Valley Falls, RI Health and Fitness

Who said golf was a rich man's game? We didn't. It was a filthy, lying cyber-bully.

A family-friendly atmosphere at the Airport Golf Fun Center lets guests of any age unwind with games of mini-golf or hone their skills with long shots on the driving range. Putt past obstacles, undulating turf, and ball-swiping seagulls on the 18-hole mini-golf course. Beautifully landscaped, the course winds past a plethora of ponds, water falls, and baffling water rises. Golfers can also refine regular-sized skills on a short game practice area outfitted with a putting green, sand trap, and purse-lipped fans. The 45-stall range lets clubsmen unsheathe drivers for full-fledged shots from tee-boxes dressed with real grass or artificial turf.

Method stocks its spacious facilities with high-quality equipment and attentive trainers. In the full fitness consultation, clients enumerate their exercise goals, such as finally outrunning fifth-grade bullies. In the one-hour personal-training sessions (a $70 value each), Method's friendly and professional workout wisemen will design a fitness routine to suit your lifestyle and help you identify and reach your goals.

Mat Pilates classes mix timeless movements with the enigmatic vortex of fitness known only as the Magic Circle to keep Pilates pros on their toes in the 3,000 square foot space. Beginner classes are available for those who still experience enthusiastic, open-mouthed awe at the simplest of Pilates maneuvers. Check the schedule for class times; all classes are drop-in, so there's no need to register ahead of time. After 10 classes, your body will be as finely tuned as a fresh-out-of-the-factory What About Bob? pinball machine.

Feeding off the positive energy of other boot campers and experienced instructors, fist-pumping participants power through each 45-minute session's suite of intense cardio, kettlebell, and resistance training. The workouts—held at Second Beach in Middleton and Brown Street Park in East Providence—can burn fat, increase flexibility and strength, and build confidence to flex during mug shots. During the course of the four-week session, participants can expect to run, walk, work out with partners, and complete targeted drills. Middleton classes take place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m., and Providence classes fortify fitness on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

In 1990, Christina Rondeau fell in love. With martial arts, that is. After earning her black belt and competing in amateur karate and martial arts tournaments all over the United States and Europe, Rondeau decided to go pro. She travelled the globe as a member and coach on the USA WAKO kickboxing team, and went on to win the women's lightweight title. Rondeau continued to feed her athletic hunger with a switch to pro boxing and appeared in numerous print media and television shows, including The Maury Povich Show.

Having achieved fame and glory, Rondeau took on a new fight: she wanted to help women and children defend themselves while gaining indomitable confidence. She has authored books, created instructional DVDs, and opened Rondeau’s Kickboxing. The women-only, 24/7 gym garnered Rhode Island Monthly’s readers’ pick for Best Fitness Center in 2010, due in no small part to its empowering blend of fitness and martial-arts-based classes. Rondeau also promotes safety in her community by participating in events geared towards ending violence toward women and girls and teaching local schoolchildren how to defend themselves or pass a math quiz without using weapons. She also coordinated a box-a-thon to help line the shelves of a Rhode Island food bank.