Walking into a gym full of people skipping rope to a song by The Clash could be a surreal experience. The punk rockers are all playing tag and laughing. Don’t be fooled-the world hasn’t turned upside-down.

Punk Rope, a New York-based company started by personal trainer Tim Haft in 2004, started hosting classes in Chicago on Jan. 14. In each class, students go through an alternative “exercise” routine that combines jump rope, recess games and punk music-and they supply the rope.

“If you go to a gym and look at the classes that are offered, it’s often the same kind of stuff,” Haft said. “It didn’t really excite me very much. So I was looking for something a little different. I figured I’d create my own little spin.”

Haft said the perks of Punk Rope are incidental compared to the silliness of the different exercises.

“Instead of focusing on footing and being out of breath, you’re laughing and listening to good music,” Haft said.

“The exercises are pretty tough, but they’re presented in a way that you’re laughing so hard at the goofiness of it all,” said Ashwini Vaidya, who teaches the Chicago class. “It’s silly fun.”

Some of the goofier exercises include tag, walking the plank, jousting with aqua noodles and “bridge and tunnel,” which involves climbing over and sliding under a partner.

Clint Phillips, a personal trainer in Chicago, said he likes what he hears about Punk Rope.

“You don’t want people to be bored by their exercise routine,” Phillips said. “It may help some people stick to it for a long time. At our workouts, we do different exercises you won’t see anywhere else, so I’m a big believer in variety.”

The scene at a Punk Rope class isn’t like what goes on in other fitness classes.

“Where I teach, we get people in their teens through their early 50s, some fit, some not so fit, some into punk rock and some could care less about the music,” Haft said. “Some just want to have a good time.”

Vaidya teaches Punk Rope at the Discovery Center, 2940 N. Lincoln Ave., and strives to keep her classes community-based.

“We always go out drinking afterwards,” Vaidya said. “It’s like a family. Everyone came to my wedding. One of my punk ropers married us, too.”

Unlike nearly every fitness class, Punk Rope also has theme nights. The themes are chosen in line with upcoming events and holidays, such as Oscar night, the Super Bowl and St. Patrick’s Day. Vaidya decided to have a Barack Obama-specific theme night on Inauguration Day.

“I’m preparing for my class tomorrow, and since it’s the inauguration, it’ll probably be a USA-themed class,” she said.

To accompany the theme nights, Vaidya looks to the endless catalog of punk covers.

“You can find all kinds of punk covers of songs,” Vaidya said. “There are Chinese punk artists, there are Australian punk artists and Irish punk artists. You name it, they’ve got it in punk.”

Although the music is essential to the company’s principles, Haft said the “punk” in Punk Rope is only partly there because of the music’s genre.

“A part of the name just came from that whole philosophy,” Haft said. “It’s part of not being in the mainstream and that do-it-yourself ethic and not caving into corporate interests. I think that part is essential in the Punk Rope classes.”

Today, the company hosts 30 classes in 14 states and are preparing to release their first workout DVD. It took some pretty anticlimactic circumstances to get Haft to start this growing business.

“I was bored,” he said. “I really needed something new to hold my attention. I had been fairly athletic most of my life, but I ran into some unfortunate injuries and was really looking for something different to do at the gym.”

In addition to hosting classes across the country, Haft said the company has been involved with community service and working in economically disadvantaged communities. According to the website, Punk Rope has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Eat Right Now, Camp Dream Street and others.

Although Punk Rope is offering six-week classes at The Discovery Center, they’re looking for more locations in Chicago. Haft and Vaidya both expressed interest in hosting classes in gyms, public schools and even at Columbia.

To sign up for classes, visit The Discover Center’s website (DiscoveryCenter.cc) and search for “Punk Rope” under “Exercise” classes. Classes are Wednesday nights until Feb. 18, but more classes begin on Feb. 25.