Mount Pearl, NL Health and Fitness

The Works’ staff of more than 280 trained professionals—most of whom are students or alumni of Memorial University of Newfoundland—keep St. John’s citizens of all ages in motion via a host of fitness, aquatic, and leisure programs.

At the Field House, bolstered by shining glass walls and gleaming courts that reverberate with the sounds of running feet, guests unleash their inner athletes with facilities that include an indoor track, an air-conditioned gym, and a spin studio. Lifeguards patrol The Aquarena’s watery expanses, ensuring that lanes remain free of cannonball-induced traffic jams. Swim instructors guide pupils through all levels of lessons in the pool, and public, family, and super swims elicit squeals of glee with a dangling Tarzan rope and an inflatable obstacle course.

Champions of bringing the community together through health-building activities, staffers host children’s and youth programs designed to channel youthful energy as well as a seniors' fitness program that fosters well-being in a welcoming social setting.

The Lotus Centre’s focus on yoga and meditation reflects founder Meranda Squires’ extensive study of holistic health in India. In 1983, Squires travelled to the birthplace of yoga and stayed for 17 years, immersing herself in the practice’s basic tenets. Now, she shares her wisdom during Soma and Hatha yoga classes, each with gentle flows that build strength, agility, and enough flexibility to pat yourself on the head after strapping yourself into a straitjacket. In addition to leading classes, teachers meet with students for one-on-one yoga-therapy sessions that focus on individual challenges, and administer Thai yoga massages that reduce muscle tension through guided stretching. The Lotus Centre also offers retreats that combine yoga with meditation to help participants find inner clarity and direction.

MAX Arts. Athletics. Wellness. is a kind of Athenian-style gymnasium that celebrates the intersection between physical and intellectual pursuits. The instructors teach arts courses in dance, music, and theatre and help to increase physical grace with jazz and ballet, train aspiring thespians through acting classes, or build musical acumen during one-on-one singing or instrument lessons.

On the other end of the spectrum, athletics programs include volleyball and basketball camps to hone sport-specific skills, such as spiking the ball or building new hoops out of peach baskets. Martial-arts instructors arm students with confidence and self-defence skills through youth karate classes, adult kenpo training, and women-only kick-boxing courses. Yogis and Pilates instructors also make use of the centre’s space to strengthen cores and limbs with stretches and asanas.

All classes take place within one of four top-of-the-line teaching centres, which house ample classrooms along with a fitness and conditioning centre. Inside, 66 feet of field turf stretch across the gym, providing better shock absorption as students work with kettlebells, battling ropes, sleds, and hurdles.

Bense Optical & Optometry's comprehensive, on-site examinations parse the eye with machinery found in few other offices in St. John's. From Essilor, the Visioffice system forms a 3-D map of the eye to help opticians craft accurate prescription lenses and form-fitting synthetic eyelids. In the showroom, shelves of frames await lenses, representing high-end brands such as Gucci, Fendi, and Kate Spade. Bense Optical offers same-day pickup for many orders.

The knowledgeable opticians at Cowan's Optical work hand-in-hand with men, women, and children to outfit eyes with face-flattering contact lenses or frames from brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Nat & Coco. Taking time to delve into each client's work, daily tasks, and hobbies, office associates help vision seekers navigate around walls lined with an extensive selection of frames to choose a professional look for the office or a fashion-forward look for preschool catwalks.