Curves Vs. Jazzercise

When you're searching for the best fitness program to help you reach your goals within the constraints of your schedule and your finances, options like 24-hour gyms, at-home DVDs, women-only fitness centers and group exercise classes can seem endless. Curves and Jazzercise are two very different workout options to improve your health.

  1. Club Environment

    • Curves is a fitness center franchise that caters to women only. Each Curves location has its own building with 12 exercise machines. Most of the fitness centers have changing rooms, music playing and a front-desk staff person to assist you. The fitness centers have daily hours and you can exercise at your convenience. Jazzercise is a group dance fitness class franchise. Each Jazzercise instructor selects her location, which may be inside a club, a church or a local hall. Sometimes instructors work together at designated Jazzercise facilities. You may not have access to lockers, changing rooms or showers when you take a Jazzercise class. The music and instructor are only available when the class is scheduled.

    Training Type

    • The Curves workout is based on the fitness principle of interval training. You alternate between 30 seconds on a strength-training machine and 30 seconds of an aerobic movement such as marching in place, jogging or lifting knees. A Jazzercise workout may be an interval type of class, depending on your instructor, but most classes are steady-state training. You begin with a warm-up and then keep your heart rate elevated for the duration of your workout. Jazzercise uses dance-based movements and current music.

    Instructor

    • Curves uses fast-paced music that is played in the background. A voice-over is included on the music track that tells you when it is time to switch from the strength-training machine to your aerobic exercise. In contrast, a live instructor leads participants through a Jazzercise workout. The instructor receives choreography from the Jazzercise franchise and then teaches it to you.

    Time and Format

    • The Curves workout is a 30-minute circuit, but many of the participants do the circuit twice for an hour-long session. Since you are strength training, you need a day of rest in between workout sessions. Jazzercise is a 60-minute class that emphasizes dance aerobics and often incorporates some strength training with free-weights, resistance tubes and balls. If your Jazzercise instructor teaches cardiovascular exercise only, you can do this type of class every day. If you participate in a class that uses free-weights or other types of resistance tools, allow for a day of rest before you strength train again.