By DANIEL KRIEGERSEPT. 25, 2014  AS a high school athlete who played on a few varsity teams, I appreciated cheerleaders but never quite saw myself stepping into their shoes. That is, until I saw myself in a mirror, holding a pair of black-and-red pompoms while in the arms-akimbo cheerleader stance.  I had signed up for the Cheerleader Fitness Workout at the Smart Workout gym in Midtown Manhattan. With seven women, their ages ranging from 20s to 50s, I followed the teacher, Sandra Partyka, as she took us through basic moves that left us sweaty and tired.  One was a V pattern — with arms thrust up in a high V position and then down to a low V — with legs lunging, shuffling, jogging, kicking or squatting. The routines moved briskly for 45 minutes to upbeat songs like the Isley Brothers’ “Shout” and Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself,” calling for arm-leg coordination and stamina, especially at double time, with one-pound weights in each hand.  Ms. Partyka, 30, a fitness trainer who was captain of a cheerleading squad in high school, said she planned the class to be “fun and doable for everybody,” meaning no handsprings, cartwheels or jumping. Even so, I found it a bit tough, as did Alyssa Maksym, a 26-year-old dancer living on the Upper West Side who said she was surprised by how challenging it turned out to be.  “I thought it would be just a few pompoms and fun stuff, but it was hard,” she said. “Cheerleaders have to work.” Smart Workout is temporarily closed, while a new location is sought. But I was curious to see how the approach might work in another class that draws inspiration from cheerleading, so on a recent evening, I dropped into PomFit at a dance studio in Midtown.  “We’re trying to capture the energy of cheer and dance teams,” said Yavonia Wise, 30, a lawyer and a cheerleading coach who created the workout.  Ms. Wise and her co-teacher, Shauna Skopek, a 26-year-old dancer and choreographer, led 10 women and me in an up-tempo warm-up that included conditioning exercises that worked the legs (jumping squats and lunges), the abs and the arms in rapid and rhythmic cheerlike motions to the music.  We took a “timeout,” or water break, and Ms. Wise then introduced the first routine of the evening, called Sideline, chosen from a dozen offerings in an ever-expanding repertoire. “Envision yourself on the sideline,” she said as she walked us through choreography that was heavy on cardio and shifting steps.  Next, we readied our (optional) pompoms as Ms. Wise put on Rihanna’s “Right Now.” Afterward everyone cheered, and we took another timeout in the steamy room. That was followed by the next piece, Showtime.  “It’s halftime on the court, field or stage — whatever your preferred performance venue,” Ms. Wise said, getting us into what she called the “spirit,” as Ms. Skopek demonstrated moves that were even more elaborate (and hard for me to keep up with). Surveying the scene from the back of the room as Jessie J’s “Wild” pumped, I noticed that everyone was pretty much locked in sync. We did it several more times from the top and finished with gentle stretching.  Kali Therrien, 24, a college student who lives in Harlem, has been attending regularly since the class started in April. She enjoys the music and the vibrancy of the group, she said.  “It’s something I look forward to every week,” she said, still sweaty. “I’m like: ‘Oh good! Today’s PomFit!’ So I know I’ll go home with a great workout.”  PomFit classes are held on Mondays at Pearl Studios, 500-519 Eighth Avenue, near 35th Street, facebook.com/FierceFitAthletics/info; $10 a class. Smart Workout is temporarily closed; smartworkout.net/danceaerobics/cheerleading.  A version of this article appears in print on September 26, 2014, on page C32 of the New York edition with the headline: Unleashing Their Inner Sis, Boom, Bah. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe
People who appreciate the spirit and rhythm of cheerleading routines can get some vigorous exercise by signing up for classes in Manhattan.