Cheerobix at Indigo Studio

Chicago 5/1/11Students exercise with pom pons during a Cheerobix class led by Matthew Hollis and Jena Ertel at Indigo Studio in Chicago.

Photo: Allison Williams

The class Cheerobix at Indigo Studio (213 W Institute Pl, suite 704, 312-612-9642)

The details You’ll be puffing, panting and feeling new respect for those peppy high-school pom-pom girls after 90 high-octane minutes combining cheerleading, aerobics and a coach who calls himself Mattrick Swayze. A certified personal trainer, who in 2007 founded a performance group called the Power of Cheer, Swayze (his real name is Matthew Hollis) recently teamed with Indigo instructor Jena Ertel (“the Jenarator”) to create this class of calorie-torching, sometimes blushworthy dance routines (read: You must be okay with pelvic thrusts). Set to songs from Lady Gaga to Missy Elliott, the moves are easy enough for a klutz to learn. Yet I stretched muscles (hamstrings, glutes and obliques) untouched by my usual treadmill workout. The arched-back pom-pom pass at the halfway point—straight out of a varsity-football halftime routine—is the hardest part, but your abs will thank you later.

When to take it First Sunday of every month at 1pm. $15.