Fitness KICKS

It's 7 p.m. on a Monday, and the Fitness KICKS studio is a flurry of sweaty, motivated students and swaying punching bags. This is the scene of a cardio-kickboxing class, where certified trainers lead students through high-intensity kickboxing drills and training exercises on the 27 heavyweight bags. Come Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, the atmosphere transforms when yoga instructors take over and lead yogis through flowing poses designed to enhance relaxation. The energy-charged atmosphere soon returns, however, when coaches take over to conduct rigorous total-body conditioning sessions, kettlebell workouts, Kempo karate, and jiujitsu classes.

As students bustle about in group classes, other members churn out muscles with the studio's collection of weightlifting equipment, ellipticals, and bicycles. Some opt for personal-training sessions, during which top trainers help clients work out safely by guiding them through custom exercises and checking their gym sneakers for smuggled in cheeseburgers. Still other members sit down to chat with the trainers about nutrition, discussing diet tips and custom meal plans.