Fitness Challenge: Pura Vida Urban Fitness

Pura Vida Urban Fitness, a storefront gym in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, has a large variety of classes, from boot camp to Zumba. The hour long boot camp I took on a recent evening had just 3 participants, so we all got plenty of personal attention. Our young trainer made sure we ran with weights straight overhead, pushed ourselves on sprints and kept our butts low on squats. The class had a few innovative exercise, like combining balancing on one leg with a row, and squat jacks, where you squat to the floor and explode into a jumping jack. My heart rate was elevated throughout the class and we were all pushed to the limit. TRX Training here includes cardio intervals or jumping rope, both of which will also keep your heart pumping.