8 Fitness Programs That Can Get You In Better Shape

Companies That Teach Great Workout Techniques

5 Reasons To Stay In Shape

1. Improves physical health
2. Improves mental health
3. Reduces risk of injury
4. Leads to better sleep
5. Good way to meet new people

Equipment Every Fitness Enthusiast Should Have

• With a workout journal you can write down your goals and track your progress
• A headband to keep sweat out of your eyes
• Keep yourself and your equipment nice & dry with a workout towel
• If you're into technology, a fitness tracker can help you train by keeping you aware of your personal stats
• Headphones so you can listen to music or podcasts during your workout
• A good bag to carry all of your things to the gym & back in

Does Stretching Before Exercise Actually Help?

In Depth

It's not easy to get in shape, and even hard to stay fit. There's no one-size-fits-all workout. Different bodies have different needs, and some personalities respond better to specific types of exercise. That's one of the reasons why new fitness programs are always emerging. This list, presented in no particular order, surveys eight of them.

At #1, we've got Yoga for Runners, developed by Christine Felstead. A committed, longtime recreational runner, she launched the program in 2002 after a lifetime of exercise left her with hip and hamstring injuries. It offers yoga specifically geared to such athletes' needs for balance, strength, and flexibility. Based in Toronto, Felstead leads classes and workshops, which focus on particular areas of the body, different forms of the practice, or specific age ranges, at a local studio.

For those outside of Ontario, the exercise guru promulgates the program through a variety of at-home products. Books, which have been translated into multiple languages, describe more than 80 poses in detail and suggest particular sequences. There are also digital downloads and DVDs. Various retreats bring participants around the world, while a teacher training initiative passes down the Yoga for Runners approach to other instructors.

Various retreats bring participants around the world, while a teacher training initiative passes down the Yoga for Runners approach to other instructors.

#2 on the list is Kama Fitness, dedicated to providing a community of balanced wellness programs in the heart of the city of Manchester, New Hampshire. Its state of the art facility hosts workouts designed to motivate and empower. An online extension, Kama Fit TV, brings these offerings to a public outside The Granite State, providing video instruction in aerial yoga and meditation to subscribers.

In-studio classes range from aerial fitness to yoga to healing modalities including reiki, aromatherapy, and intuitive therapy. The instructors are all experienced, certified, and insured. A shamanic healer is also on staff. With aerial fusion classes at the center of its practice, the studio boasts that it's the only one of its kind that offers clients their own fabric for the entirety of a session.

In the #3 spot, Urbankick is an athletic format that blends cardio kickboxing with sports conditioning drills. Each class incorporates steady state cardiovascular exercises, metabolic boosting high intensity interval training, and body-weight strength stations for a total body workout. It is designed to keep all the planes of the human form in motion, allowing practitioners to develop strength, agility, flexibility, and balance at the same time they burn calories.

Each class incorporates steady state cardiovascular exercises, metabolic boosting high intensity interval training, and body-weight strength stations for a total body workout.

Urbankick is taught in classes throughout the country, at locations ranging from fitness studios to university recreation centers. Through a partnership with Crunch Fitness, the program is also taught at participating outlets of the chain in California, Florida, and New York. An online video series brings Urbankick creator Shane Bernard into users' homes with kick and interval training lessons.

#4: The Movement Factory is a pilates, barre, dance, and yoga specialty boutique studio in Lakewood, Ohio. It serves people aged eighteen and older, helping them become stronger, healthier, and more kinesthetically connected through group and individualized classes and sessions. A qualified, certified staff provides instruction that is geared to participants of a variety of lifestyles, ages, and fitness levels.

Dance offerings include ballet, for both beginners and advanced students, contemporary fusion, and hip hop. Movement Factory's wide range of pilates classes are based around different pieces of equipment, whether the mat, ball, reformer, chair, or springboard. The studio also hosts regular Zumba sessions. More specialized instruction is available to those who are pregnant and those engaged to be married.

More specialized instruction is available to those who are pregnant and those engaged to be married.

Coming in at #5, Pilates Proworks was founded in 2009 in San Francisco by husband and wife team, Oscar Sanin and Taylor Carter. Sanin had turned to the physical fitness system after a devastating accident. Dissatisfied with the classic reformer machines, he invented his own, called the Fitformer. The duo then devised their own workout classes and began offering them in a local studio.

Now available to franchisees, Pilates Proworks can be found at more than fifteen locations in the United States and in other countries around the world. Owners and instructors can take lessons at a central school on how to teach the program's three classes. Pilates Pro centers on the Fitformer. Matbox mixes kickboxing and yoga. Tone and Flow is designed to encourage mindfulness and core strength in participants.

For #6, we've got Fit4Mom, which offers pre- and postnatal health, wellness, and fitness programs for every stage of motherhood. From pregnancy to postpartum, its classes are designed to help make moms strong in body, mind, and spirit. Based in San Diego, the company has more than 2500 locations worldwide, with franchises structured to encourage new mothers to start their own business.

Based in San Diego, the company has more than 2500 locations worldwide, with franchises structured to encourage new mothers to start their own business.

Workouts include Stroller Strides, a conditioning workout designed for moms with kids in tow. Body Back Transformation is an eight-week result based journey for those who have recently given birth. Fit4Baby is engineered specifically for mothers-to-be. Run Clubs offer guided group training programs. Body Ignite targets each and every muscle. These and many other options present a lot of variety for different kinds of moms.

#7 is Physique 57, a workout that uses participants' bodyweight as resistance to target muscles in the arms, thighs, seat, and abs to the point of fatigue then stretches them for relief. Called Interval Overload, this method meets people where they are, whether new to a regular fitness routine or cross-training for competitive results. Each class is structured around a signature choreography taught by expert instructors.

With locations on the east and west coasts of the United States, and around the world, Physique 57 offers clients full body barre classes that blend dance-inspired cardio, strength training exercises, and stretches. For those who prefer to exercise at home, there are more than 100 on-demand, streaming videos featuring short, medium, and full-length sessions showcasing the group's signature, high-energy technique.

For those who prefer to exercise at home, there are more than 100 on-demand, streaming videos featuring short, medium, and full-length sessions showcasing the group's signature, high-energy technique.

Closing out the list at #8, it's Mile High Run Club, which offers treadmill-based interval and strength training classes in a supportive, communal environment with flashing lights and loud music. The program touts a number of benefits gained by running, both earnest and cheeky, from stress relief to efficient calorie burning to performance in the zombie apocalypse. It has been praised in many major publications.

Each New York City studio features Woodway 4Front treadmills, kettlebells of various weights, and foam rollers for use before and after running. One location includes a recovery room outfitted with compression sleeves. An official racing group, Team MHRC, is open to all levels and involves weekly coached outdoor sessions. Run academies offer personalized training for the mile. There is also a specialized program for those competing in the half marathon.