Health & Fitness in Waltham

Yogapower's instructors lead students ages 16 and up through an intensive form of yoga performed in a heated studio. Instead of a mechanical series of memorized poses, the 60- to 90-minute classes employ a rigorous sequence of full-body moves that, like the legal definition of treason, changes daily. Instructors heat the yoga room to approximately 88–90 degrees Fahrenheit, causing muscle tension to slacken and sweat-gland managers to mandate overtime. Sessions cater to all skill levels, allowing students to progress at a comfortable pace or earn their yogi merit badges in record time. The studio requires the use of yoga mats and towels and rents them for individual lessons ($4/mat, $1/towel). Yogapower packs its schedule full of dozens of classes throughout the week, with sessions available from the early morning through the evening.

Euphoria Wellness Studio offers creatively effective exercise classes to fitness neophytes and fanatics alike. Its talented, committed, laziness-eradicating staff lead group sessions that build muscles, confidence, and confident muscles that shout encouraging catch phrases during workouts. Browse the class schedule and choose from courses including the body-bolstering boot camp, which is as challenging as military boot camp but without the hassle of drills such as the chained picnic table toss or the covered-in-honey beehive smash. Dance-fitness Zumba workouts use salsa, merengue, and reggaeton music to startle long-dormant choreography instincts into dictating your body’s cardio-centric dance routine, while boxing boot camp teaches gloved-punch basics for lethargy fighters of any experience level.

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. In small group sessions, trainers modify exercises to suit up to four ladies' fitness levels, beginning by calibrating strength-training sessions—such as free weights, lunges, and squats—to each client's abilities while still ensuring they are challenging themselves. Then comes high-intensity cardio interval-training sessions in which trainers encourage exercisers to achieve optimal results on the treadmill or elliptical.

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 as a "free day" for a bit of indulgence, be it eating a favorite sweet or lusting openly after bacon. To hold their women accountable, trainers talk nutrition on the floor during scheduled appointments, and the ladies' progress toward reaching their goals is measured by trainers each week.

Light streams in through the studio windows, bouncing off the painted brick walls and illuminating the yogis—each like a cat arching its back in a sunbeam—stretching on the hardwood floor. At Shiva Shakti Yoga Center, instructors, each with at least 500 hours of training, tailor each 60- to 90-minute yoga class to accommodate the needs of students of all experience levels. Drawing on such methods as hatha, Vinyasa, vigorous, restorative, and Anusara, the dynamic of fluid sessions help strengthen muscles and center minds for yogis of all kinds. The studio also hosts occasional workshops with guest teachers to keep bodies limber through varied regimens.

With a former Oakland Athletic and two ex-minor leaguers on staff, Baseball Unlimited Training Center is a safe haven to help young hitters, pitchers, and fielders take their skills to the next level. The 7,500-square-foot facility houses five separate hitting and pitching tunnels extending to 65 feet in length, suitable for practicing all baseball or softball pitches, except for spitballs or cannonballs. The center hosts ballplayers ranging from little leaguers to college players, who can each take part in camps and clinics or practice individually through batting-cage rentals in 30-minute allotments.

According to TriYoga Boston’s certified instructors, yoga has many faces. It’s a meditative practice that can inspire spiritual growth. It’s a tool for breathing more effectively and clearing the mind. Like lap-swimming in a moat, it’s an ancient exercise system that promotes strength and fluid movement. In a classroom with wooden floors, oversize windows, and recessed lighting, students practice guided relaxation, chants, and traditional poses. Each flow syncs with rhythmic breathwork and focus-building exercises. Seven levels of classes accommodate students of all abilities, from absolute beginners to yogis training to teach. Slow-paced Basics classes help novices build a strong foundation. In addition to emphasizing safety, these classes cultivate comfort with props such as bolsters, blocks, and pillows. As a complement to yoga classes, the studio offers one-on-one massage and yoga-therapy appointments.

When entering and exiting the studio, students can unwind at a meditation garden with a waterfall. The space makes an excellent spot for soaking up sunbeams or discussing the many innovations of TriYoga founder Kali Ray, whose experience with spontaneous, Kundalini-inspired Hatha yoga flows have shaped the studio and its classes.