These days, the stress of midterms has many students eating their pain away with comfort food and pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. But, I implore you, students of the University of Alabama, step away from the refrigerator. Instead, melt your anxieties away with a challenging, yet enjoyable workout to prepare for Spring Break attire. Here are a few gyms that can give you the rock-hard abs and strength you want without the boredom of the average run on the treadmill or crunches on the mat. 

9Round

9Round is a kickboxing-themed gym whose workout stations were invented by a world champion kickboxer. The workouts last a total of 30 minutes and consist of nine stations that focus on working different parts of the body. Stations one and two build strength, stations three through eight improve power, coordination and speed, and station nine works the abs and core. Every three minutes, participants switch stations, so there is no time to become bored! Additionally, members can show up for a workout at any time. There is no necessary scheduling because something new begins every three minutes. 9Round has gyms in Northport and Tuscaloosa. For more information, you can visit their website at www.9round.com. 

Orange Theory

Orange Theory offers 60-minute group classes that consist of 12 different workout stations. The stations each aim to build endurance, strength or power. Throughout their time spent exercising, participants’ heart rates are monitored in order to make sure that everyone is exercising in the most effective heart rate “zone.” More information is available on their website at www.tuscaloosa.orangetheoryfitness.com. 

Daze

DAZE is a group class offered at the Student Recreation Center for free. The class utilizes fast-paced dancing to build cardio and create an atmosphere of excitement. The group is led by a coach who models the dances in front of the class in real time, so there’s no need to memorize choreography. People of all skill levels and experience are welcome to join. Also, in the warmer months, Aqua DAZE is offered in the Outdoor Pool Complex. It is essentially the same as the regular DAZE classes, but with an added twist of working out in the water. Classes for the Spring semester end on April 28. For more information and a complete schedule, you can visit the University Recreation website at www.urec.ua.edu. 

Pure Barre

Pure Barre is inspired by the challenging dance genre of ballet. According to their website, exercise enthusiasts can expect to use the ballet barre when performing the small, isometric movements that the workouts use to burn fat, sculpt muscles and craft long, lean physiques. The classes last about an hour. Pure Barre tries to create an inclusive, motivating environment and promises that those who attend their exercise classes will see results very shortly after joining. Participants reported seeing changes in their body shapes in as few as eight classes. More information can be found at www.purebarre.com. 

Indoor Cycling

Indoor cycling is another free group class offered at the Student Recreation Center. The class experiences different speeds and resistance levels while riding on a variation of simulated flat sprints and hill climbs. Not to mention, this class offers all the cardio perks of actual cycling with the added perk of air conditioning. More information is available on the University Recreation website at www.urec.sa.ua.edu.