fun while in the studio.
“If you hate working out, if you’re a clock watcher, this is definitely the class for you,” Southlake Jazzercise owner Adrienne Menichini says. “[The music] is everything that you hear on the radio, so you’ll find yourself singing along to the songs.”
While jazzercise may have been a one-note class back in the day, current options promise to put a few more drops of sweat on those armbands. Southlake Jazzercise offers kickboxing jazzercise for a high-intensity workout or dance mixx for those focusing on moving.
“Not only is it good for losing weight, it’s excellent for increasing your endurance and increasing your muscle mass,” Menichini says. “The benefits are you’re going to sleep better immediately. You’re going to have more energy; your muscle tone is going to increase.”
Not In Your Mother’s Studio
By riding the modern wave, jazzercise proves you don’t have to come into the studio to be a part of the fun. Its newest addition, Jazzercise On Demand, puts all the routines in the palm of your hand.
“We are now an on-demand company so you can actually sign up for our app and you can choose from our library and do classes at home,” Menichini says.
You can even find Menichini featured if you want to see a familiar face. But all of the instructors are focused on improvements rather than perfection.
“It’s about moving and feeling it and getting lost in the music,” Menichini says.
Not Just For Your Mother
Whether it’s online, in person or both, jazzercise meets participants where they are — both in fitness and bodily restrictions. All the Southlake Jazzercise classes offer modifications to either cool down or heat up a workout.
“Any person can attend any class,” Menichini says. “Every instructor will show every class modifications, so every person in the room is accommodated.”
Everyone can be a part of the fun, no matter where they’re at in their fitness journey.
“It’s not a room full of triathletes,” Menichini says. “It’s a room full of real people from somebody very pregnant, probably going to give birth — we have about five right now — to somebody who is a triathlete. But everybody works out in the room doing the same thing.”