Synergy Hot Yoga in Fair Haven, above, is among the stops on a “fitness crawl” organized by Jessica Dalmedo, below. (Photo above by Connor Soltas. Click to enlarge)
By DANIELLE TEPPER
Ah yes, the pub crawl: a moveable feast of overindulgence, debauchery and morning-after regret. Jessica Dalmedo of FreshicaÂ’s Juice Bar in Fair Haven has turned the concept around, into something that is good for the body and soul.
Her fitness crawl, slated for this Sunday, enables participants to check out specialized gyms and workout facilities without entering into a contract or shelling out big bucks for a membership – and to try them all a single sweep.
Okay, so there may be some morning-after regrets.
Dalmedo, of Rumson, got the idea for the crawl from Sandi Vilacoba of The Pilates Project, and volunteered to pull it together. It only took two weeks.
Following the same structure as a good old-fashioned bar crawl, the circuit includes five local studios that will each offer a 30-minute class, with 15 minutes of travel time in between. Participants can sign up for any number of workouts, but space is limited to 19 slots.
The best part? The crawl is free of charge. It didn’t take much convincing on Dalmedo’s part to get the studios involved, as each was eager for the exposure. Convenience was a factor, as she chose places that are near one another.
“I’m sure a lot of people want to try hot yoga, but they’re like, ‘Oh my God, is it too hot?’ That’s what I thought at first, but someone told me to try it and it’s great, really relaxing,” she said. “This is for people who don’t want to pay to spend 45 minutes to an hour making an ass out of themselves, but just want to try it.”
Participants will collect tickets at each location for use in a raffle meant to entice them to finish the crawl which will run from 1 to 4:30 p.m.. Each location will donate an item to be used as a prize, whether it be merchandise or a free class.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Dalmedo. “It’s a fun event that doesn’t revolve around food or drinks – it’s different. And if it works, maybe we could do it again on a larger scale.”
As of press time, five slots were still available. Requests to sign up can be sent here. Each place will offer water, but participants are encouraged to bring their own to stay hydrated, as well as healthy snacks to sustain them through the long workout.
Here’s the schedule, with a description of each class.
1:00 p.m. – “Total Body Ride” at MegaCycle, 800 Broad Street, Shrewsbury: “A spin class that includes upper body with weights.”
1:45 p.m. – “East West ChiCamp” at Power Center, 24 West Front Street, Red Bank: “A unique fitness experience combining ancient eastern energy raising exercises with cutting edge body weight resistance methods. Each session begins with a dynamic warm-up and stretch, followed by an energy building, lung burning, body shredding, and mentally stimulating full-body circuit – ending with a spiritually infused cool down stretch.”
2:30 p.m. – “Hot Yoga” at Synergy Hot Yoga, 772 River Road, Fair Haven: “A dynamic, energizing practice that sculpts, hones and tones every muscle in the body. You don’t need to be especially flexible or incredibly fit to do this yoga. You just need to do it. The results speak for themselves.”
3:15 p.m. – “Mat Class” at The Pilates Project, 560 River Road, Fair Haven: “Challenge your powerhouse without the assistance of straps or springs. Utilize small apparatus such as the magic circle, the small ball, and arm weights.”
4:00 p.m. – “Boot Camp” at Bio-Balance, 113 East River Road, Rumson: “Metabolic training combines anaerobic strength and aerobic cardio; a metabolic workout is a total body interval workout using short, max effort anaerobic work periods, anywhere from 10-60 seconds, performed in an alternate set format, which include short, incomplete rest periods between exercises, typically 10-30 seconds.”
