Anacortes, WA Health and Fitness

While hiking the craggy island shores of Kythera, Gloria and Scott Latham spotted something strange and wonderful: a bright yellow flower sprouting from the rocks. Known as a semperviva, this plant symbolizes abundant life, a symbol they'd sought for quite some time. When the couple returned to Vancouver and founded a yoga studio, the flower sprang to mind immediately. "The concrete structures of the city, the buildings, the sidewalks, and the roads were the equivalent of the craggy rocks of Kythera," Gloria says. "Our clients and friends are that bright yellow flower, the souls that are brilliant and thriving despite the hardships that life presents."

Today, Semperviva Yoga tempers the city's hustle and bustle with joy and peace. Inside its four local studios, friendships bloom among mats, blocks, and bolsters, which students may borrow for free. Here, seasoned instructors demonstrate yoga's power to cultivate flexibility and focus. Classical Hatha sessions offer plenty of cues to help students tailor the poses to their goals and limitations. Deep breaths and stretches fuel Vinyasa Power Flow routines, which build more strength and grace than a swan bench-pressing a ballerina. Several Semperviva studios feature boutiques, which foster healthy lifestyles with organic essential oils, biodynamic skincare products, and yoga-themed books.

Tantra Fitness's owner Tammy Morris, a professional pole dancer, helms a staff comprised of circus aerialists, choreographers, and fitness specialists to help women tone their bodies through alternative fitness regimens. Coaches lead an array of sensual fitness classes designed around their fun factor, value as body-weight-resistance exercises, and usefulness in mocking inflexible scarecrows. Topics include pole dancing, chair-based workouts, and dance routines ranging from ballet to hip hop as well as acro-stretch classes that challenge muscles to bend through exercises inspired by Chinese circus performers. Parties and private lessons bring small groups of students together to learn pole or lap-dance routines, or hone their professional jewel-theft techniques in a flexibility-enhancing exercise of their choice.

Rachel Wainwright had several friends pass away—victims of injury and sickness—in a short span of time. She needed to feel happy and alive, and this drive led her to dance, yoga, and Pilates. Diving into these practices helped her feel more at peace, and she felt like she’d stumbled onto a secret. Desiring to share this feeling and her passion with others, Wainwright opened Exhale Studio—so named to serve as a constant reminder to release and let go. She gathered a team of like-minded instructors and, through her classes, started helping others to let go while they built strength and balance.

In yoga sessions, clients gain flexibility and balance through a series of poses and breathing exercises. Yoga styles include hatha flow and a yoga-Pilates fusion. They also offer Pilates classes that work to align the spine and build core muscles such as Pilates mat and ballet Pilates. Meanwhile, dance lessons help burn calories and build self-esteem while learning dance hall, Zumba, belly dancing, hip-hop, and the correct spelling of the YMCA.

As golfers line up tricky, round-deciding rolls on the green of the signature 17th hole at Olympic View Golf Club, they might have to block out an unusual sound. Just behind the green, water crashes earthward for more than 60 feet over one of the course’s two waterfalls. The dramatic feature generates a roaring din as well as a beautiful backdrop for players as they near the end of their scenic golfing excursions.

Such tranquil scenes are common on the 6,600-yard course framed by the dense forest of south Vancouver Island and the looming profiles of Olympic Mountains peaks. But the calm can be deceptive, as the Bill Robinson–designed layout aims to challenge. Twelve lakes are interspersed throughout the site, and numerous bunkers intimidate golfers with their depth and walls etched with tally marks. This signature mix of beauty and difficulty earned the club a four-star rating from Golf Digest in 2008, as well as a ranking of 10th Best Public Golf Course in British Columbia by Score Golf in 2011.

The GBC Golf Academy at Olympic View Golf Club aims to prepare golfers mentally and physically for playing the most enjoyable golf of their lives. Located on 14 acres, the academy features nine large grass driving areas with target greens as far as 330 yards. In three short-game areas, players practice putts, pitches, and fake surprise at finding the ball in the cup. The amply appointed grounds complement a teaching philosophy that encourages development of a repeatable swing tailored to the individual’s physical capabilities.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,600 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 72.7 from the back tees
• Course slope of 133 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

Dr. Anita Narang of Island Eyecare uses a variety of advanced technologies to maintain the ocular health of her patients. Her practice's advanced equipment includes a visual field analyzer and retinal camera that catches signs of ocular disease and can detect whether a significant other has a wandering eye. In addition to performing routine eye exams, she and her staff can administer emergency services to those in need of urgent care. She is also able to perform exams in Punjabi for those not fluent in English.

As Dr. Narang helms the exam rooms, friendly, expertly trained staff members man the clinic’s showroom. The cheery crew is always available to answer questions about your contact lenses or help you select a flattering pair of frames and sunglasses from designer brands such as Versace and BCBG Max Azaria.

Go Fusion Fitness couples group workouts with spa services to build both healthy bodies and a communal environment for women. Owners Jenny Clough, Sue Inglis, and Cori Edh hasten heart rates within their clean, sunny studio with intense circuit-training regimens. During classes, each participant completes intervals on hydraulic weightlifting machines, undergoes intense bursts of cardio exercise, and elucidates a complex series of riddles. After their workouts, members can retire to infrared saunas to send toxins fleeing from pores, or enjoy other services such as massage therapy, reflexology sessions, and soothing, detoxifying ionic footbaths for tired feet. All staff members—from instructors to childcare-centre personnel—are women, providing a comfortable haven for ladies to break a sweat.