With the snow comes the inability (or is it a lack of ambition?) to get outside for a good workout. Those folks who peel themselves out of bed for boot camp on the Common not withstanding, most of us would rather sweat in a toastier environment than the icebox that is Boston in mid-February. Enter the perfect alternative to an outdoor tennis match: private and semi-private squash lessons with racquet-wielding pro, Ben Howell, at the Sports Club/LA (4 Avery Street, Boston, 617.375.8200). Howell, a charming Brit with years of professional tournaments under his belt, teaches 45-minute one-on-one, semi-private, and group lessons ($40 to $68 per lesson) for all skill levels in the Sports Club’s gleaming digs. Squash is a full-body workout with results that rival the calories you could burn running hills outside. “It’s a good, physical, all-around upper- and lower-body workout,” says Howell. “You have to support your own body weight, push off, and learn hand-to-eye skill. Other than a physical sport, it’s a social sport; you interact with a lot of people.” Think of it as an exercise for your mind-body alignment, he says. “That’s the most challenging part of the game. There’s a lot of strategy, a lot of competition, so you have to think about where you’re hitting the ball, where your opponent is — you get a great mental workout as well.” To get your racquet in the game, contact Ben Howell at 617.375.8507.
