BY DEB
SCHLEEDE

You may not be a
health nut, but the thought of joining a gym or participating in some sort of
physical activity has probably crossed the mind of even the laziest of couch
potatoes. There are a slew of gyms and fitness clubs in the Greater Rochester
area offering up a wide range of facilities and health options. Still, only 16
percent of Americans had memberships to a health and fitness center as of
September 2011, according to a quarterly report from the International Health,
Racquet & Sportsclub Association. With such easy
access to gyms and fitness clubs, why do so few people actually have
memberships?

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Frequently cited reasons include
costs, motivation, and sometimes even a dislike of fitness machines. Gym
memberships in Rochester often run $30 and up per month for a single membership, and can easily
hit $100 per month or more for a family. While there are more affordable
options at certain national franchises, those facilities are known for being
bare bones — no classes or extras.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Thanks to many local resources and
groups in Rochester, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get fit. Nor do you have to
spend your free time reluctantly running on a go-nowhere treadmill to lose some
pounds. There are plenty of alternative fitness options out there that might
appeal to your brain and your wallet.

Rochester is home to the
only Parkour gym in the state. You may have heard of Parkour via ridiculous online videos of people doing crazy
stunts, like hopping down flights of stairs, or vaulting from one building to
another. Charles Moreland, co-founder of Rochester Parkour,
describes the Rochester Parkour gym as a movement
facility where you can perform creative expression using your body — and he
discourages trying dangerous stunts.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Classes and tools at the Parkour gym, located on Lincoln Avenue, aim to improve coordination, balance,
fluidity, and spatial awareness. Moreland says that classes are intended to
help adults “find that playful instinct that is lost from childhood,” which can
allow them to interact with an environment in unusual ways, he says. Equipment
at Rochester Parkour includes poles, ropes,
platforms, rails, ramps, and other interesting obstacles and tools. Many are
movable, and capable of being arranged into an obstacle course of sorts.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Classes are small, generally three
to seven participants, allowing for more one-on-one training. There are classes
for kids, teens, adults, and for those who need more low-impact options. Costs
vary between pay-per-class, open-gym memberships, or a monthly membership that
includes everything. For more information visit
rochesterparkour.com.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Another alternative gym option is
ROC Boxing & Fitness, a boxing gym on Atlantic Avenue. Popular programs include a five-level
boxing set that starts with basic boxing techniques and ends with full-contact
sparring in the ring. For more information visit rocboxing.com.
If getting punched in the face isn’t your thing, consider another unique area
gym, Crossfit Rochester on Monroe Avenue in Pittsford. Crossfit
focuses on community fitness and adaptability. While the programs at Crossfit can indeed be intense and similar to police,
military, or Olympic-style workouts, there are options for beginners as well. For more information visit crossfitrochester.com.

Alternative
gyms aren’t for everyone, or might just sound too out-there and intimidating for others. Thankfully there
are plenty of free or cheap physical-fitness options in Rochester. Area libraries often have fitness
events, such ballroom-dancing classes at the Henrietta Public Library
(hpl.org), or an introduction to Tai Chi at Brighton Memorial Library
(brightonlibrary.org). A big plus for these programs is that classes at area libraries
are almost always free. However, a negative for regular fitness is that most
classes are not held on a weekly basis. But they remain a great resource for
trying new fitness techniques, and could open doors to other local recreation
opportunities. Check the Monroe County Library System website
(www3.libraryweb.org), or keep an eye on your local library’s schedule for
upcoming fitness events or classes.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Additionally, almost all of the Rochester suburbs and townships — including the
city of Rochester itself — offer a slew of fitness options
through their respective parks and recreation departments. Programs offered by
nearby townships include zumba, yoga, open
basketball, open floor hockey, pilates,
or kickboxing. There are also dancing classes like line dancing, square
dancing, salsa, ballet, tap, and more.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Some require a fee for a certain
amount of attendances, more formal classes, or if you join a local adult sports
team (softball and basketball are popular, but other sports are available
depending on the township). Outside of those, there are more free options than
not. Keep in mind that you do not necessarily need to live in a specific town
to take part in its fitness programs. It may still be free for you, or you may
need to pay a small fee as a guest. Check your town’s website or recreation
department for schedules and information, or keep an eye out in the mail for
your town’s program brochure.

There are also
many local clubs, groups,
and sports leagues in the area that cater to a variety of interests. Cyclists
should look into groups like the Rochester Bicycling Club (rochesterbicyclingclub.org)
and R Community Bikes (rcommunitybikes.net). The RBC hosts events like weekend
rides, social dinner rides, time trials, and road and mountain biking. You can
also visit the Genesee Transportation Council (gtcmpo.org) for maps and
information on local trails and bike-related locations in Rochester.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Rochester is home to a handful of running groups,
including the Greater Rochester Track Club (grtconline.org), Genesee Valley
Harriers (gvh.net), YellowJacket Racing
(yellowjacketracing.com), and Fleet Feet Racing (fleetfeetrochester.com). All
of these groups and clubs offer communities for training, resources, and events
for those who favor running or jogging as a healthy outlet.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  For something more social, consider
one of the alternative sports leagues in Rochester. The area is home to two different
kickball leagues, the Kickball League of Rochester (rockickball.net) and a
local chapter of the National Amateur Community Kickball of America
(nackakickball.com), giving you plenty of opportunities to relive elementary
school all over again (but with more beer). There are also a slew of volleyball
leagues and facilities in Rochester like Hot Shots Volleyball (hotshotsvball.com) and the Main Street
Armory Volleyball Club (rochestermainstreetarmory.com), which offer co-ed leagues, games, and tournaments year-round, or
the girls-only VolleyFX club (volleyfx.com).

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  If you like to play rough, there are
three rugby leagues in Rochester. For men there is the Rochester Aardvarks Rugby Football Club
(rochesteraardvarks.org) and the Rochester Colonials (rochestercolonials.com).
Don’t feel left out, ladies, because there’s a women’s rugby team as well — the
Rochester Renegades Women’s Rugby
(rochesterrugby.com). Ladies who like to skate might want to check out Rochester’s growing roller-derby scene. The Roc
City Roller Derby (rocderby.com) is the place to go if you’re ready to get into
the ring and join some of the toughest chicks around.

Did we leave out your
favorite alternative fitness option in Rochester? Post a comment on this article at
rochestercitynewspaper.com.

This article appears in Mar 14-21, 2012.