I'm all about trying new things when it comes to getting in shape -- I think it's a combination of fighting boredom, and secretly hoping that whatever outrageous "too good to be true" claims they're making will actually happen for me. Today many gyms are offering all kinds of fun sounding "novelty" fitness classes where you can do things like hula hoop or striptease your way to a better body, and most of them sound like a lot of fun.

But how can you tell if that flashy class can really help you, or if it's just a gimmick the gym came up with to make money? iVillage.com came up with these 4 tips on how to tell if you're getting any real benefit, which include things like taking an honest look at how hard you're working physically and for how long. If you're really serious about working out then a fun class is a great way to do it -- but you have to be honest with yourself and choose one that's worth something.