Abington Gyms and Fitness

In much the same way that heat turns an ordinary root vegetable into a thrilling game of hot potato, a heated room enhances the effectiveness of yoga. Zen Hot Yoga’s signature hot classes move participants through 26–30 postures and breathing exercises that center, strengthen, and lengthen each body with the melting powers of a high-temperature room. Zen Hot Yoga encourages all skill levels to participate, and the skilled instructors will adapt each pose to meet an individual’s fitness level for optimal results. Sweat out toxins and enjoy mind-expanding stretches while breathing deeply; afterward, you'll leave focused, with a cleansed, centered, and worry-free glow. If you’re looking to raise your heart rate, hot vinyasa classes will challenge your body to move through each pose in a continuous flow of movement. If you’re worried about achieving proper alignment or hot temperatures make you uncomfortable, warm yoga moves at a slower pace in a mildly heated room. Zen Hot Yoga also offers pre-natal yoga, kids yoga, and core fusion, a full-body workout that incorporates sports conditioning and targeted muscle work. Mix and match any 10 classes to find the one you like best. Check the schedule here for individual class times.

The instructors at Easton Yoga Center give each student individual attention, focusing on alignment and performing proper poses. They also modify poses for students with injuries and health conditions. Easton Yoga Center offers an array of classes ranging from gentle yoga to the more intense stretching of Vinyasa sessions.

[[m:####Emerald Yoga Studio

Seeking refuge from hectic day jobs and the lingering pain of back injuries, Emerald Yoga Studio's co-owners, Jennifer Safrey and Mike Downes, discovered the power of yoga to refresh both body and mind. The duo now spearheads a team of certified yoga instructors, which leads 75- to 90-minute Vinyasa sessions inside a cheery green studio lit by flickering candlelight or glowworms fulfilling community-service requirements. They'll shepherd up to 20 students through a tapestry of poses linked with deep breathing to enhance the mind-body connection. The team can modify classes to incorporate strength-building motions for more advanced yogis or to pare down movements to accommodate newbies trying to learn the basics of the Vinyasa technique. They also lead chakra-balancing sessions each week, incorporating a variety of asanas and meditative poses into the practice to restore harmony and bolster overall well-being.:m]]

Inside Plymouth's historic Post Office Building, the bustling of envelopes changing hands has been replaced by the sounds of steady breathing. Certified personal trainer Alicia Andreson works with her experienced staff—all of whom hold teaching certifications—to gently correct their students' alignment aboard mats and apparatuses, including the ubiquitous reformer. They guide one-on-one Pilates sessions and small-group classes that tighten cores, demonstrating classic mat poses, boot-camp-style maneuvers, and yoga stances. To complement their exercise regimens, they offer nutritional counseling and wellness programs. They develop custom healthful diet regimens that help patrons flatten their tummies more safely than standing in front of a firing cannon.

Though Christopher Bopp has won first place three times in a row at the New England Regional Yoga Asana Championships, he does not consider yoga a sport. For him, the art is a daily practice, one that assists with the regular upkeep of his body and mind. He and the certified instructors at Bikram Yoga Quincy hope to pass the basics of the technique on to others, who will in turn interpret them to suit their personal credos.

Because everyone's perception of yoga varies, Christopher encourages guests to attend classes from different instructors. The 90-minute class structure—26 asanas in a toasty studio—remains the same, but each teacher's character illuminates the lesson from a fresh angle. As the instructors’ personalities coalesce under a single yoga style, the end result is a diverse but dedicated community. Familial vibes fill the lobby after every class, when students and instructors can share crisp bites of fruit and figure out who was and was not a heat mirage.

To help women achieve their fitness goals, the certified personal trainers at Get in Shape for Women focus on four areas: weight training, cardio training, nutrition, and accountability. Each of their small-group sessions are tailored to each exerciser. The trainers modify exercises to suit up to four ladies' fitness levels, beginning by calibrating 30 minutes of strength-training drills—such as free weights, lunges, and squats—to each student's abilities. Then, they do 25 minutes of cardio—the trainers might start beginners with a walk on the treadmill or light elliptical training, and challenge more advanced exercisers to high-intensity interval-training sessions for increased results.

The trainers supplement the group workouts with nutritional planning centered around the concept of eating six small, balanced meals six days a week. They set aside the seventh day for a bit of indulgence, be it eating a favorite sweet or lusting openly after bacon. To track ladies' progress toward reaching their goals, the trainers measure their weight and body-fat percentage every two weeks.