Regina Health and Fitness

Since its 1965 founding in Venice Beach, California, Gold's Gym has dotted the globe with more than 600 locations where professional athletes and exercise newbies gather under the umbrella of personal strength. Nearly 3.5 million Gold's members chart and aim for their fitness peaks, perspiring beneath the gaze of certified personal trainers or pedaling beside peers at cycling sessions. In a diverse lineup of group classes, patrons strengthen cores with Pilates, finger-paint pictures of ninjas in martial arts, and amp up heart rates along to the pulsating soundtracks of Les Mills routines. Many Gold's Gym locations stockpile futuristic amenities, such as cardio machines with individual iPod docks and televisions that help keep patrons motivated.

In the mornings, Kathleen Whippler —YMCA of Regina’s senior director of funds development, marketing, and communications—greets a group of ladies on their way to an arthritis exercise class. They’ve told her how the class helps keep aches at bay for the rest of the day. In the afternoon, she sees parents drop their kids off at the Y’s special-needs program. They’ve told her that before the program, there was nowhere for their kids to go, let alone a place they were excited about. Experiences like these keep Whippler passionate about her work at YMCA of Regina. “You can see the difference you make—what I do affects the lives of other people.”

These programs reflect YMCA of Regina’s overarching mission to build healthy communities. As bustling community hubs, both locations tout dozens of programs and amenities, such as four-lane pools, cardio machines, free weights, and more than 65 weekly exercise classes. Furthermore, the centres strive to make fitness a key part of any lifestyle; personal trainers lead private sessions, fitness classes include yoga and Zumba, and the Northwest centre invites guests to scale a climbing wall.

Although physical fitness is a critical part of overall wellness, the Y’s services extend far beyond the workout room. The centres host an alternative suspension program that strives to transform school suspensions into positive, transformative experiences, and the Community Café provides youth with job training. Whippler says services like these help form tight-knit communities. “It’s just a place to belong,” she says.

Mind Body Harmonics founder Dami Egbeyemi emphasizes that while the company’s brain wave optimization does not “diagnose or treat medical problems,” it provides clients “with an outlet to relieve stress and relax.” Featured in O, the Oprah Magazine and People, this treatment places sensors on the client’s head to read activity in six different parts of the brain. A report points out areas of imbalance, and these off-kilter brain waves are used to generate a sound that clients listen to with headphones. The goal is that by mirroring the brain so it can see and hear itself, a state of harmony is achieved. These treatments are offset by the facilities other services and products such as Life Wave patches that simulate the benefits of acupuncture without the use of needles, and Kangen Water systems that improve the alkalinity of tap water.

Since its 1965 founding in Venice Beach, California, Gold's Gym has dotted the globe with more than 600 locations where professional athletes and exercise newbies gather under the umbrella of personal strength. Nearly 3.5 million Gold's members chart and aim for their fitness peaks, perspiring beneath the gaze of certified personal trainers or pedaling beside peers at cycling sessions. In a diverse lineup of group classes, patrons strengthen cores with Pilates, finger-paint pictures of ninjas in martial arts, and amp up heart rates along to the pulsating soundtracks of Les Mills routines. Many Gold's Gym locations stockpile futuristic amenities, such as cardio machines with individual iPod docks and televisions that help keep patrons motivated.

At Doc Optical, optician Wayne Ortman and manager Kim Dolgopol combine forces to keep their customers' peepers stylish and focused. An on-site laboratory prepares many prescription lenses on the same day they’re ordered, personalizing them with antireflection, scratch-resistant, or colourful candy coatings. Frames from such designers as Gucci, Vogue, and Ray-Ban finish off four-eyed looks.

At District Fitness Studio, a dedicated team of personal trainers, massage therapists, kinesiologists, and health professionals nurture clients toward their personal goals with a full stock of equipment and individual attention. The facility integrates comforting design elements such as Victorian wallpaper, plant arrangements, and leather seating in its fitness areas, eliminating the sterile and unwelcoming atmosphere often found in fitness studios. At the center of the health-and-wellness lounge, District Fitness Studio trainers lead groups through kettlebell training, TRX training, nutrition counselling, and fitness plans. The staff also guides individuals with personal training to address specific goals without having to worry about whether their fellow exercisers are actually undercover agents from rival fitness schools.