Alaska's increasing fitness options: new ideas and new facilities available statewide.

• Author: Anderson, Tasha
• Position: SMALL BUSINESS

According to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition data (which operates under the US Department of Health & Human Services), more than 80 percent of adults do not currently meet recommended guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Less than 5 percent of adults participate in 30 minutes of activity every day and only one in three adults meet weekly physical activity guidelines.

In better news, Alaska is one of three states (the other two are Vermont and Hawaii) in which adults are most likely to report exercising three or more days a week for at least 30 minutes; in Alaska about 60 percent of adults report this level of activity, according to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.

Alaska is bursting at the seams with opportunities for outdoor recreation, and the options for indoor exercise and activities are steadily increasing. With this incredible range of options, Alaskans of every fitness level can find multiple activities suited to their personal preferences.

Our Many Fitness Options

Orangetheory Fitness, a personal training, interval fitness franchise, opened its first branch in Alaska in March of this year. According to the company, "Orangetheory Fitness is a 60-minute workout broken into intervals of cardiovascular and strength training... The physiology behind the Orangetheory Fitness workout involves heart rate monitored training designed to keep the heart rate in a target zone that stimulates metabolism and increases energy."

Planet Fitness opened its first branch in Alaska in 2007 in Anchorage and has since expanded greatly. The fitness center offers a variety of equipment, but much of their focus is on ensuring a productive, welcoming exercise and fitness culture. "Everyone should feel at ease in our gyms, no matter what his or her workout goals are. And everyone should have access to lots of nice new equipment and feel comfortable asking for help," the company says.

Another growing trend in the state is trampoline parks. Alaska has seen the introduction of trampoline parks in the last few years that include Get Air and Shockwave, both of which are national franchises. In addition to trampolines, both parks sport dodgeball, foam pits, and ninja courses. Get Air also features a slack line and slam ball, and Shockwave has a climbing wall and 3D laser maze.

Three other locations in Alaska host ninja training equipment (as made popular by the show American Ninja Warrior), including scaling walls, cargo nets, salmon ladders, ropes, rings, tires, warped walls, spider climbs, and more. Ninja training courses can be found at Crossfit Alaska & Revolution Sports Training in Anchorage, Kronos Titan Ninja Training in Sitka, and Pacific Rim Athletics in Eagle River. In addition, there are numerous yoga...