Tired of running on the treadmill and getting nowhere? Intimidated by hardcore spinning classes, or looking for a low-impact way to improve your overall health and fitness? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to reconsider your workout. The hottest thing to hit gyms these days isn’t the spandex, but alternative fitness techniques like Pilates, yoga, and Tai chi. The best thing about these exercise regimens is that anyone can do them and reap the benefits, regardless of age, experience, or physical condition.

Pilates

“Pilates was designed around the principle that if you develop your core [your back and abdominal muscles], that will be the basis of strength for the rest of your body,” explains Jean White, health and wellness director at the Westfield YMCA. Pilates was developed in the 1940s by Joseph Pilates as a method of rehabilitation after years of studying yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman physical fitness regimens. Despite being around for 60 years, Pilates has only recently exploded in popularity here in the United States, mainly for its ability to target the body’s main trouble spots (like your hips, belly, and rear) while still being remarkably low-impact. Pilates is widely used not just for fitness and strength training but also as a key component in physical therapy of all kinds, making it ideal for exercisers with back and hip injuries for whom many traditional exercises are out of the question. (It was the Pilates regimen I learned from my physical therapist that helped me recover from a debilitating herniated disk.)

“Pilates involves doing a series of strength training exercises while incorporating controlled breathing patterns,” explains Danielle Infante, a personal trainer at the Summit YMCA. The exercises are done mainly on a mat, although some classes also use specially designed Pilates equipment. The list of benefits is endless, including improved circulation and joint health, greater flexibility (particularly in your abdominal and back muscles), plus better posture, balance, and a newfound ease in doing everyday tasks like carrying groceries and lifting your kids. But what makes Pilates so unique is that it never becomes obsolete, since the exercises can be made easier or more challenging as your needs change. You can incorporate a balance ball or exercise bands, for example, to make many of the exercises more challenging.

Unfortunately, due to the increased demand for Pilates in gyms across the country, many would-be professionals have circumvented the criteria for Pilates certification originally outlined by Joseph Pilates. For this reason, it’s best to take classes at large, reputable facilities like the Westfield or Summit YMCAs. Although private training can be costly (up to $75 per hour), when it comes to Pilates, you usually get what you pay for. For the beginner on a budget, Infante suggests taking semi-private lessons so you can still get a lot of personal attention, while splitting the cost with as many as three other friends.

Yoga

The word yoga is the Sanskrit term for “union,” and involves performing and maintaining a series of poses or positions designed to enhance the body’s balance, strength, and flexibility. Yoga has been a favorite for years among svelte celebs looking to stay lean while still developing long, strong muscles. It is also one of the most popular forms of exercise for pregnant women, since it can be easily modified to accommodate an expanding belly and it promotes overall health and inner calm.

The physical benefits of yoga are very similar to those of Pilates, although yoga is “much more meditative,” says White. If you practice faithfully, you can expect to achieve increased flexibility and muscle tone, which works wonders for easing the spinal compression and stiffness most of us face after sitting at our desks all day or driving for long periods of time.

Probably the most difficult part of yoga is cutting through all the confusion about the types of yoga available. Here are five of the more popular styles you’re likely to find at a gym near you.

• Hatha is a general term that encompasses many types of yoga. A Hatha class is likely to be slow-paced and gentle—perfect for beginners who may need time to master the poses, or for pregnant women looking for a gentle way to stay fit.


• Like Hatha, Vinyasa is another general termused to describe many different types of classes. Vinyasa classes, however, are more vigorous and require much more control since they’re based on a series of poses called Sun Salutations, in which each movement is closely coordinated with your breathing.


• Ashtanga (or power yoga) classes are fast-paced and physically demanding because they require constant movement from one pose to the next. In yoga terminology, this is called flow.


• Kundalini focuses on breath control and is done with rapid, repetitive movements instead of requiring participants to hold poses for longer periods of time. In Kundalini classes, the teacher will often lead the group in call-and-response chanting.


• A big trend right now, Bikram (or hot yoga) classes are held in a 95- to 100-degree room to help loosen tight muscles and induce profuse sweating, which is believed to be cleansing.

“If you’re interested in doing yoga, it’s important to pick the style that best suits your physical needs and personality type,” says Infante. For beginners, Hatha or Vinyasa classes are a good place to start since they incorporate mostly basic positions. You can then move on to something more complicated as you become stronger and more skilled.

“No matter what class you decide to take, always let the instructor know you’re a beginner,” suggests White. “This way they can pay extra attention to you and be sure you’re learning properly.” And avoid yoga classes held in the dark (a popular trend in early evening sessions), since it’s difficult to get a lot of guidance from the instructor when the lights are dimmed.

Tai chi

Although originally developed as a gentler form of Chinese martial arts in the early 1800s, Tai chi is also practiced as a form of moving meditation to promote the flow of “chi,” or “life energy,” through the body. In fact, most people who practice Tai chi these days have no interest at all in martial-arts fighting. Westerners are drawn to this form of exercise for its ability to improve overall health while almost completely eliminating the risk of injury. There are many different training methods within Tai chi, but the most popular involves a series of slow, graceful, purposeful movements done at the start of every day. “Unlike yoga and Pilates, you will need space to practice Tai chi since the movements can sometimes take you all around the room,” explains Infante. If you have traditionally been a hard-core exerciser, it may surprise you to learn that the gentle, low-impact movements involved in Tai chi can actually burn more calories than high-impact workouts like surfing.

Tai chi is ideal for relaxation and stress management and has been shown to help people with such joint diseases as arthritis and fibromyalgia to manage their symptoms and slow the progression of disease. “This is due to the fact that the movements in Tai chi use each joint to its full range of motion,” explains White, “which over time helps increase and maintain flexibility.” Tai chi also is also a wonderful exercise for elderly people since it promotes balance and requires no strenuous actions like jumping or running. Studies have even shown that Tai chi can help prevent falls in elderly people who practice it faithfully.

To practice Tai chi, enlist the help of a personal trainer or take classes at a local YMCA to learn the basic moves and proper form. Many quality Tai chi videos are available to help you continue your daily practice at home.

The next time you hit the gym (or even just think about going), why not look into one of these alternative workouts? It may be just the jolt your workout—and your body—has been craving.