Health conscious people often look for ways to stay fit, but the same old boring routine can actually keep you from the gym. Good thing, more people are discovering that there are fitness classes like TRX or HIIT. What some people have not discovered though is pole dancing. It's another way to stay fit, especially for women who want to develop their upper body strength. 

Take it from Flynn Cross, owner of the new Soul Aerial and Performing Arts Center in Richmond. She grew up dancing and performing. Despite her remarkable level of fitness, she was still unable to do a simple pull-up for her fitnes test in school. 

"I just used to hang there," she said, laughing.

Recently, she took an interest in pole-dancing classes. She recalls that "within about five months, I was able to do a pull-up for the first time in my life." Cross was feeling optimistic about the demand for a fitness center that specializes in nontraditional ways to stay fit. 

She opened her center last August. They offer pole dancing, circus arts, aerial hammock and lyra, hoop dance, jazz and more. She wants her fitness center to be known as a fun gym. She said that it can be a place for fitness but at the same time it would be a fun place to go to. There are a variety of kids classes for children as young as 8 months old until adults.

Her mission is to have a place where many people can learn a lot of things in one spot. Having two children of her own, she hopes mothers and children can take classes at the same time. Another reason is that it could be a place to have exposure to performing arts. Her interest in that is clear.

Cross is a trained dancer, choreographer, actress and pianist. She has performed locally in the country and abroad as well. She is also a dance teacher at Virginia Commonwealth University.