Fitness centers pitch meditation and mindfulness for stressed-out members

Crunch member Rashanna Fort prepares to move into the meditation portion of the class. Published Credit: Leah Latella/The Wall Street Journal

Gyms that promote exhausting workouts have a new pitch for members: not moving a muscle.

Fitness centers increasingly are offering classes that feature meditation. Organizers say they’re responding to the demands of stressed-out members seeking introspection and relaxation in a place they already frequent.

Antigravity Cocooning, a class launched in January at a Crunch Gym location in New York, puts members in sling-style hammocks that hang from the ceiling.

The class consists of about 20 minutes of stretches and brief abdominal exercises, followed by 15 minutes of guided relaxation, with participants stretched out in the hammocks, their arms crossed like mummies. Soft music and dimmed, colored lighting enhance the effect.

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“When I’m in the cocoon and I’m lying down like that, I’m here for me,” says Constantine Theodoratos, a Crunch member who usually lifts weights or does cardio at the gym but has taken a few of the antigravity classes. “I just feel calm.”