6 wellness experiences in the region our Dayton Daily News reporter tried out

Speakeasy Yoga

Those looking for a workout to clear their mind while focusing on strength, mobility, core stability and balance may find it in a class at Speakeasy Yoga in Dayton. At Speakeasy, the style is a strong vinyasa flow. Natalie took a “Strong + Stretch” class at the downtown Dayton yoga studio taught by owner Tori Reynolds. She opened the studio at 510 E. Third St. in 2016.

“We teach in a very strategic, thoughtful way to make sure people are taken care of well,” Reynolds said. “We teach in a functional way that gives our clients an opportunity to explore where their ranges of motion are,” Reynolds said. READ MORE ABOUT SPEAKEASY YOGA

Qigong at Dayton Arcade

Qigong (pronounced chee-guhng) is an ancient Chinese wellness practice that coordinates breath, body movements and meditative exercises. “Qi” means energy and “gong” means skillful work.

“We’re working with our energy to both strengthen it, circulate it, become more aware of it, with the intention of decreasing anxiety and stress and increasing our energy,” said Leslie Dworkin, who taught the class at The Contemporary Dayton at the Dayton Arcade over the summer.

Natalie said she learned some things about herself and left with a newfound calmness. READ MORE ABOUT QIGONG

Barre Bounce at Space Three

Barre Bounce is a full body workout designed to tone your body, increase circulation, balance and endurance. It’s a combination of yoga, Pilates, dance, strength and cardio with participants using a trampoline throughout the 45-minute class, said Lisa Gillies, studio manager and instructor of Barre Bounce at Space Three in Dayton.

The class is low impact, especially with the use of the trampoline. Each trampoline has a ballet barre attached to activate the lower body and core for stability. READ MORE ABOUT BARRE BOUNCE

CME Sweat Fitness

Natalie says first met Dayton native Courtney Ely, who owns CME Sweat Fitness, in October 2023 when Natalie was coaching a bungee fitness class. When she shared her background of cheerleading and dancing and talked about why she enjoys bungee fitness, Ely told her she teaches Xtreme Hip-Hop step classes. Ely said she started with Zumba classes at the YMCA and online high intensity workout challenges, before training with Derrick Williams, owner of DNSFit Studio at 4616 Salem Ave. in Trotwood. This is where her step classes are located.

Ely describes Xtreme Hip-Hop step classes as “step aerobics revamped.” It’s a full-body workout targeting your legs, upper body, arms and core. Sometimes she throws in burpees or jumping jacks. At the end of class, you are guaranteed to have burned a lot of calories. MORE ABOUT XTREME HIP-HP STEP CLASSES

TITLE Boxing

TITLE Boxing Club, located at 2120 E. Dorothy Lane in the Kettering Towne Center, is a business that’s been on her radar for the last four years, but she never worked up the courage to try it until this year, Natalie wrote in her article about her experience there. All classes start with a warm up because patrons can’t go in and just start punching a 100-pound heavy bag. Natalie’s warm up consisted of stretching, some high knees, butt kicks and shadowboxing.

“I took a Box 45 class, which means I had eight rounds of boxing with a 45-second active rest in between. Active rests include anything from squats to planks or pushups,” Natalie said. “There’s also a Box 60 class, which consists of 10 rounds with a 1-minute active rest in between. They also have a Box 75 class with 13 rounds of boxing.” READ MORE ON TITLE HERE

GoatCountry

GoatCountry owner Josh Keeton says they host goat yoga two times a week, but also offer a variety of other activities. It is located at The Greene in Beavercreek. Every other Friday they host “Kid Flix N Cuddle,” where children can watch a movie and cuddle with goats. They also have kid craft and cuddle classes with a local artist as well as adult painting classes.

The goats make people feel good and the therapy sneaks up on most people, Keeton said. READ MORE

>> Know of a workout, exercise class or wellness opportunity Natalie should check out? Email natalie.jones@coxinc.com.