Gyms in Acton, MA

At Wah Lum Kung Fu of Concord, instructors Andrea Sheffield and Evan Hughes can't rest on their laurels. That's because their style of kung fu—which can trace its storied lineage some 350 years back to China's Shantung province—requires that instructors are recertified every three years. This special certification is done by none other than Grandmaster Pui Chan, the sixth-generation successor of the style, and the only Wah Lum master in the United States. During classes for adults and children as young as 6, Sheffield and Hughes focus on teaching not only the Wah Lum system's technical curriculum, but also respect, discipline, and control. Students can learn these skills through games, drills, and exercises that keep their minds sharp and their bodies fit. Besides kung fu, clients can find a wealth of health-boosting programs, including two styles of tai chi and the Integrated Wellness class, which combines traditional qi gong movements with modern-day strength and conditioning drills individually modified for each participant's level of ability.

The certified trainers and nutritionists at CATZ Sports Performance Training Centers are focused on motivation, not intimidation. Nutritionists assist in overall lifestyle improvement with the understanding that nutrition plays a big role in attaining overall wellness. Nutrition plans are customized according to activity levels and lifestyles, along with personal eating habits and patterns, for maximum efficacy. Additionally, the centers' fitness classes are designed to increase the fitness of attendees of any skill level, including adults with sedentary jobs and children who avoid sports in school and extracurricular environments. While the strength and conditioning coaches regularly work with professional-level athletes, they motivate attendees of all skill levels through the ever-changing workouts with encouragement and individual attention. All the centers' workouts are clinically designed by these certified trainers to build muscle, trim fat, and boost overall fitness regardless of the attendee's starting point. All sessions keep the student-to-instructor ratio low to ensure the professionals keep students on their toes and injury free. Students work through a dynamic routine of exercises that focus on both cardiovascular conditioning and strength training, including body-weight-based moves, running, and flexibility-boosting techniques such as systematically replacing limbs with rubber bands.

To help women achieve their fitness goals, the certified personal trainers at Get In Shape For Women focus on four areas: weight training, cardio training, nutrition, and accountability. In small group sessions, trainers modify exercises to suit up to four ladies' fitness levels, beginning by calibrating 30 minutes of strength-training drills—such as free weights, lunges, and squats—to each student's abilities. Then comes 25 minutes of cardio: the trainers might start novice exercisers with a walk on the treadmill or light elliptical training, and challenge more advanced exercisers to high-intensity interval-training sessions for enhanced results. The trainers supplement the group workouts with nutritional planning centered around the concept of eating six small, balanced meals six days a week. They set aside the seventh day for a bit of indulgence, be it eating a favorite sweet or lusting openly after bacon. To track ladies' progress toward reaching their goals, the trainers measure their weight and body-fat percentage every two weeks.

Revolution Bodywork opened with the goal of bringing affordable natural healthcare solutions to the whole community. Because treatments and services can be too expensive for many to use as often as they need it, Revolution offers all of its treatments on a sliding scale, allowing clients to choose what they can afford to pay. These treatments include a separate community acupuncture clinic, nutritional consultations, and massage and bodywork. During community-acupuncture sessions, which take place in a group setting, the practitioner targets various acupoints with tiny needles that stimulate the body's ability to heal itself. Traditional sports and orthopedic massages work alongside craniosacral therapy to relieve pain and enhance emotional well-being. With all these healthcare solutions, Revolution’s wellness experts have seen success in treating a variety of different problems, such as back pain and migraines.

Although you don't pronounce the equals sign, it's appropriate that IM=X—or Integrated Movement eXercise—resembles a scientific equation: it applies modern research in cardiovascular health and spinal anatomy to the time-tested discipline of Pilates. Since it was founded in the late 1990s, this fitness method has drawn the attention of media outlets such as Shape, Self, and the New York Times. The program’s concept stemmed from founder Elyse McNergney’s Pilates certifications, MA in movement science, and EdM in exercise physiology from Columbia University. McNergney devised a method for teaching students how to stabilize their core-muscle groups while keeping the spine elongated and safe during the workout. Its ideal outcome is a decompressed spine, better posture, and the ability to provide piggyback rides for 12 toddlers at a time. The program has also been used to rehabilitate professional athletes, dancers, and patients suffering from chronic pain.

Koko FitClub’s automated personal-training system rockets both men and women toward fitness goals with 30-minute custom workouts that incorporate cardio and strength training. An initial consultation determines fitness levels and baseline measurements, which Koko’s computerized equipment uses to design a tailored workout plan that precisely measures the weight, pace, and rest time appropriate for each exerciser. The Koko machines guide exercisers through each workout and adapt as the user’s fitness needs change in order to constantly challenge the body. Designed by professional trainers, workouts maximize the body’s lean-muscle mass, which can boost metabolism and help fight off disease by challenging viruses to kickboxing matches. Exercisers can track their shrinking waistlines and swelling muscles online by analyzing workout scores and comparing individual fitness levels to the Koko FitClub community.