The Coolest New Exercise Trend

Recess at the gym, anyone?

It may not have seemed like exercise when you were five, but swinging from the monkey bars is actually a hardcore workout. Charlotte gym enthusiasts are giving it a try via the newest fitness craze: adult jungle gyms. Complete with climbing ropes, pull-up bars, and, of course, the monkey bars, the spaces at Myers Park’s Metro Fitness Club and Ballantyne’s Urban Active are about ten feet tall and ten feet wide. Up to a dozen people can work out on them at a time. “It’s a fun piece of equipment that offers the perfect combination of strength and cardiovascular training for anyone who wants to lose weight, get stronger, or be more fit,” says Thea Winick-Turnbull, general manager of Metro Fitness Club. “The jungle gym means the days of choosing between cardio and strength workouts are over.”