Defy gravity
If getting fit while flying sounds like your jam, go ahead and sign up for a bungee workout class. Bungee fitness (not to be confused with bungee jumping) is a low-impact activity that has you perform a series of high-intensity exercises – a fusion of dance choreography and explosive movements – whilst attached to a ceiling-mounted bungee cord. The catch is, the cord is constantly pulling you up, making you A) negate gravity and B) experience the power of resistance with each of your muscles.
Where: Bungee Workout, Bolshaya Monetnaya St. 16 or Mirgorodskaya St. 20 (Gorkovskaya or Ploshchad Alexandra Nevskogo metro stations) – 500 rubles for first-timers.
Putt your way through
Sunny days are perfect for golfing, especially with Nikolskiye Ryady having opened its doors as a mini-golf club not so long ago. The venue offers an open-air course with 18 standard and 9 upper-level holes, as well as a putting green area where you can practice before you hit the ground running. The rules are simple: you need to direct the ball into a hole, keeping in mind that the fewer strokes you make, the better. Though it may sound easy, it, in fact, requires some physical and technical skills, along with good coordination and tactics.
Where: Nikolskiye Ryady, Sadovaya St. 62 (Sadovoya metro station) – 400-500 rubles for a 30-minute session (1,000 rubles for a 30-minute session with an instructor)
Bounce like a frog
First we got you flying – and now it’s time to jump! Trampoline fitness is a cardio-heavy uber-fun workout where you will do exercises, bounce to routines, and simply move on a trampoline (yes, as a full-grown adult). You may wonder: what’s the appeal? The class benefits your entire body – and lets you have your cardio fix to the beats of killer music playlists.
Where: local gyms, like Ты в Движении, Pestelya St. (Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station) — 500 rubles for first-timers.
Time to reform
Another way to kick things up a notch is reformer pilates. This type of pilates combines all the best traditional mat pilates has to offer with specialized equipment meant to basically make your training harder and you – stronger. This will do the job, no matter if you want to up your pilates game or are only about to embark on this journey.
Where: local gyms or studios, like mvpilates (see the locations here) – 1,500 for a session in a group of three.
Surf in the city
With SUP surfing taking St. Pete by storm, it’d be a total shame not to give it a try. What’s so great about standup paddleboarding (or SUP surfing) is that it’s safe, easy to get into, and far from boring. Once you learn to balance on a board, you will get to paddle along the city’s plethora of rivers and canals – and even enjoy a sunset (or a sunrise) in the Gulf of Finland.
Where: Lahta SUP (1,500 rubles for an intro class), Beavers SUP School (from 2,300 rubles), and many others.