Photo Illustration by Robert Parker

Eating your weight in food is a winter holiday past time. However, you might want to do some “pre-spring cleaning” if you got a little carried away in the festivities.

Luckily, there’s a solution that will not only help your body physically, but also mentally. With winter comes dark, gloomy days that can send someone to depression. But by working out, lifting weights and staying in shape, you can help yourself out in more ways than one.

When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins throughout your body that put you in a good mood and keep you going. The longer you work out, the more endorphins are released, and the more pounds you shed.

Exercising can be as simple as running a few miles or jumping rope for an extended time period, but if the conditions are a bit too frosty for you, there are a few facilities in the area that can help.

SkyZone

Working out doesn’t usually come to mind when thinking about trampolines, but this massive indoor trampoline park provides an exercise routine specifically designed on trampolines.

The unique workout SkyRobics combines constant exercise and aerobics with low-impact and simple workouts. It focuses on maintaining a high heart-rate for a long time and building core muscles. It is easy enough for people of all ages to do and fun enough for everyone to want to do it.

And if you don’t want to sign up for classes, spending a couple hours during free jump will get your blood pumping and your heart bumping. A dodge-ball arena– made entirely out of trampolines, of course– is also open for competitors who can’t get enough from the giant trampoline park.

SkyZone is open everyday except Mondays. SkyRobics classes are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. There are moderate and intermediate level classes available for jumpers of all experiences. Classes are $8 per class and your first class is half price.

Crunch Gym

This gym just opened in November and is quickly becoming one of the most popular among students because of its open area and proximity to the school. Don’t worry about waiting for a piece of equipment, either, as it seems like the line of treadmills and elliptical machines never ends. It is one of the biggest in the area and provides two membership types for unique experiences.

The cheaper of the two is the Base membership. It includes access to all of the equipment and machines, introduction sessions with personal trainers, and access to the Class-ic training classes, all for under $10 a month.

The second type is the Peak membership for just under $20 a month. This includes all of the perks of the Base membership, plus unlimited tanning, nutrition info and more.

Crunch offers just under 50 class sessions between Monday and Saturday, all ranging between 30 and 60 minutes each.

California Family Fitness

This two-story, 50,000 square foot gym and fitness center has the largest number of amenities, including a rock climbing wall, two pools, basketball court, steam room, spa and more.

Cal-Fit has 10 classes that span throughout the entire day, seven days a week, including Aqua-fitness, cardio-athletic, cycling, yoga, and others.

This gym has the most perks by far, but also one of the highest price tags, with membership rates averaging around $100-110. But, if you have the money, it is the premium fitness experience and facility.

By ROBERT PARKER