Let’s face it; Boulder is a mecca of sorts for those of us who love to be active. We’ve got amazing rock climbing within minutes, gorgeous trails all over the city and we’re only a couple hours away from epic skiing or snowboarding. Fromt he dudes to all the women in Boulder, everyone gets out — it’s kind of hard not to!

Women in Boulder have lot of options for activities. You can run, hike, bike, climb and yoga your way all over this town. But haven’t you ever wanted to try something a little different? Something that piques your interest not only as an athlete, but as a woman as well? Well, here are a few great ideas for activities and sports that are either designed for women or an empowering sport for women to learn.

Show off your dance moves. You really don’t have to save your sweet dance moves for “da club” anymore. Dance classes are a great way to get your heart pumping, increase coordination and learn something new all at once. For a variety of dance classes, try Alchemy of Movement. They’ve got classes for soul, funk, hip-hop, world and modern dance; whatever moves you.

Get a little naughty. Ladies, this one is just for you. Or is it?  Pole dancing isn’t exactly a new activity. It’s been going on behind the closed doors of seedy nightclubs for year. It’s only just recently that the health benefits of the actual act are being utilized in gym rooms around the country. All jokes about dollar bills aside, pole dancing is a spectacular way to tone your core and develop some killer muscles in both your arms and legs. To try some pole dancing classes in Boulder, head over to Boulder Spirals. And, yes, they do also teach lap dancing classes. You’re welcome, significant others.

Kick some ass. There are so many ways to beat the living snot out of people, however, there are few martial arts designed to give the “little guy” a leg up like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This style of martial arts is great for women, as it focuses strongly on core movements and using an opponent’s momentum against them, making it a tremendous form of self-defense. Also, speaking from experience, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu folks are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. There are two places to give BJJ a try in Boulder: 10th Planet Brazilian Jiu Jitsu andEaston Training Center, which also offers classes in Muay Thai and Kickboxing.

Get your feet wet. Just because we’re land locked does not mean you can’t learn to dive to the ocean depths. In fact, Colorado is a pretty popular place for scuba divers, making it a great place for you to learn. While this may not be the most intense workout you ever have, scuba diving can be a very relaxing activity that still keeps you moving. A great scuba center in Boulder, Ocean First Divers, also have wonderful conservation classes as well as couple’s night classes.

Go jump out of a plane. There is almost nothing in this world that will get your heart racing quite like skydiving. Luckily, there are several sky diving facilities located right in Boulder! Folks new to the sport will begin jumping in tandem with a professional, but if you find yourself hooked, you can always work yourself up to solo skydiving. Take the leap today at Mile Hi Skydiving.

Lift off with aerial. This sport is becoming more and more popular since you can pair an unbelievable workout with the ability to wear fun costumes. From trapeze to ropes and curtains, aerial is a full body workout like no other and results in a rock hard core and ripped arms and legs. It’s also beautiful to watch, so you have the opportunity to show off in front of your friends. Local company, Frequent Flyers, offers classes to folks ages six and up, so there’s really no excuse to give it a try.

Be hell on wheels. Did you know that Colorado is second only to Texas for the number of roller derby leagues in the state? It’s true. Colorado has a kick ass derby scene and several national equipment and retail companies have their roots right in Colorado, so finding gear and mentors is easy peasy. Boulder also has their owner roller derby league: the Boulder County Bombers, so women in Boulder can give this hard hitting, endurance sport a try.

Now, I’m not saying that men can’t participate in most of these sports (maybe leave the pole dancing alone), and many do participate. I just see an added benefit for our hard-core, fun-loving women in Boulder to give these particular alternatives to the norm a try.