Walnut Creek, CA Health and Fitness

Licensed acupuncturist Christopher Pearson and his team at Be Well Integral Healing Space strive to not only help heal patients, but to do it in the healthiest way possible. To achieve this level of wellness, they established a lineup that includes a licensed naturopathic doctor, a certified massage therapist, and two licensed acupuncturists. Supplemented by herbal and naturopathic family medicine, Be Well Integral Healing Space specializes in the ancient arts of massage and acupuncture.

The quartet of healers outfitted their space to soothe the eyes and minds as they work on bodies. Rows of candles cast soft light across the private treatment rooms, creating a calming astmosphere that is mirrored in the gauzy fabrics draped over massage beds and cascading from the ceilings. Potted plants and sunlight bring a touch of nature, without having to find a squirrel certified in acupuncture.

Open for over 38 years, Paradise Skate Roller Rink invites skaters to roll around its Hawaiian-themed decorations. Brightly colored palm trees adorn the painted walls, adding ambiance as skaters don rental quad or inline skates. A snack bar offers beer, wine, and sodas alongside hot dogs, personal pizzas, nachos, and burritos, which patrons can dine on as they watch one of several flat-screen televisions or events such as roller derby.

Among Heather Farm Park's rolling hills and expansive grassy terrain, patrons push their bodies through dynamic, one-hour workouts designed to sculpt and strengthen physiques from head to toe. Helping to motivate patrons toward their ideal shapes, East Bay Fitness's owner and head trainer Jena McGuffie boasts certifications in personal training and specialized fitness, along with a degree in alternative medicine. After building a private personal-training business in Florida, Jena swapped coasts to share her passion for health and wellness with Californians of all ages and abilities. Her workouts vary from class to class, incorporating cardiovascular work and strength-training moves such as lifting Webster's Dictionary over and over with just your pinkies.

National Academy of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer Anna Dornier founded The Club in Lafayette and its sister business, Transform FX Fitness Bootcamp, after a frustrating period of weight-loss guesswork, during which she relinquished fruitless gym visits for a variable, 45-minute class structure. Anna's triumph over her own unwanted pounds inspired her to help others, and she now offers personal training sessions for clients of all fitness levels. Trainers encourage participants to improve physical limits through a variety of training methods with strength and cardio exercises while also promoting a fun and positive atmosphere. Regular measurements calculate body-fat percentage and the number of kettlebells you can fit in your mouth to showcase individual progress.

Certified personal trainers Anna Gunn and Jennie Votel channel their professional experience into shepherding women of all fitness levels toward healthier lifestyles and higher confidence levels during intense and varied boot-camp classes. Keeping their outdoor sessions fun and diverse, the passionate duo may have students scale public stairs as part of an obstacle course, practice yoga alongside a serene pond, perform pushups against a park bench, or take an early-morning jog through tree-shrouded paths.