13 unique alternative fitness classes in Singapore to try

It is easy to see why padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world – it is a fun and social racket sport that is suitable for all ages and abilities. Best described as a cross between tennis and squash padel doesn’t require players to have prior experience and is fun from the very first time you play. The game is played on a court that is similar to a tennis court but with walls or fences that allow players to hit shots off the surfaces to keep the ball in play. It’s a relatively fast-paced game, so expect to work up a good sweat while running around the court. Ricochet Padel is a great place to try padel, as it offers excellent facilities as well as comprehensive lessons conducted by a certified padel coach. Intermediate players looking to improve their technique and game can consider registering for a padel clinic which will provide advanced strategies and real match scenarios. Richochet Padel currently has two clubs, located at Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa and at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.

Racket sport lovers should add pickleball to their list of must-try activities. A game that combines elements from tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball is easy to pick up and is accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels. Played with paddles and a plastic ball on a court that looks like a tennis court but is much smaller, the basic aim of pickleball, as with other racket sports, is to hit the ball over the net and prevent an opponent from hitting it back. There are a few rules to follow but they are simple and straightforward. For a start, players are not allowed to volley in “the kitchen”, located within seven feet of the net, and to serve, the ball must be hit underhand and below waist level. If you are looking to kick start a healthy routine with your friends, consider signing up for a pickleball novice course, jointly organised by SAFRA Mount Faber and Singapore Pickleball Association. Comprising four sessions, participants will learn the fundamental rules of the game; court positions; back strokes and drills for dink, volley, serve and return of serve; how to execute an overhead smash and more.

A fun and exhilarating way to keep fit, Fight Do is a fitness programme that combines the best of boxing and martial arts. Designed to make one feel as though they are engaged in an imaginary fight against several opponents, the session will require participants to employ lots of punches, kicks, blocks and more. An excellent way to relieve stress and burn calories (each session is said to burn between 600 to 700 calories) and tone the entire body, Fight Do is perfect for those looking to shake up their mundane workout routine. Fight Do fitness classes are currently held at Nee Soon Central Community Club. Visit here to find out more.

At first glance, stand-up paddle boarding may seem effortless but once you get on a board, you’ll realise that it is anything but a breeze. A sport that requires one to engage multiple muscle groups, including the arms, shoulders, back, core and legs, participants of this sport can expect a solid full body workout. Apart from offering an effective workout – according to research, an hour of paddleboarding can burn up to 500 calories – paddleboarding also improves balance, strengthens muscles and promotes overall wellbeing. Take a stand-up paddling course at sea sports clubs such as Aloha Sea Sports Centre, which offers a one-hour programme designed to teach participants how to launch, how to turn and how to return to shore safely.

If you’re looking for an activity that is fun, effective and doesn’t feel like exercise, jumping is a tough one to beat. Reputed to be a dynamic cardio workout that is three times as effective as jogging, jumping is said to build stamina and core strength, tone up body muscles, relieve stress, and aid weight loss. Research has also revealed that people who jump tend to feel happier and more relaxed. Try out a session at Prestique Studio, touted as one of the best places in Singapore to attend jumping fitness classes. During the session, participants will engage in a structured workout by jumping on a top-quality trampoline, specially designed to ensure safety and to support the user’s every move. Now, get ready to let your hair down and jump to your heart's content.

Take your fitness journey up a notch with this studio’s aerial beginners course, where you’ll be eased into the swing of things. The six-week beginner course ($290) takes budding aerial yogis through a systematic series of exercises that build your confidence in handling the aerial silks, and also your strength, flexibility and balance to execute beginner-friendly poses before progressively moving into more complex flows and transitions.

Sting like a bee. Animal Flow is a practice that – as the name suggests – is inspired by the movements of animals. At Lighthouse Climbing, climbers and non-climbers alike will be introduced to dynamic ground-based movements that encourage your whole body to work hard and in synergy. Stretch out your back, hips and shoulders with the scorpion reach, stabilise your core and shoulders with the crab reach, and build up your strength and cardio with the side-traveling ape. Animal flow is is a great way to get connected with your body, and because you don't need any equipment, it's a sport you can continue on your own in the future too. 

Jal Yoga is a spacious yoga studio offering a number of unusual yoga classes – one of which is infrared yoga. Unlike hot yoga where temperatures can hit almost 40-degrees, infrared yoga is significantly cooler at 36-degrees but the main difference lies in the way heat is distributed. Infrared heat warms up your body – and only your body – without heating the surrounding air. That means you don’t have to struggle with a stuffy nose and fainting spells which can occur in a regular heated room. 

At Jal Yoga, each mat has an infra heat panel directly above to ensure the infrared heat directly permeates your body – thus alleviating aches, increasing circulation, clearing skin issues, fighting incoming colds and eliminating flu.

They say that dogs are a man’s best friend. But they make for a great yoga companion too. Puppy Yoga Singapore is possibly the first dedicated facility in Singapore to organise such classes with pets. Inspired by similar practices in London, founder Audrey Sin wanted to create a space where people could reap the benefits of physical exercise, while enjoying some mood-boosting interaction with animals. Pet-lovers are encouraged to bring their dogs to class (the studio does not own any), and each session is split into two portions: a 40-minute segment of yoga moves, followed by 20 minutes of puppy playtime.

If you thought HIIT couldn’t get any harder, you couldn’t be more wrong. Skyline Aqua isn’t your usual interval training class – you’re required to put on swimwear before climbing on top of an AquaBase floating mat in a swimming pool. To stay balanced, you need to activate the usually unworked intricate stabilisation muscles in your body. Needless to say, you might end up falling into the water. But it’s worth the risk.

Pole dancing can be a great alternative workout – it's a sport that not only trains strength – especially the core and upper-body – and discipline but also celebrates the lyrical beauty of the human form. Learn how to work the pole at Singapore’s premier pole dance studio The Brass Barre. Its classes are fab for all body types, ages, and levels, from beginner to advanced dancers.

This international gym franchise has truly stepped up its game on the spinning front. The cycle studio in its Raffles Place outlet is fitted with a giant 270-degree cinema-scale screen that uses visual and audio elements to bring riders on exhilarating journeys across virtual worlds and dimensions – it’s almost like being in an IMAX movie theatre but on bikes instead of seats. Better known as Les Mills’ The Trip, the experience allows you to virtually navigate undulating hills and explore underwater reefs in a 40-minute session, all while pedalling hard on your stationary bikes.

Rebounding is no child’s play, as regular members of Bbounce will tell you. This workout uses small trampolines called Rebounders and will have you bouncing hard, fast and high along to heart-thumping music throughout the session. There are over five different classes that target various muscle groups, like BBounce Lite for rookies and BBounce Core which focuses on abdomen tightening. Nonetheless, you’re guaranteed to leave the studio sweaty, achy and with an endorphin rush similar to what you’ll experience with conventional cardiovascular exercises like running and skipping – minus the impact on your joints.