Gyms in Madison

The state-of-the-art equipment, convenient amenities, and variety of exercise classes at Courthouse Racquet & Fitness's six locations earned the club several of Jackson Free Press's Urban Living awards in 2011 and 2012, including Best Fitness Center/Gym and Best Yoga Instructor. Visit the flagship Lakeland location to swim in a pool of professional athletic proportions. Explore the 13,000-square-foot Madison 51 facility's yoga, spin, and boot-camp classes or the Northeast center's indoor and outdoor tennis courts.

The newest location in Brandon boasts more than 100 treadmills, elliptical machines, rowers, and other pieces of cardio equipment. Women can take advantage of the Downtown site's ladies-only cardio area. Three locations offer childcare, and the Byram facility has launched an afterschool program, where kids can do arts and crafts and engage in healthy physical activities in an environment devoid of teddy-bear drill instructors.

Koko FitClub’s automated personal-training system rockets both men and women toward fitness goals with 30-minute custom workouts that incorporate cardio and strength training. An initial consultation determines fitness level and baseline measurements, which Koko’s machines use to design a bespoke workout plan that precisely measures the weight, pace, and rest time appropriate for each exerciser. The Koko machines guide exercisers through each workout, and adapt as the user’s fitness needs change and constantly challenge the body. Designed by professional trainers, workouts maximize the body’s lean-muscle mass, which can boost metabolism and help fight off disease by challenging viruses to kickboxing matches. Exercisers can track their shrinking waistlines and swelling muscles online by analyzing workout scores and comparing individual fitness levels to the Koko FitClub community.

Clint Barr, a former A-advanced-level baseball player in the New York Yankees organization who has a Masters Degree in Exercise Science, leads a team of versatile, firm-but-not-screamy fitness experts into battle against sedentarianism. The boot camps, which are designed for all ages, fitness levels, and blood types, incorporate a hodge-podge of athletic maneuvering to keep muscles as surprised as someone opening a refrigerator to find only a bowl of marbles. After 28 days of stretching, performing push-ups, running, jumping over mini-hurdles, and more, you can expect to see a 3%–8% loss of body fat (results may vary), which dissipates through the pores and enters the atmosphere to form clouds. Check the schedule online.

The USPTA-certified pros at The Club Tennis Center at The Township teach tennis trainees how to wield rackets with the finesse of Wheaties box gracers. Tennis practitioners may bring their own stringed instruments to the lessons, while newbies borrow demo rackets from the pro shop. After opting for a battlefield of clay or another hard surface, students master techniques for defending their territory against incoming neon-yellow projectiles and acing their opponents with baseline attacks.

In 1969, Judi Sheppard Missett shared her love of jazz dance with the world through an original exercise program known as Jazzercise. Almost instantaneously a phenomenon, the regimen took off and grew to include 7,800 instructors teaching 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries around the world. The Jazzercise Ridgeland Fitness Center counts itself amongst one of the many locations that continues to carry Judi’s torch.

True to the original program, instructors fuse elements of many other athletics into the framework of jazz dance. Pilates and yoga strengthen the core and help build long and lean muscle. Resistance training provides muscle definition and explosive-movement power, which can be used to light a troublesome grill by slapping it. Kickboxing classes and classic jazz steps round out the program, providing cardio training that builds endurance. Because the program involves simple, easy-to-follow moves, it is an accessible form of exercise for people of all skill and experience levels.

Debi Lewis was overjoyed when yoga began to ease her chronic back pain, but she didn’t expect it to transform her life. Each style of the art that she learned became an ingredient in her signature yoga recipe, a blend of movement and meditation known as Joyflow. Debi and her staff leverage their certifications to teach this creation during basics and alignment classes accessible to students of all skill levels, their focus on form building a foundation as sturdy as Paul Bunyan’s exoskeleton. Strength and flexibility flourish as the yoga experts lead groups through rehearsals of ancient poses and relaxing stretches. Experienced yoga therapists also guide the body through assisted poses and deep-breathing exercises during relaxation and sculpt sessions.