Johnston, IA Health and Fitness

Aspen Athletic Club amasses top-of-the-line equipment, seasoned trainers, and luxurious amenities within five gym spaces across Des Moines. A fleet of cardio and strength-training machinery from brands such as LifeFitness and Star Trac heavily populate the floors, allowing guests ample access to the equipment. In addition to a cardio theater, the Hickman gym boasts 12 onsite tennis courts and specialized studios for martial arts and women-only workouts. Visitors to the 14th Street location can sign up for aquatic classes or swim laps solo across the pool. Other amenities such as tanning, massage therapy, and gold-plated kettlebells vary from club to club.

Certified personal trainers plan out custom routines for clients, and highly qualified instructors lead Zumba steps, spinning seminars, and, at certain locations, fast-paced Les Mills classes. The professional staff also offer nutritional counseling at all locales.

Named for its holistic, whole-body philosophy, Full Circle Wellness is piloted by chiropractic doctors who use research-based methods and new technology to ease spinal tension and promote overall wellness. They begin sessions with examinations before carefully realigning the spine to prevent chronic pain, discomfort, or lurking. Their customized dietary and exercise plans help bolster treatment journeys, which begin in the bright reception area where mod-style, white hanging lamps suspend over a curved, white desk. Licensed massage therapist Karina assesses the condition of sore or tights bodies before using the latest techniques to knead muscles, reducing stress and increasing overall health and wellness.

Twelve shiny poles stretch 12 feet from the floor to the ceiling, though they’re not for structural support—at least not for the building. A skilled, all-female staff uses these poles to help students build internal structural support, particularly focusing strengthening their core muscles. Their classes run the gamut from flirtatious to no-nonsense physical rigor. They teach a dancing divas class that involves abundant cardio exercise and ChickBoxing that unites cardio work with traditional boxing, sans gloves or a trainer yelling incoherently about ducking, or ducks, or duck duck goose. Their website gives an idea of what aspects of fitness each class emphasizes, rating cardio, strength, and flexibility for each course on a 1–5 scale. The staff also makes six different types of memberships available, which run on 12-week schedules and feature various workouts from a list of more than 30 exercise regimens.

Mature trees dot the emerald expanse that makes up Willow Creek Golf Course’s 36-hole layout complex, which invites clubbers of all stripes with player-friendly fairways and greens. The long fairways at the 18-hole Red Course tunnel through imposing tree lines on their way to large, contoured greens, which demand solid hits from a driver, putter, and cheese wedge. The nine-hole White Course presents a relatively open layout, and the Blue Course plots a winding path past treacherous water hazards. Willow Creek’s driving range enables golfers to warm up for rounds, and an indoor golf simulator facilitates safe practice during inclement weather and picketing protests from unemployed caddies.