Leg warmers, leotards and headbands are a thing of the past. Hand weights, stability balls and trendy tunes are what one will now find as they enter a Jazzercise studio. This is no longer your momma’s Jazzercise class and that message is loud and clear as clients push their bodies to reach their maximum heart rate and intensity during a one-hour high energy, action packed class.

“It’s never really left,” Stockton Jazzercise studio owner, Tami Stone shared of the fitness trend. “It kind of went into hiding for a while. It’s a head to toe workout in an hour. It’s whole body, cardio and weights.”

The resurgence of its popularity may be due to the format change, the affordability, the clientele or all of the above. One thing for certain, the results gain attention. Stone herself began as a client, turned instructor, turned business owner, when she was faced with a diagnosis of Osteopenia.

The owner shared that at the time of her diagnosis she was an avid runner, faced with a recurring hairline fracture injury.

“I loved running,” she said, “but I had to find something to keep my fitness level up that would be easier on my bones.”

Within no time, Stone loved Jazzercise just as much. In January 2016, she opened the Stockton location. The studio is open six days a week, offering multiple classes throughout the day for individuals of all ages and fitness levels.

“The stigma of the old school jazzercise will go away,” Stone said, as the studio continues to grow. “When we get them into class, they’re like 'this is such a great workout.'”

Client turned instructor April Nathan is one such person. Her journey began with the Lodi Jazzercise location five years ago, as a mother of two and a weight of over 200 pounds.

Nathan shared at the time, she was facing her 30th birthday and knew something had to change.

“I thought, I need to get this under control,” she recalled. “I wanted to be a good example for my kids.”

The studio offered childcare and was minus the intimidation factor Nathan felt when visiting a gym.

“I love music and I love to dance,” Nathan stated. “It (the weight) started just melting off. From August to March I lost 50 pounds. I changed my eating habits as well, but it started with just Jazzercise.”

Nathan became an instructor three years ago and continues to teach at both locations.

“Now it’s not about the weight,” she said of her visible transformation. “It’s a release I really enjoy.”

According to Stone, clients can burn up to 800 calories in a one hour class. For weight loss results, three to four classes a week are recommended. The intensity in which the client pushes the body contributes to results as well.

Passionate about what they do and the results it brings, both women shared that upon first joining Jazzercise they looked to an instructor as their motivation.

“I looked at this one instructor and thought, that’s what I want,” Stone recalled of her past instructor’s definition and physicality. “So I did everything she did with the same intensity. I pushed myself and you know what, it worked.”

“People don’t realize we have all types of formats,” Nathan said of the revitalized workout routines, noting kickboxing, intervals and high intensity movement.

“It’s become much more intense than it used to be,” Stone echoed.

Now looking back on their journey and what brought each of them to this ‘not your mother’s workout,’ both women shared they wouldn’t change a thing. Jazzercise and all it offers to them and the clients is their passion. Each spends time away from the studio perfecting workouts and routines to best serve their clients.

“You have to be committed,” Nathan said. “You have to make it work and if you do, you will see the results.”

“It really is an addicting program,” Stone shared, “once you give it a try, see what it does and have fun. People find a way to fit it into their lives.”

The Stockton Jazzercise studio is at 9017 Thornton Road, Stockton. For information on class times and other Jazzercise locations visit

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