Group Exercise Classes

During aerobic and cardio workouts you'll notice your body's responses quickly. You'll breathe faster and more deeply. Your heart will beat faster, which increases blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs. Your body will even release endorphins, natural painkillers that promote an increased sense of well-being. With several choices in aerobic and cardio classes, we are sure the right class is here for you.

• BollyX
  Discover this Bollywood-inspired dance fitness program that combines dynamic choreography with the hottest music from around the world. This 50-minute cardio workout cycles between higher- and lower intensity dance sequences to get you moving, sweating and motivated.
• Body Blast
  Find everything you need in this effective, total-body workout that blends low-and high-intensity cardio with resistance training.
• Cardio Hip Hop
  Groove to hip hop, house and soul beats while learning old and new school moves and jazz technique. From warm-up to cool-down, expect to jump, skip, spin and most importantly stretch to great music spanning the decades.
• Cardio R & B
  This high energy, low-impact dance class uses the beats of R & B, Funk and Soul to give you a cardio workout. Easy choreography and fun music are followed by an ab and stretch set. Appropriate for all levels.
• Happy Hour
  End your day with this energizing, aerobic workout packed with drills, squats, lounges, abdominal conditioning adn plenty of hive-fives to keep you motivated.
• Hi/Lo Combo
  Jump start your day with high-low intensity aerobic and body conditioning sequences to build endurance and strength to tone your entire body.
• Low-Impact Cardio Sculpt
  Enjoy a challenging combination of aerobics and sculpting/toning exercises with plenty of low-impact, low-intensity options. All exercises are explained and modifications are given to accommodate different fitness levels.
• Step Aerobics (Intro & Int./adv.)
  Step up your cardio routine with challenging choreography that leads you up, down and around a step platform to strengthen and tone your whole body. With both an intro and a more advanced class, we have the right pace for you.

The goal of a fitness boot camp is to provide a whole-body workout that builds strength and endurance. At the Y, our boot camp workouts attract many people because they offer a challenging and varied workout with extensive camaraderie among the participants.

• Boot Camp
  Join our fun, fit and friendly boot campers for an intense strength and conditioning workout. This class offers a diverse range of activities that take place at the Y and in our local Oakland community. Join our Boot Camp Group.

There is a reason that circuit and interval training is so popular right now, and there is a reason it has been on the Y schedule (though the names have changed) for so many years--they work! Find the right class, at the right level and let's get started!

• Circuit Training
  Get ready to work as you master 20 functional exercises with our Circuit Team. Circuit Training sessions are held in the second floor Wellness Center.

Get ready to hit the dance floor! Dancing is a whole-body workout that is good for your heart, makes you stronger and helps with balance and coordination. Your teacher will lead you through a series of choreographed steps, which may focus on footwork, but a series of leaps, turns, shimmies, and cha-chas will engage the entire body. With dance-inspired workouts ranging from belly dancing to hip-hop, you’ll never be bored!

• African Dance
  Learn traditional and contemporary dances in this high-energy class that celebrates the rhythms and cultures of the new African-Diaspora.
• Ballet
  Cultivate grace and strength in this introduction to classical and contemporary ballet technique. Explore basic barre work, floor and traveling exercises and choreography. Appropriate for new and experienced dancers.
• Cardio R & B
  This high energy, low-impact dance class uses the beats of R & B, Funk and Soul to give you a cardio workout. Easy choreography and fun music are followed by an ab and stretch set. Appropriate for all levels.
• BollyX
  Discover this Bollywood-inspired dance fitness program that combines dynamic choreography with the hottest music from around the world. This 50-minute cardio workout cycles between higher- and lower intensity dance sequences to get you moving, sweating and motivated.
• Hip Hop (Begin & Cardio)
  Groove to hip hop, house and soul beats while learning old and new school moves and jazz technique. From warm-up to cool-down, expect to jump, skip, spin and most importantly stretch to great music spanning the decades. With both beginning and  more advanced cardio classes available, you will be able to find your beat.
• Yoga Dance
  Channel your creative side as you flow through a series of joyful, free-style and yoga-based dance moves and improvisational exercises.
• Zumba
  Dance to an exhilarating Latin-inspired beat and join the millions of people who are moving towards health and well being.

With a focus on mind and body, Feldenkrais is a natural fit at the Downtown Oakland YMCA. This study uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve movement and reduce discomfort.  Increase your ease and range of motion, improve your flexibility and coordination. These improvement will have a ripple effect throughout all aspects of your life. 

• Feldenkrais
  Improve your sense of well-being with gentle exercises that focus on the connection between movement and thought. Learn to move with less effort and greater coordination to make activities of daily living easier, enhance athletic performance and reduce tension.

At the Downtown Oakland YMCA, attention is paid to those who need gentle, modified movement and exercise. Whatever your mobility, at the Y we have a group exercise class for you.

• Gentle Movement
  Make friends while engaging in chair-based exercises to help improve your range of motion, flexibility and functional movement.
• Feldenkrais 
  Improve your sense of well-being with gentle exercises that focus on the connection between movement and thought. Learn to move with less effort and greater coordination to make activities of daily living easier, enhance athletic performance and reduce tension.
• Tai Chi
  Tai Chi is the practice of slow movements, which enables a person to learn the art of balance in all conditions. This class covers a warm up and a gentle stretching, the 24-movement simplified form and basic Chi Gung exercises.
• Therapeutic Pilates
  Learn basic Pilates mat exercises to improve alignment and mobility of the spine and joints and build core and back strength. This class is designed to meet the needs of people new to Pilates or those recovering from injuries or with medical conditions.
• Therapeutic Yoga
  Treat yourself to this gentle but active class designed to meet the special needs of people new to yoga or those recovering from injuries or with medical conditions.

