The Best of Charlotte Fitness and Spas

2014 What’s the best way to get fit in CLT? Do you want to bike, hike, work out in a gym, swim, dance, lift a kettlebell, or swing on a trapeze? The options in Charlotte are endless. With Spring on the horizon, we offer this list of favorite facilities and the hottest fitness trends compiled by our editorial staff to get you moving. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to vote for your nominees for best fitness clubs and activities on ESPN 730 Radio, with WCCB TV THE CW and with Charlotte Prowler Magazine.

By

RENEE WRigHT

Best Private Club Uptown Charlotte Athletic Club

www.charlotteathleticclub.com

if you have deep pockets, this lux club strategically located in the Bank of America Plaza building has everything—and we do mean everything—you need to keep fit, from squash, racquetball and basketball courts, weight training, personal trainers, a spin studio and a wide variety of classes to a spa, sauna and steamrooms, laundry service and more.

Best Daily Fee Uptown Health Club Childress Klein YMCA www.ymcacharlotte.org you don’t need to be a member to enjoy the amenities at this branch of the y in One Wells Fargo Center. The guest fee ($10/day, $20/week) gives you access to an indoor heated swimming pool, indoor running track, state-ofthe-art fitness center and more.

Best Place to Swim Laps Meck. County Aquatic Center www.parkandrec.com One of the gems of the county park system, this facility just a few blocks from up-

Serious Swim Time at Meck. Aquatic Center

town offers a wealth of water options including an Olympicsize lap pool, a heated pool with handicapped access, and a hot tub for adults only, plus a fitness center, kayak classes, swim lessons, water polo and aqua-exercise classes. Meck-

lenburg County residents can use the facility for $5 a day, with lower prices for kids and seniors.

Best Year-Round Water Park Ray’s Splash Planet www.rayssplashplanet.com Another facility operated by the county park system, this indoor waterpark with a lazy river, water slides, heated pools and more, is a godsend for parents with water-loving kids. A favorite for birthday parties, school holidays and summer camp, Splash Planet offers a day full of fun at fees ranging from $3 to $8 for Mecklenburg County residents.

Best Indoor Playground Sports Connection Family Entertainment Center

www.sportsconnectionnc.com

This huge facility in the Ballantyne neighborhood offers a wide range for fun things to keep every member of the family active, including an inflatable bounce zone for the youngest set, laser tag and video games for teens, and bowling, indoor rock climbing and a ropes course for the whole family. There’s a snack bar on-site as well, plus free WiFi.

Best Health Club for Families YMCA www.ymcacharlotte.org With 19 different locations throughout Mecklenburg County, the yMCA of greater Charlotte can’t be beat for its convenience or wide variety of classes and facilities, including pools, gyms, fitness centers, and more. it’s reasonably priced as well, with monthly fees based on a sliding income scale that cover free access to hundreds of group exercise classes, all yMCA pools and gyms, personal training, and participation in y-sponsored sports leagues.

Best Place to Paddle/Bike U.S. National Whitewater Center www.usnwc.org Challenge yourself in kayak, raft or paddleboard on the man-made whitewater course, or paddle the flatwater on the Catawba River at this unique facility just west of town. The Whitewater Center also has 20 miles of challenging mountain bike trails that are free to ride.

Best Place to Ride Horses Latta Plantation Equestrian Center

www.lattaequestriancenter.com

Enjoy trail rides around the 1300-acre Latta Plantation Nature Preserve year-round.

The stable also offers pony rides, sunset dinner rides, therapeutic riding, and more.

One of four Charlotte locations, the Modern Salon & Spa in the Hearst Building uptown offer a lunch-time Executive Suite package for men with a one-hour massage, Modern Man mani/pedi, and lunch.

Best Day Spa The Spa At Ballantyne www.theballantynehotel.com Unique nature-based treatments at the spa inside the Ballantyne Hotel include daylong access to the property’s pools, both indoor and outdoor, sauna, Jacuzzi, steam rooms and fitness facility.

Best MedSpa Voci Spa www.vocispa.com Charlotte’s first medical skincare facility continues to lead

THIS IS THE GOOD LIFE—The SPA at BALLANTYNE Best Inexpensive Massages Zen Massage Center

www.zenmassagecharlotte.com

When you need a massage fast, this Dilworth massage center can fill the need seven days a week, with no memberships or contracts required. Best of all, the one-hour signature Zen Swedish Massage costs just $49.95 all the time.

Best Men’s Spa Services In Uptown Modern Salon and Spa

www.modernsalonandspa.com

the pack, offering only medically tested and FDA-approved services, including facial fillers, laser treatments, microdermabrasion and endermologie, in addition to more traditional spa treatments.

Best Investment in Stress Relief Massage Envy www.massageenvy.com A low-cost monthly membership at Massage Envy includes a customized massage every month, low rates on fa-

cials and other treatments for yourself and your family, and discounted prices on Murad products at one of the five Charlotte area locations, or any of the 950 Massage Envy centers in North America.

Best of all, unused massages roll over, so you never lose out on your benefits.

