4 events you need on your fitness radar
New indoor cycling options in Santa Monica, a yoga festival hits the big 10, the Wall goes up in Los Angeles, and a social media challenge that’s good for you. Here’s what should be on your fitness radar.
Indoor cycling buffs now have another place to get their pedaling on. CyleBar, which has numerous locations around the country, has opened a location in Santa Monica. (The 3,000-square-foot stadium-style studio was once a Kabbalah center.) CycleBar is aimed at the indoor cycling enthusiast who just can’t get enough.
“A lot of people love to spin and say they want to do more but it’s bankrupting them,” said owner Tony Virella, adding that a typical cycling class in other studios can cost $30 or more, not including shoe rental. CycleBar offers unlimited classes for a monthly fee that includes shoes and water.
The studio holds 46 bikes, with all the tech amenities that indoor cyclists love — including, in this case, a library of 10,000 music videos. Virella described it as a “multi-sensory experience that engages the riders on different levels.”
Info: If purchased before the end of August, unlimited monthly classes will be available for $169, valid for 12 months. Otherwise, $229. CycleBar, 1221 2nd St., Suite 100. santamonica.cyclebar.com
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For the first time in Bhakti Fest’s decade-long history, Deepak Chopra will be the special guest at the September yoga festival, which is held yearly in Joshua Tree.
In commemoration of the festival’s 10th anniversary, a number of new events are planned over the long weekend, including Ayurvedic cooking classes and intensive two-hour lessons on kirtan, the ancient practice of chanting. There also will be an expanded children’s area offering hourly yoga classes and a space to practice the art of a good smoothie, according to the festival’s executive producer, Sridhar Silberfein, who added that five large dome structures will be constructed on site so attendees can listen to music and meditate while calming visuals play all around them.
“Everything is being curated and upscaled,” said Silberfein. Some 15 classes a day will be offered “across all modalities and levels.”
“We welcome first-timers, the elderly, teenagers,” Silberfein added. “It doesn’t matter if they’ve never taken a yoga class before.”
Info: Bhakti Fest, Sept. 12-17, 60098 29 Palms Highway, Joshua Tree. $325 for four-day pass. Discounted options available for seniors, veterans, local residents, children. Two-day passes also available. Lodging and food not included. bhaktifest.com
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In looking for the right space for his newly opened boutique fitness studio, the Wall, trainer Jason Wimberly wanted a lobby area that was going to be more than a place for people to sign in or hit the water fountain.
“It needed to not feel like a gym passageway,” said Wimberly, who has worked with such celebrities as Kate Hudson and Selma Blair. “It needed to be a space to hang out in. You don’t even see the workout areas, which are shuttered behind soundproofed, 14-foot doors.” The 1,000-square-foot lobby — featuring a refreshment bar stocked by Cafe Gratitude and Clover Juice — is part of a 5,000-square-foot studio offering Wimberly’s signature 123 Stack classes, a combination of 10 minutes of core work, 20 minutes of high-intensity circuit training and 30 minutes of indoor cycling.
“With this class, everything starts with ab work,” he said. “If you engage your core at the start of a class, you’ve activated those muscles and can burn more calories.” He also wants to take the focus off technology, which he says can be a distraction “if everyone is looking at a TV screen. We’ve got to be present. This is a class where everyone is moving as one unit.” The Wall also offers workouts focused on just indoor cycling, weight training and a recovery stretch session.
Info: The Wall’s grand opening bash is Aug. 25 and 26, during which all classes are free to new clients. Register at thewallfitness.com. Otherwise, single classes $30, with discounts available for packages. 730 S. La Brea Ave.
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A few years ago, people dunked themselves with ice water on social media to raise money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. A new social media-for-medicine challenge promises to be a lot easier — depending on how much you like push-ups.
“It’s the first time in our 25 year history we are doing a physical challenge for fundraising,” said Colleen McKenna, vice president of marketing and communications for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. “It’s a way for us to turn awareness into action.”
The PCF Pushup Challenge is timed to coincide with September’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month; participants do 10 push-ups for every $20 they receive in sponsorship funds. (According to the foundation, an estimated 14 million men worldwide live with prostate cancer; one in nine will be diagnosed in their lifetime, and African American men are 74% more likely to develop the disease in their early 50s.)
Info: Sign up for the challenge at pcf.org
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