With indoor cycling classes, each one is a little different, and at the Downtown Oakland YMCA, our Y-Cycle courses will always be adaptable to your fitness level. Remember that there's no competition. Listen to your body and adjust the resistance on your bike accordingly and start your ride. If you're a first timer, let your instructor know, so s/he can make sure your bike is properly adjusted.  

• Y-Cycle
  Provides an intense workout done specifically on stationary bikes. Increases endurance and works the lower body. You'll simulate hills and flat ride, pedal at varying speeds and resistance, and participate in other drills for a complete cardiovascular workout. Call 510 763-1217 to reserve your bike today.

Pilates at Downtown Oakland YMCA will help you to achieve balance of mind and body with flowing exercises based on the work of Joseph Pilates. Strengthen your core, increase flexibility and improve your body alignment. With several options of Pilates scheduled regularly, we are confident the right class for you is available.

• Barrelates
  Fire up your core, build long, lean muscles and improve your posture in this barre-based workout that combines ballet, Pilates and functional movement training.
• Pilates
  Achieve balance of mind and body with mat exercises based on the work of Joseph Pilates. Strengthen and stabilize your core and back, develop coordination and improve posture all while sculpting long, efficient muscles.
• Roller Pilates
  Treat yourself to a challenging foam roller exercises that dissolve stress, release tension and cultivate coordination and core stability.
• Therapeutic Pilates
  Learn basic Pilates mat exercises to improve alignment and mobility of the spine and joints and build core and back strength. This class is designed to meet the needs of people new to Pilates or those recovering from injuries or with medical conditions.

Strength Training, also called weight training, resistance training or body sculpting, is a form of exercise which uses external weight or resistance or your own body weight to stress the muscles. Body sculpting can help you get in shape, tone the body and lose weight. Some of the benefits are an increase in lean muscle mass, increased strength and stronger bones and joints.

• Barrelates
  Fire up your core, build long, lean muscles and improve your posture in this barre-based workout that combines ballet, Pilates and functional movement training.
• Body Blast
  Find everything you need in this effective, total-body workout that blends low-and high-intensity cardio with resistance training.
• Body Sculpt
  Shape, tone and sculpt your body using a variety of equipment such as free weighs, body bars, resistance bands, medicine balls and kettle balls.
• Circuit Training
  Get ready to work as you master 20 functional exercises with our Circuit Team. Circuit Training sessions are held in the second floor Wellness Center.
• Low-Impact Cardio Sculpt
  Enjoy a challenging combination of aerobics and sculpting/toning exercises with plenty of low-impact, low-intensity options. All exercises are explained and modifications are given to accommodate different fitness levels.
• Willpower & Grace
  Explore a fusion of postures and drills, with this functional, full-body workout that blends Cardio-Sculpt, Pilates and Yoga with foot fitness exercises to strengthen your feet and enhance your balance. This unique workout is performed barefoot and provides new and interesting fitness challenges for students of all levels.

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese tradition of graceful exercise used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions. Often described as meditation in motion, Tai Chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing.  Note, there are many different styles within this practice, some may focus on health maintenance and others may focus on the martial arts aspect.

• Sword & Fan
  After learning the sequence of moves in Tai Chi Chi, students may work with the sword, fan and stick. These tools teach how to extend the chi from the hands to the weapon, and how to enjoy the flow of energy that comes from learning and synchronizing with others.
• Tai Chi
  Tai Chi is the practice of slow movements, which enables a person to learn the art of balance in all conditions. This class covers a warm up and a gentle stretching, the 24-movement simplified form and basic Chi Gung exercises.

Yoga at the Downtown Oakland YMCA is a great way to stretch, breathe, focus and feel better. Millions of people do yoga because they love what it does for the mind, body, and spirit.

An exercise discipline that dates back to ancient India, yoga involves moving the body through a series of positions and stretches, while focusing on breathing or specific thoughts. The practice delivers unique and vital benefits which include increased energy levels, lower blood pressure, improved memory, better balance and sense of calm.

Yoga means "Union." With classes available for all levels and experience, you will find your union of body, mind and spirit with a balance of breathing and relaxation.

• All Levels Yoga
  Individualize your practice as your learn a wide range of modifications to make poses more or less challenging depending on your needs. In this class, Beginner through advanced participants practice side by side.
• Beginning Yoga
  Build a strong foundation by learning proper breath techniques and alignment of the joints and spine in basic standing and seated postures.
• Intermediate Yoga
  Learn to further refine your technique while safety exploring more vigorous sequences, deeper breath work and challenging poses.
• Advanced Yoga
  Deepen your practice with more challenging breath work and poses, such as arm balances, deep hip openers, inversions and back bends. This class may not be appropriate for beginners.
• Therapeutic Yoga
  Treat yourself to this gentle but active class designed to meet the special needs of people new to yoga or those recovering from injuries or with medical conditions.
• Core Yoga
  Build core strength and increase your flexibility in a class that combines the best stability moves from Yoga, Pilates and Conditioning.

Downtown Oakland YMCA's zumba classes are a dynamic high energy aerobic workout with Latin moves and rhythms which allows you to burn calories and tone all areas of your body.

• Aqua Zumba
  Splash your way into shape with an invigorating low-impact aquatic exercise. Integrating the Zumba philosophy with traditional aquatic fitness disciplines, Aqua Zumba blends it all together into a workout that's cardio-conditioning, body-toning, and most of all, exhilarating beyond belief.
• Zumba
  Dance to an exhilarating Latin-inspired beat and join the millions of people who are moving towards health and wellbeing.