Portland Gyms and Fitness

Studio Adrienne builds powerhouses for a living. Powerhouse is a Pilates term for the body's core muscles—the upper and lower abs, the lower back, and the butt. Studio Adrienne instructors work clients' corporeal powerhouses during private, semiprivate, and group sessions at the studio. No matter the size of the class, instructors draw on their extensive training to deliver a mix of mat workouts and reformer sessions conducted on Gratz machines, all of which can improve posture, build lean muscle, and help rehabilitate injuries.

For students of The Studio, flying is not only possible—it's therapeutic. Instructors in beginners’ acro-yoga classes lead guests through the basics of gravity-defying poses and partner work, helping them balance upside down and infuse their yoga practice with trust and playfulness. During these and all classes at The Studio, the emphasis is on acceptance. The staff maintains a judgment-free atmosphere, where burgeoning yogis can feel comfortable attempting new postures without making everyone nearby crawl headfirst into a sleeping bag. The two classrooms—one heated for intense Vinyasa sequences and one kept at a standard temperature—are as calming and open as the minds within them, bordered by walls of large, panoramic windows. Under the supervision of certified teachers, most of whom have undergone hundreds of hours of yoga training, pupils hone their sense of body and breath awareness.

This welcoming ambiance helped The Studio earn the 2012 award for Best Yoga Classes in the Reno News & Review. However, the center is not solely focused on classes and views them instead as one component of a total-wellness regimen. Backing up the sessions, massage therapists untangle muscular knots in two private rooms with Thai stretching techniques or other classic modalities. In the lounge, plush floor cushions support patrons as they sip complimentary tea and peel clementines. Owner Rachelle often stands behind the raw-food and juice bar, prepping wholesome meals for lunch and keeping fruit from getting too full of itself.

Monkey bars, tires, and rings take the place of modern gym equipment inside the stripped-down garage-like facility, where patrons of all shapes and sizes power through the gym's total-body strength and conditioning regimen. The Crossfit technique combines functional movements with spurts of intense exercise to improve agility, balance, coordination, and muscle strength. Each coach's inclusive approach to physical fitness can be tailored to suit each individual's ability level to cater both to serious athletes looking to improve their sports performance and grandparents who need to bolster kid-squeezing biceps.

Whether they're dangling from a tree, a club's ceiling, or pull-up bars inside the studio, A-WOL's cohort of dancers dazzles with a unique combination of dance and aerial fitness. Classes range from aerial yoga to trapeze, helping participants fly through the air like projectile cream pies. Instructors ensure that each participant soars safely by building a strong foundation before testing out skills and tricks.

I & G Golf Range gives golfers ample space to address holes in their golf game and develop consistent, dependable swings at a driving range with flagstick targets marked with distances. Visitors collect their allotment of range balls and tee them up on one of the covered mat stalls or, when weather permits, on one of the grass tee stations. Sending golf balls into lower orbit or toward flagsticks scattered at various distances about the range helps players master distance control and understand why ships fly flags to hinder the aim of nervous cannoneers.

Tall nets surround Sunset Golf Center’s driving range, their forgiving springiness easing wayward balls back toward the range's lush green. Here, golfers launch balls from the center’s 50 practice stalls, more than half of which are sheltered from the elements. Artificial-grass mats carpet each stall with blades soft enough to mimic real fairways but short enough to avoid attracting artificial cows, and across the grounds, a stone Statue of Liberty oversees play atop the 18-hole miniature-golf course. From his post at the center, golf instructor Sandy Sutherland helps both juniors and adults to hone their links prowess.