Things to Do in Oakland

A HPA–charged Tippmann 98 marker in hand, paintballers in pursuit of their opponents' flag race among the wooden spools, barrels, and bunkers gracing the fields of Paintball Depot's wooded outdoor arena. As colors fly through the air, Helix goggles with antifogging helix lenses and face masks shield players' faces against the rainbow barrage. In addition to offering open play, Paintball Depot accommodates corporate team-building events, group outings, and airsoft games that often run on one field as paintball sessions commence on other courses.

Before opening Mindful Body, Maria Ortega-Murphy spent more than 20 years as a technical trainer in the software industry. Immersed in this intense, often stressful environment, she carved out a fortress of solitude in her decades-long love of yoga and began intensifying her studies of mind and body health. Convinced that she could help people improve their holistic health, she trained for her yoga teaching certification from the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy, an internationally recognized organization.

Along with a crack duo of yogis, each of whom holds a 200-hour certification, Maria guides group and private yoga classes through calming asanas inside a soothing, welcoming studio space. Building on traditional yoga, the trifecta of instructors helps students sweat out stress and toxins in hot yoga, rehab injured frames in restorative yoga, or build agility and strength in more strenuous Hatha, Pilates, and yoga sculpt sessions. Most of the classes, including guided meditation, aim to balance the mind and body as well as increase body awareness, which can improve posture, control over physical stress, and the ability to tell which mouth to feed during hectic dinner parties.

Regardless of the climate outside, students can count on tropical temperatures upon entering One Love Hot Yoga's spacious garage studio. Heated to approximately 95 degrees with 50% humidity, the studio surrounds practitioners with a balmy atmosphere that helps detoxify bodies and lengthen muscles as they move through a continuous series of poses and unhurried, deep breaths. While each class is taught in this Vinyasa tradition, the certified instructors often infuse their own unique experiences and specialties into their practice.

During her more than 15 years in the fitness industry, studio owner Andrea Powers has obtained certifications in yoga, spinning, personal training, and lifestyle coaching. Now with her own studio, Andrea, alongside husband and fellow instructor John, leads an experienced group of staff members who specialize in varied practices such as yoga therapy, Pilates, and Zumba. Steeped in the studio’s welcoming, judgment-free atmosphere, the staff strives to help patrons of all shapes and sizes to achieve their fitness goals.

Andrea’s yoga classes range from beginner-friendly sessions to vigorous Vinyasa flows that build strength and flexibility while banishing calories to sweat towels. With the aid of props and a ballet barre, Pilates classes tone firm tummies and lithe limbs. Zumba sessions enlist energetic Latin beats that are as confidence-inspiring and as easy-to-follow as a flowchart for making toast.

Since 1978, Champion Day Camp has sated kids’ hunger for summertime adventure. During day camps, children are divided into small groups organized by age and supervised by staff members who are responsible for three to five campers each. In this nurturing environment, kids can make friends and learn new skills as they enjoy a range of activities such as the Ropes Adventure program—which includes climbing walls, ziplines, and a 52-foot “Humongous Tower”—or computer-, yoga-, and photography-based activities. Champion also stages traditional camp activities, such as swimming, soccer, and speculating on the ingredients of bug juice.

At Ultimate Sports America, accomplished coaches help clients of all ages and skill levels reach their athletic potential. A commitment to safety, sportsmanship, and teamwork guides group activities, which range from soccer camps for kids and teens to fitness boot camps for adults. Staffers can arrange one-on-one training for nearly any of the sports, which also include baseball, softball, and lacrosse. Position-specific coaching helps footballers hone specific skills as they tackle the gridiron with gusto, and event-specific training inspires track-and-field athletes to run faster, jump higher, and ride a javelin farther than they ever thought possible. Filled with batting cages, turf fields, and an Apex pole-vaulting station, the 50,000-square-foot facility provides ample opportunities for swinging bats or sprinting toward end zones. The space can also host sport-specific clinics and birthday parties that pair hearty pizzas with dodge-ball games that aim to remove party hats by force.