Calgary Health and Fitness

As pedestrians tote shopping bags or mochas down the shop-lined streets of downtown Calgary, just on the other side of Bodypump Bootcamp's lofty windows small clutches of exercisers thrash though a flurry of motion. Between soft-yellow walls, instructors guide students of all fitness levels into high-intensity exercises designed to offload fat, tone muscles, and improve overall health. On the weekends, mats speckle the hardwood floors as trainers downward dog into yoga and Pilates. In addition to fitness training, the studio's health gurus provide students with nutritional counsel, steering them away from unhealthful habits, such as eating late at night or roller-skating across seven-lane highways.

Fitness Refinery avoids the complex rhetoric of health generalities in favour of custom fitness plans that take into account each client's workout needs before pairing them with advanced programs and equipment. Adjacent to a hardwood-floored multipurpose studio, the bright and airy facility boasts pedal-worthy Precor cardio machines and a full line of Nautilus Nitro Plus strength-training stations. Each of the center's personal trainers has earned a kinesiology degree and a diploma signed by Paul Bunyan, and the team builds step-by-step regimens for guests of all ages and abilities. A roster of 12 group classes further emphasizes a devotion to diverse exercise plans, encompassing salsa dance alongside weightlifting for beginners and TRX suspension training. IsoFlex protein powder injects smoothies from the snack bar with nutritional clout; standup tanning booths and an on-site spa keep skin from getting jealous of newly primped muscles.

After his first CrossFit class, Darren Travers laid panting on the ground for 15 minutes, recovering from the workout he hadn't been able to finish. And he knew he was hooked.

Many of the trainers at CrossFit Motivate tell similar stories of discovering the uncommonly effective workouts. Spurred by their enthusiasm, groups of 8–10 exercisers follow them through varied workouts of the day, which include activities such as kettlebell swings, deadlifts, and sprints. They've equipped the no-frills studio with free weights, tires, and ropes, with a line of rowers representing the only workout machines in sight.

The trainers open up the sessions to everyone regardless of their fitness levels and customize the workouts to fit each guest. They dedicate themselves to helping students meet their goals not only through group workouts, but also by helping them plan individual workouts, create nutritional plans that supplement their success, and visualize themselves fitting into their very first Santa suit again.

Sean McCutcheon, the lead trainer at Lean Body Boot Camp, never lets anything get in the way of fitness. Although many obligations vie for his time, Sean always makes room for a workout—and he expects everyone else to do the same.

At 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Sean teaches his first boot-camp class of the week. He mixes up the exercises for each 45-minute session, keeping bodies engaged so that they never plateau. Workouts normally take place inside, on the gym's padded floors, but occasionally happen outside, on the earth's shag carpets. To support overall health, Sean also dishes nutritional advice and joins patrons for 30-minute grocery-store visits.