Fitness classes at local health clubs have come a long way from Step and Body Pump. Now you can choose from African Dance, Capoeira, Strip Tease, Karaoke Spin and "Hooping" (yes, as in "hula"). Sure, variety is the spice of life, and it's important to mix up your exercise routine to maximize results. But with so many options to choose from, how do you know whether a given class is helping you meet your fitness goals? If you swap a session on the treadmill for a class in swordplay, is it an even trade? Here's how to evaluate your gym's more offbeat offerings:

1) Who is teaching the class and what's the primary focus?

Dancers can deliver a butt-kicking workout, but dance-flavored classes like ballet and belly dancing sometimes emphasize art instead of exercise. If your teacher is a Fosse wannabe, you might sacrifice a good workout for a spot in a pretend production of Chicago. Are there frequent pauses in the class to go over steps and combos? Does the instructor stop people to review technique instead of focusing on safety or maximizing intensity? Does the choreography confuse you to the point where you can't keep up with the class? If so, you've left the gym for a class in the performing arts. Unless you're looking for a fun, low-intensity activity to augment your workouts, take a bow and leave.

2) Are you working in your training zone long enough?

Assuming you're not a complete newcomer to the fitness scene, a decent aerobics workout requires you to work between 65 and 90 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 minutes (toward the less intense end of the scale if you're a beginner, harder and longer if you're more conditioned). That means that if your class is 45 minutes and includes a warm-up, cooldown, abs portion and stretch, you'd darn well better be moving and grooving during the rest of it.