Fitness Can Simply Be Fun

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of activity a week to stay healthy. That’s about 22 minutes a day. The area offers a number of fun ways to use those minutes.

Red Bridge YMCA – The YMCA offers an entire gamut of activities for kids and adults, from swimming to strength training to fitness classes. Red Bridge YMCA, 11300 Holmes Rd., is offer Call 816-942-2020 for more information.

Blue Bicycle Fitness and Health – The expanding fitness center at the Red Bridge Shopping Center offers strength training, cardio equipment and classes such as yoga, lunchtime Power Pump, and Zumba. Spin bikes and Top Gear Cross Training is in the very near future. 11128 Holmes Rd. Call 816-943-8348 for more information.

Curves – The 30-second strength building intervals during a 30-minute circuit is not only a gentle and effective way to build muscle, but a fun one as you gossip with the lady next to you. Regular challenges and rewards keep you coming back for more. Call 816-942-5600. 510 E. 112 St. in the Red Bridge Shopping Center.

Anytime Fitness – Anytime Fitness is exactly what it says. Exercise with weights or cardio machines anytime of the day or night. The 24-hour access often attracts serious body builders. Classes are also available. 13154 State Line Rd, Leawood. 913-222-8080

Martin City Sports Complex offers a 28-person double-decker driving range with heated stalls as well as putting ranges. Bring family along for a round of miniature golf while you perfect your swing. 1 E. 135 St. 816-941-9000.

Minor Park Golf Course would not normally be written up this time of year, but the holiday weather outside is delightful not frightful. The golf course offers early bird, power lunch and happy hour golfing specials. 11215 Holmes Rd. 816-942-4033

Volleyball Beach is offering exercise in the tropics. That is, a tropical atmosphere inside its heated, inflatable dome. This is one of the most popular places in the metropolitan area for sand volleyball and about the only one during the winter. Sign up for the winter league or drop by and watch the fun. 13105 Holmes Rd. 816-942-2820.

Martin City Paintball is a 17-acre park with all kinds of fields, such as the Castle field, the Woods Ball field, the Speed Ball Field and even a real army truck. Open on the weekends from 10 am to 4:30 pm. 13501 Holmes Rd. 816-885-2134.

Mac-n-Seitz offers batting cages to challenge you and a friend’s swing. Batting cages are open to nonmembers. 13705 Holmes Rd. 816-942-9992.

Running – You may think you can do this alone, but sometimes it helps to do it as a group. The Kansas City Running Company offers groupie runs on a weekly basis. Headquartered at 411 E. 135 St., where they organize races around the area, their groupie runs start at their Leawood store down the road at 4760 W. 135 St. Call 816-569-4508.

Gymnastics – Eagles Gymnastics opens up its 18,000 square foot gym to all children (sorry, no adults) for supervised play on trampolines, bars, beams, rope swing and foam pit. Open play times are Friday from 10 – 11 am for ages 2 to 5 and from 5:30 – 7 pm for all ages, and Saturday from 1 to 2:30 for all ages. You call also enroll your child in a variety of classes. 209 W 135 St. 816-942-9529.

Danceworks Conservatory – The dance studio at 13149 State Line offers dance and tumbling for children as well as a few stretch and yoga exercises for adults on Friday and Saturday mornings. A Mom and Me class is also available. Call 816-941-7903 for more information.

Pulse Dance Studio – For children ages 2 to 18, Pulse Dance Studio at the Red Bridge Shopping Center, was voted the Best Dance Studio in Kansas City by KMBC Channel 9’s A List. Call 816-941-2278 if you want to get your child enrolled.

Integrity Martial Arts Academy –The Integrity Martial Arts Academy conditions the entire body, balancing physical, mental and spiritual aspects into one focused effort. It is an excellent all-around exercise for youth and adults enabling them to reach their highest potential through concentration and disciplined action. Red Bridge Shopping Center. 816-761-0143

Blue Valley Bushidokan –. Bushidokan combines karate, judo and jujitsu. It is not a discipline where everyone automatically gets a reward. It must be won. Classes are for kids and adults as well as self-defense classes for women. 13001 State Line Rd 816-943-0866