If the holiday season is all about finding a balance between its joys and stresses, don't overlook your health in the equation. While the summertime makes it easy for evening jogs and bike commuting, when it is perpetually dark and wet it forces you inside, and this time of year there are likely rich foods and booze inside. Personally I despise going to a gym. I can run for miles outside lost in my own head, but put me on a treadmill and every minute is an eternity. So whenever I can afford to I sign up for classes. Bikram is a mainstay, but variety is good for your body and your boredom, so I think it's best to mix it up. Luckily fitness experts are on it this time of year with extra incentives to keep yourself on track and sample a variety of routines. I'll try to feature some of the more interesting deals along with the litany of champagne-soaked shopping to-dos, and hopefully achieve that balance. First up: Ecdysiast is extending a killer offer with a 25% discount on all class packages through the end of December, so an eight-week course that normally goes for $250 is whittled down to $188, and the one-time taster class is $15 as opposed to $20. If you've never tried the pole dancing thing, it will probably surprise you by being less hokey and more focused on the athleticism and grace it takes to accomplish this form of dance, which is much harder than it looks.
And that actually looks pretty hard.