Fusion classes ease boredom for gym members with new, fun ways to get fit

BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) -- Crunch group exercise instructor Elle Young thinks her "Hard Knocks" class will get people off the treadmill. Young's workout combines boxing with hip hop.

"We like to make workouts fun. That's what fitness should be. So you get a little bit of the boxing and a little bit of the swagger," she said.

The class offers a two-for-one boost in fitness. The boxing provides upper body strength, while the hip hop delivers a huge punch to the butt and legs.

"When you're tired at the end of the day, you want somebody that's through the roof to get you through it," said Jena Kimse of West Hollywood.

Instructor energy is important, but so is content, which is why "fusion," or combination workouts, are popular.

Piloxing combines Pilates with boxing. Cardio barre, or "Booty barre," use ballet moves to provide tons of tone and then kicks into a calorie-torching cardio session.

Surfing, yoga and strength training is what you'll get with "Surfset" classes. There are countless other interval workouts incorporating TRX, BOSU, ViPR and other tools to mix up strength while getting the fat to fly.

But education director for the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Fabio Comana, urges exercisers to question purpose behind action, and to know how you move to prevent injury.

"If you're not moving as efficiently as the body is suppose to, let's take a moment to kind of build that foundation. So let's slow things down, do it right and listen to your body," Comana said.