East Grand Rapids, MI Health and Fitness

The instructors at 2 Intense Fitness understand that different bodies require different workouts. That’s why they frequently change up exercise routines in many of their all-ages fitness classes. Students can sculpt their cores in kickboxing sessions, pedal at varying resistance levels in spin classes, and work with stability balls, free weights, and power bands in cardio classes. Muscle and Movement classes are designed to tone each muscle group sequentially, whereas Zumba classes tone several at once. Outside of classes, the gym helps bodies stay ready to smash open stubborn pickle jars with free weights, weight-training equipment, and stationary bikes, and it keeps children busy with a supervised play area.

Under the guidance of cofounders and brothers Mikhail and Arkadiy Sarkisov, the skilled coaches at Grand Rapids Fencing Academy enlighten budding swordsmiths on the essential techniques of modern fencing. During informative classes for all experience levels, students learn the foot moves, blade work, and confetti-cutting skills of èpèe-, foil-, and saber-style fencing. Each session is designed to improve mind-body coordination and flexibility while providing aerobic exercise. A wall of full-length mirrors allows pupils to view and modify their techniques inside the sprawling hardwood studio.

Mikhail and Arkadiy Sarkisov sharpened their fencing skills on the former Soviet Union's national fencing team before earning medals in their home country's national championship. In 2004, the United States Olympic Committee named Mikhail the Developmental Coach of the Year in fencing. Both brothers hold master's degrees in fencing and have placed highly in numerous tournaments across multiple globes.

Slim and full of energy, Kathy Bartnick's present-day physique betrays no hint of her lifelong struggle with weight. Five years ago, she shed her excess pounds through exercise and proper nutrition, and today she works to teach others the same determination. She heads up a team of expert coaches, who lead students at all levels of fitness through energetic group workouts. They also give clients meal plans and nutritional tips, teaching them how to whip up a wholesome snack and differentiate between a healthy vegetable and a fire hydrant dressed in a carrot costume. In lively cycling classes, clients peddle away on advanced Star Trac bikes as upbeat music plays and a glimmering light show takes place before their eyes.

"When we teach—from babyhood—people to move well, they'll enjoy doing it, and they'll continue doing it." Such is the philosophy of Gymco president and co-founder Doreen Bolhuis, which she relayed to the New York Times in a 2010 video report. The importance of starting young kids on the road toward athleticism is something Bolhuis is passionate about, especially as a former elite-level gymnastics coach who's been teaching for more than 35 years. It's a concept she calls "physical literacy," and she's appeared on news outlets such as Today, CNN, and ABC News to discuss how young children's physical training and development is just as important as their mental growth. Along those lines, Bolhuis created the GymTrix line of DVDs to help parents develop babies' fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

And Bolhuis's enthusiasm for childhood fitness is apparent at Gymco, where her staff undergoes a four-step technical and philosophical certification protocol on sports development. She has transformed what began in 1980 as a few classes held in a barn behind a local retirement home into a 5-acre, 16,000-square-foot first location and a second, state-of-the-art facility on the north side of town.

When you walk into either site, you'll see kids scaling rock walls, doing back flips, and defying imaginary pirates as they walk the plank-like high beam, improving their physical skills in sports, gymnastics, and cheerleading classes. What aren't as obvious are the internal changes that begin to manifest, from improved self-confidence and perseverance to the gradual building of character. Fulfilling her start-them-early mission, Bolhuis also offers classes designed specifically for preschoolers and kindergartners.

The trainers at Gymnastiks Unlimited make use of every inch of their 20,000 square foot facility as they encourage students of all ages to balance, leap, and flip. Aside from honing physical skills and building up confidence reserves, they extend their educational efforts to encompass a wholly healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and proper diet, such as eating frogs’ legs to help boost vaulting skills. Students age 18-months and older can readily enroll in recreational classes, and the facility’s Talent Opportunity Program provides more rigorous training for those who show an aptitude and desire to compete on a national level.

After spending more than 25 years perfecting the balance between technical know-how and attentiveness to patients' needs, Michael Crete, DDS, was named the best dentist in 2012 by Grand Rapids Magazine. Dr. Crete shares his extensive knowledge and caring nature at Rivertown Dental Associates, alongside a talented and caring staff. Together, the team performs general and cosmetic treatments for every member of the family.

Visitors to the practice are immediately put at ease with warm blankets, pillows, and freshly brewed headphones. The office has also been designed with children's comfort in mind: they can spend time in a colorful play area and give mid-cleaning hugs to Oliver, the resident teddy-bear puppet with a winning smile. That same thoughtfulness extends beyond the office walls: Dr. Crete gives back to the community by supporting a local ballet company and a nonprofit group that helps people with disabilities.