Patch Picks: Get in Shape Your Way This Weekend

Last week’s helped you relax and pamper yourself after a tough winter. And this week, we’re focusing on your health and fitness again - but you’ll have to work a bit harder.

There are any number of ways to get fit in the area, from the demanding to the tranquil - and where better to start than at the still-new big kid on the block, Planet Fitness at Edgewood Town Center? The welcoming gym advertises itself as a gym for everyone, scoffing at so-called “lunks” (check the walls for a definition) that you may have seen throwing weights around at other spots.

Here, you’ll find everything from young athletes testing themselves on the 30-minute cross training course to friends and neighbors of all ages keeping in shape on one of the many treadmills, elliptical machines, or stationary bikes. They’ll dish out some free food every now and then to remind you that you can still enjoy a snack and stay in shape, and “PE at PF” gym classes will introduce newbies to Planet Fitness’s offerings.

Membership is required, but it’s nothing that’ll break the bank - $20 down and $10 a month (which can be set up for an automated payment from your bank.) They’re also great for those with tight schedules - Planet Fitness is open 24 hours a day from Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. ‘til 7 p.m. on weekends.

Feel like getting stronger while getting a much-needed dose of serenity on Saturday mornings? There are two spots for morning yoga classes on South Braddock Avenue worth checking out. Beginning and intermediate classes are available at , with Beginners stretching it out at 9 a.m. and more advanced practioners taking a turn at 10:30 a.m. Newer visitors will learn the basics - breathing, stretching, posture, relaxation, the works - in the early class, a great pick if you’ve never tried organized yoga before.

If you want to drop in, it’s $12 per class, but multi-class packs that take the price down are available. The Edgewood Town Center Office of Allegheny Chesapeake Physical Therapy, meanwhile, offers a duo of higher-energy classes. These include Just Move Yoga at 9 a.m., featuring individualized training for beginners, and Power Vinyasa Yoga at 10 a.m., bringing a dose of cardio into the proceedings. Six class passes for either are $60, and a 12-pack is $100.

If you’d rather dance your way to better health, drop by Shaolin Karate Studios on South Braddock Avenue Sunday night for a one-hour class. They’re quick to point out that this isn’t a workout - this is a “Fitness Party,” as they put it on their Patch profile. Zumba at Shaolin Studios, presented by Steel City Zumba, kicks off at 7 p.m. Sunday nights.