Health & Fitness in Richmond

Bridges Rock Gym may bill itself as a bouldering facility, but climbing is really just the headliner on its lineup of fitness-oriented offerings. Adventurers can navigate from the 18-foot wall's indoor bouldering surfaces to the designated area for slacklining, a sport akin to tight-rope walking that trains balance, body awareness, and agility. Off the wall, visitors enjoy use of treadmills and rowing machines, all of which prepares them for the final send-off: a visit to the hot sauna followed directly by a cafe smoothie.

Licensed posturist and certified massage therapist, Cavan Collins, aids clients in straightening their stances to restore flexibility, realign spines, and increase athleticism. Reposturing combines stretching, massage, and postural exercises utilizing the power of breath. The spinal technician customizes treatments to individual goals and can work to relieve chronic pain from repeated movements in athletics, work, or attempts to mimic the drinking bird on one's desk.

Members at Curves, a fitness center designed for women, rotate around a circuit of hydraulic resistance machines that have been designed to work with female bodies and promote weight loss, strengthen bones, and increase metabolism. An experienced trainer is always nearby to help manage participants’ machine maneuvering and muscle making. Instead of fiddling with weight stacks and losing momentum, the hydraulic machines use your own body weight, fitness level, and aerodynamic water bottles to create resistance that matches abilities, decreasing the risk of soreness or injury. Because traditional lift-and-lower motions can create bulky muscles, each machine uses push-and-pull motions to help create toned, lean muscles perfect for crushing a grapefruit without looking like you can.

Led by June Kamerling and her expert instructors, El Cerrito Fitness’s classes aim to help students of all levels achieve their fitness goals with a variety of different Pilates techniques. The classes make use of springboards or reformer machines, using the apparatus to challenge guests to sink deeper into stretches. Mat Pilates classes harness the power of resistance to strengthen cores.

The Pedaler Bike Shop spruces up street steeds and their doting owners with an enormous cache of cycle-centric equipment, apparel, and accessories. Though the store prides itself on its expertise regarding road and mountain bikes, it supplies tubes, tires, wheels, seats, and footy-pajamas for two-wheelers of every breed. Outfit rigs with the 2010 Planet Bike Superflash/Blaze combo set ($59.99), which employs forward- and backward-beaming, superbright LEDs to, increase the bike's visibility for up to one mile. The 2011 Specialized Henge expert saddle ($99.99) coddles nether regions with a sleek shape and sturdy-yet-cozy Micromatrix top, and the 2010 Bell Faction helmet ($40) provides the resilience and protection of Sylvester Stallone's biceps. An array of clothing and shoes is also available, ensuring rider and ride are outfitted to a tarmac-pounding tee.