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"Running, yoga, a little bit of strength-training: You're probably well aware of the most popular ways to get your workout on. But lately, there's been a whole lot of talk about fitness fads with cult-like followings. These brand-name ercise classes\u2014like SoulCycle and CrossFit\u2014have legions of hardcore disciples who live and breathe them.\n\n\"CrossFit is like my therapy,\" says 19-year-old Rachel, a devotee of the conditioning program that mis weightlifting, gymnastics, sprinting, and other high-intensity activities. \"When I'm at the box\"\u2014what CrossFit calls its gyms\u2014\"I take the stress from homework and applying to internships and friends and guys and parents, and I channel it all into the WOD\"\u2014workout of the day\u2014\"and feel the weight lifted from me.\"\n\nHigh school senior Blake has found similar relief from daily stresses in SoulCycle, the indoor cycling chain that counts celebs like Lena Dunham and New Girl's Max Greenfield (who happens to be a former spinning instructor) as major fans. Other workout classes made her feel self-conscious, so two years ago Blake signed up for SoulTeen, a class for 12- to 18-year-olds that teaches the fundamentals of SoulCycle. The environment of the studio is what drew her in: \"A Soul class is really dark\u2014there are literally only candles\u2014and they play really loud music, so not only does all the outside noise go away, but so do all the nasty voices in my head that doubt and criticize. I can just ride. For 45 minutes, I'm sweaty and disgusting and totally free.\"\n\nAnd it's true: SoulCycle's appeal is largely due to the high-energy workout and the club-like atmosphere, but many are drawn to the brand's promise of a spiritual spinning experience. During classes, instructors offer yogic affirmations in hopes that riders will \"empower themselves with strength that lasts beyond the studio walls,\" according to the website. This approach to mind-body fitness has proved wildly popular with SoulCycle junkies. \"I always feel really balanced after a class,\" explains Kiernan, a high school senior from New York. \"It's like meditation in that it's all about being in the present, not worrying about anything else other than the now\u2014and that's what Soul is.\"\n\nThe union of fitness and spirituality is hardly a new phenomenon. Back in the '80s, the long-practiced eastern traditions of yoga were embraced by the ercise community of the western world, and its popularity has been growing ever since. A couple of years ago, Lululemon even organized a \"Gospel of Sweat\" movement to celebrate ercise as a type of spiritual practice\u2014they call it \"praying through your pores.\"\n\nWhile not all of these trendy workouts with fanatical followings appeal to people through spiritual means, they do still encourage adherents to make serious commitments beyond the gym walls. Take CrossFit: With its hyper-specific jargon and preferred lifestyle plans, it advocates a clear way of being without the philosophical dimension of many other programs. After joining a year ago, college sophomore Shannon adopted a Paleo diet (recommended by other CrossFitters) and began taking 6 a.m. classes. \"Everything about how I live has changed,\" she says. \"I've changed what I eat, when I sleep, when I do work, how I see myself. CrossFit has completely remolded my life.\"\n\nDallas native Kristi has also found that CrossFit changed her daily routine. Instructors and participants alike take a \"no excuses\" stance on ercise, making time before and after school and work to prioritize classes. Though Kristi travels from box to box, she has found support systems at each new gym: \"Everyone holds each other accountable, and ultimately you learn to hold yourself to the same standard. College didn't teach me that, but CrossFit did.\"\n\nBut the strong community aspect of these classes can also be a pressure cooker for some girls who participate. Lindsey, a 19-year-old from Georgia, started going to Flywheel\u2014a spinning chain and SoulCycle rival\u2014as a college freshman to bond with her new sorority sisters. What was initially a fun way to stay active quickly became a trigger point for body image issues. One unique feature of Flywheel are the mounted screens in each studio that document spinning stats, allowing riders to compete against one another. For Lindsay and her friends, the competition aspect of the workouts began to manifest itself outside class. \"We were body-focused 24/7,\" she says. \"We were dieting together and working out every day. It became this challenge to see who could ride the fastest, who could burn the most calories, who could lose the most weight.\"\n\nThere are indeed unhealthy extremes to watch out for, but even those who wholeheartedly embrace intense ercise regimens acknowledge the need for perspective. \"I definitely used to see fitness as a recreational activity. Now that I'm surrounded by it every day, I absolutely see it as a lifestyle,\" says Kristi of her CrossFit routine. \"But, as with anything, balance is key.\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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