Most Creative Hair Styles Planet 21 Salon www.planet21salon.com Founded in 1998, and dedicated solely to styling hair, Planet 21 offers the latest trends in haircutting and coloring. Hairdressers at the three Charlotte locations

Best Fitness “Seen” The Booty Loop www.24hoursofbootty.org Join Charlotte’s most beautiful bods as they jog, bike and rollerblade through the shady streets of Myers Park. The 2.8-mile Loop is the scene of Charlotte’s most renowned charity biking event, the 24 Hours of Booty, held annually in July. See the map on the event’s website, and remember to go clockwise—it’s all right turns, no slowing down for lights or to cross streets.

Best Greenway for a Run Little Sugar Creek Greenway www.parkandrec.com

PLANET 21 SALON DELIVERS LUX STYLE learn both British and French haircutting techniques and train at the Wella Studios in NyC to keep up with emerging styles in haircolor.

Best Place for a Body Tune-Up Re Salon and Med Spa

www.resalonandmedspa.com

This spa in the Old Dilworth Fire Station combines traditional spa and salon treatments with medspa body improvements under the supervision of a licensed cosmetic surgeon. get your skin tightened, your wrinkles decreased, your face resurfaced, your hair styled, your teeth whitened all under one roof.

2014

Easily the most scenic of Charlotte’s greenways, this paved path runs for more than 4 miles from East 7th Street near CPCC to Brandywine Road near Park Road Shopping Center, passing along the way the Capt. Jack statue, Freedom Park, and the Charlotte Nature Museum. Stop for refreshments at Metropolitan Square.

Best Gym for Triathlon Training Pride Conditioning www.prideconditioning.com This Plaza-Midwood gym’s Special Ops Team Run group cross-trains for triathlons, marathons, and endurance runs of all kinds, including

Duke Energy’s Race to the Top stair climb.

Hottest Running Fad Mud Runs www.mudrunguide.com The latest in obstacle and endurance runs, mud runs are sweeping the country and North Carolina is leading the charge. With events named things like Spartan Sprint, Rugged Maniac, Dirty girl, Warrior Dash, and Tough Mudder (all scheduled in NC for 2014), you get the feeling that the competition is tough and—well—dirty.

Best Hiking Trails near Charlotte Crowders Mountain St.Park www.ncparks.gov At this state park, the closest to Charlotte, you can climb to the top of Crowders Mountain for a 25-mile view, hike along the ridgeline into South Carolina, or master the King’s Pinnacle, highest spot in gaston County. The easy Lake Trail is a popular spot for walking your dog.

Best Hiking Trails in Charlotte Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preserve www.parkandrec.com This county park located in near UNCC has over 10 miles

RE SALON + MED SPA of trails dedicated for hikers use only, the most in the park system, crossing a wide variety of terrain, as well as a nature center and historic ruins.

METRO BALLROOM

Best Underground Hiking Reed Gold Mine www.nchistoricsites.org Trails at this free historic site in nearby Cabarrus County lead through the old gold mine tunnels. you can also pan for gold here.

Best Night Hiking McDowell Nature Preserve www.parkandrec.com McDowell, on the shores of Lake Wylie, offers monthly Hiker’s Palate programs for adults featuring evening hikes or kayak paddles followed by a meal around a campfire, as well as Full Moon Hikes for all ages.

Best Ballroom Dance Studio Metropolitan Ballroom www.metropolitan-ballroom.com if you’d rather get your exercise pounding a parquet floor, Metropolitan is a good place to get acquainted with ballroom dance. individual and group lessons are offered here at reasonable rates with no long term commitment.

Best Special Sporting Events Rural Hill www.ruralhill.net This unique park just north of town features many unique events, including sporting events for both humans and dogs. Annual events include the Loch Norman Highland games with traditional Scottish field events, the Warrior Dash, the Amazing Maize Maze every fall, the First Footin’ walk and trail run on

GET MUDDY If you’re still getting your run in alongside rush hour in CLT...shame on you. Mud runs are all the rage.

These photos make the case...

AERIAL CLT CARDIO IN THE SILKS

New year’s day, and, for our canine friends, Bark in the Park and the Sheepdog Trials.

Best Free Yoga Class Yoga on Tap at Old Mecklenburg Brewery oldemeckbrew.com Formerly called “Broga,” these free yoga classes take place every Tuesday, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, followed by fresh brews and special light menu items at the Brauhaus.

Best Tai Chi Classes Peaceful Dragon

www.ThePeacefulDragon.com

This oasis of calm in South Charlotte offers comprehensive classes for all ages in this Chinese method of moving meditation aimed at elevating your “chi” or life-force.

Best New Way to Keep Fit Aerial CLT aerialclt.frontdeskhq.com inspired by the popularity of Cirque de Soleil, aerial workouts promote flexibility and strength as well as providing a great cardio workout. Aerial CLT offers courses in the fundamentals of aerial silk work, as well as aerial yoga and aerial conditioning classes.

Just compiling this list made us realize that we’ve got some work to do around here.

There’s only a few days left until Spring and Summer is coming up quick!-PM

Spartan Sprint, Rugged Maniac, Dirty girl, Warrior Dash, and Tough Mudder (all scheduled in NC for 2014) all give you a chance to get in on the fun and stay fit.