Ten Outside-the-Box Workouts in Broward That Will Help You Lose That Thanksgiving Weight

Thanksgiving has arrived, and your diet isn't happy about it. For anyone watching their weight, Thanksgiving marks the first hoop your willpower will have to jump through over the course of the next month or so. With all the tempting food and alcohol you're likely to gulp down during the various end-of-the-year festivities, you're destined to pack on a few pounds if you aren't proactive about your exercise.

The best solution is to pace yourself at the table and get your butt to the gym. This, as we all know, is easier said than done. There is a reason diets are one of the most popular New Year's resolutions — by the time we run the gauntlet of holidays that end the year, we feel disgusting.

It doesn't have to be that way, though, and there are plenty of unique workout options all around Broward that will actually have you excited to break a sweat. Here is a list of places that will simultaneously entertain you and help you work off those three four slices of pecan pie you're bound to eat on Thursday.




1. Indoor rock climbing at Coral Cliffs
3400 SW 26th Ter. #A4, Fort Lauderdale; 954-321-9898; coralcliffs.com.

Here in Florida, we don't do climbing very often. We're pretty amazed when we come across a man-made hill, let alone a mountain of any sort. The idea of climbing a mountain might seem like a preposterous idea, but it's a fantastic workout. Coral Cliffs in Fort Lauderdale is replicating the experience of scaling rocks for an affordable price ($19 for a one-day pass).

2. Jump on trampolines at Sky Zone Trampoline Park
1834 SW Second St., Pompano Beach; 954-417-3999; skyzone.com/fortlauderdale.

For as little as $10 (for a 30-minute jump pass), you can bounce your happy ass through a workout that will most definitely burn off at least one of those Thanksgiving dinners you plan on eating between Thursday and whenever your leftovers run dry. For $22, you can play in the adult bounce house for two full hours, but I'm pretty sure after about 45 minutes of bouncing  you'll transition from a nice workout to encouraging vertigo.

3. Try Paddleboard Yoga
17 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-440-4562; sunrisepaddleboards.com.

Little is more enlightening than paddling out into the ocean while throwing cares to the wind. Besides being an extremely relaxing experience, the paddling itself is quite a workout. Sunrise Paddleboards offers both rentals and lessons, so whether you have ever paddleboarded before, you have no excuse not to take to the water. A one-on-one with an instructor will run you $65, but that includes rental of the equipment. Tours of Whiskey Island and Peanut Creek cost $125.


4. Take a Pure Barre class
4575 Weston Rd., Davie; 954-909-4151; purebarre.com/fl-weston.

You're probably going to eat way too much between now and New Year's Eve, so why not discover a new way to tackle your inevitable annual resolution to workout more? Pure Barre classes are a unique way to break a sweat and work those core muscles surrounding all those areas you'll be sending stuffing and mashed-potato sandwiches next week. For as little as $39 (with this Groupon), you can take an entire month of Pure Barre classes that should at least offset some of your binge eating.

5. Whoop some poor bag's ass at ILoveKickboxing
728 Riverside Dr., Coral Springs; 954-780-8662; ilovekickboxingcoralsprings.com.

Gaining weight makes us mad. What better way to take out that anger than kicking some ass over at your local ILoveKickboxing studio? They are sprinkled around South Florida, and for just $30 (with this Groupon), you can take ten classes. When you sign up, they give you free gloves that are yours to keep, so if you can't afford the classes after a while, you can just run through the park by your house punching trees because you're mad that you can't stop eating Taco Bell when you get drunk.

6. Train like a UFC fighter at American Top Team
5750 N. SR-7, Coconut Creek; 954-425-0705; americantopteam.com.

If kickboxing isn't high enough on the kickass scale for you, take it up a notch and go to the place some of the most successful UFC fighters go to get in a good workout. With the Groupon American Top Team offers, you can get a personal-trainer session for $30 or 15 kickboxing lessons, which come with free gloves. If you like it, you can continue to burn fat while at the same time molding yourself into a mean, lean, gravy-burning machine. I suggest just learning to fight, not actually fighting any of the people at American Top Team. You're there to lose weight, not teeth.


7. Pretend you're on American Ninja Warrior at Xtreme Action Park
5300 S. Powerline Rd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-491-6265; xtremeactionpark.com.

If you've ever watched American Ninja Warrior, you know just watching those people run the obstacle course is exhausting. Some of those obstacles are pretty ridiculous and can't be replicated, but the parts that involve ropes can be done over at Xtreme Action Park. For $20, you can take a shot at the rope adventure that is sure to build some stamina and strength in your upper body, thus offsetting some of the candied yams you shoveled in your mouth at Thanksgiving.

8. Get a solid twerkout at Exotic Workouts Pole Fitness
4729 N. University Dr., Lauderhill; 888-396-9711; tryewo.com.

Admittedly, post-Thanksgiving might not be the time you feel at your sexiest, but you can still get your sexy on and learn some moves at the same time. With the Groupon, you can get four pole classes for just $35, which is a solid investment if you ever decide to make it a career. It's hard to argue with that sort of education.

9. Stage an intervention with a come-to-Jesus workout at CrossFit Ambush
10643 W. Atlantic Blvd, Coral Springs; 954-688-6218; crossfitambush.com.

If you're like me, some pole dancing or rope climbing isn't going to offset your fatness. Nope, this Thanksgiving is going to need something stronger. If you plan to polish off as many good eats as I do, you probably need to stop screwing around and take some CrossFit classes. Flipping monster-truck tires might be our only hope if we realistically want to at the very least stay the same weight this holiday season.

10. Apologize to your body by reluctantly signing up at South Florida Fitness Boot Camp
10211 Taft St., Pembroke Pines; 754-244-9102; floridafitnessbootcamp.blogspot.com.

This one just sounds bad, but you've been bad, so you deserve some punishment. If you're looking for a drastic change in your life, a fitness boot camp is probably the way to go. Let's be honest — you sort of need someone to put a foot in your ass so that you can work out your best. You aren't doing it on your own anymore. With the Groupon, you can get a month of classes with a nutrition guide and worksheets for just $20. That's about what you paid for the turkey that got you here in the first place.