Arlington, MA Health and Fitness

The sledgehammer slams the earth with a resounding thud before being discarded for a game of toss-back with a medicine ball. Such training methods are but a small slice of the workout routine possibilities at Black Label CrossFit. CrossFit—an innovative strengthening and conditioning program¬ that veers away from using traditional muscle-training apparatuses—has even gained popularity among the training programs of police academies, military special-operations units, and high-profile federal agents who yearn to get better at hopscotch.

On any given day, the training team provides students with new routines based on a combination of Olympic sports, gymnastics activities, and metabolic conditioning that may include moves such as sprinting with barbells, pull-ups, or inverted rowing. By changing things up all the time, trainers hope to inspire participants to remain engaged and feel challenged to always bring their best effort to improving their health and wellness. Each session is also timed and scored, encouraging students to keep aiming higher.

Elaine Sullivan is a health fanatic. As the lead instructor at the Salter School's massage-therapy-training program as well as a personal trainer, physical-therapist assistant, and nutritionist, she believes in pursuing wellness from all directions. Elaine employs her past experience in the medical-massage and chiropractic fields to her current massage-therapy services, treating everything from common stress to chronic pain to sports injuries. Her custom massages include Swedish, deep-tissue, sports, and reflexology modalities, and she can be scheduled to perform chair massage for any type of event, party, or mutiny-planning luncheon.

As a personal trainer, Elaine holds private, semiprivate, and small-group sessions to help others get into and stay in shape. Her dedication to athleticism extends beyond her career—she has competed in two professional bodybuilding competitions and enjoys skiing, golfing, and building human pyramids with her three children.

Whether training one-on-one or leading small-group classes, the trainers at Vitality Personal Fitness Inc. give everyone individualized attention. A cap of eight students per class ensures close supervision as participants swing kettlebells, lift weights, and pull against TRX resistance bands during functional-training exercises. The practicality of these movements effectively enhances not only strength but also agility and balance—skills valued in numerous sports and physical activities.

The trainers’ commitment to wellness expands beyond their clients to encompass the entire planet. Whenever possible, they ride their bikes to the eco-friendly building where they recycle, compost, and use a water-filtration system instead of plastic bottles or coal-powered drinking fountains. To encourage their clients to go green, they offer a $20 gift certificate to members who walk to the studio 10 times.

Majestic Yoga Studio's seasoned instructors pilot an extensive roster of 75-minute classes. During Hatha-yoga courses, participants of all skill levels can practice breath control while moving through a series of postures that were developed centuries ago to help individuals to refresh their bodies after watching too much TV. Vinyasa, or "slow flow," classes enlist gentle, smooth movements and asana sequences to elevate pupils' self-awareness and, like balancing a Fabergé egg atop one's head, Anusara-inspired sessions bolster proper body alignment. Students with injuries or limitations can opt for gentle yoga, designed with basic mobility and range of motion exercises.