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Awaken Studios and Retreats
By Alex Springer
The gym and fitness scene is one of the most intimidating communities out there for newcomers. There's a whole trend-obsessed culture that has made going to the gym after a period of hiatus feel like jumping onto a moving train. It's great that gym culture has made physical activity and working out more acceptable and accessible. But, that doesn't make it any easier to enter a space with a bunch of hot people who seem to know more than you do. If finding acceptance within the local fitness community is something that is keeping you from being more active, then Awaken Studios and Retreats may be just what you're looking for.
Founded by Joe and Jenna Hansen in 2016, Awaken has quickly become one of Utah's most beloved fitness centers. Offering everything from yoga to circuit training, Awaken's goal is to create a space where newcomers and veterans can achieve their fitness goals. General manager Kevin Carrington has been a part of Awaken since the beginning, and he's an integral part of Awaken's welcoming culture. "We're all beginners at some point," Carrington says. "But I think everyone who shows up here leaves feeling just a little bit better."
In addition to assuming the role of general manager at Awaken, Carrington helms a wide variety of classes himself. He is a certified instructor of yoga, pilates and cycling in addition to being a certified reiki facilitator. As someone who does a little bit of everything at Awaken, Carrington has a unique perspective on the fitness center, its team and its clients. "I work with people who see each other as extended family," Carrington noted. "We're all here to learn and teach one another."
Though Awaken offers a wide range of activities, it's a fitness center that prioritizes education. Visitors can expect to learn the context behind each exercise in order to build a more coherent workout plan. "Awaken is more about reshaping the way people think about feeling and looking good," Carrington says. "We focus on providing great options for classes, but we also provide the education behind them."
As part of cultivating a positive attitude toward fitness and self-care, the Awaken team strives to create a welcoming environment for its staff and clients. Whatever your fitness goals might be, you'll find someone ready to get you started down the right path at Awaken. "I think it's beautiful to come to work each day and experience positivity," Carrington expressed. "My coworkers are high-caliber human beings that really strive for greatness and I love that this is an industry of people who care about themselves and their wellbeing."
Perhaps one of the reasons that Awaken has been a mainstay on the Best of Utah list is because the team has built its ideology around helping its clients be the best they can be. They celebrate each individual's journey and pride themselves on fostering a sense of curiosity among their clients. "I hope that people are willing to stay open and have that sense of wonder," Carrington says. "I've loved what we've been able to create because it gives people the opportunity to just explore without a negative stigma."
Fitness Tips for the Remote Lifestyle
While there are plenty of benefits about remote work, it can be easy to forget about getting up and moving around throughout the workday. As most of the fitness experts catalogued in this issue will tell you, the decision to remain active as much as possible–especially if your profession keeps you sedentary–is a great way to keep yourself healthy. So what are some ways that you can implement this advice?
One of the easiest things to do is to set an activity or movement goal throughout the day. A common suggestion among health professionals is to hop up and move around for five to ten minutes every hour. Sticking to this metric will give you plenty of time to stretch your legs, jumpstart your circulation and rejuvenate your mind.
Those five to ten minutes can be spent doing any sort of physical activity, so anything from a short walk to a few reps going up and down stairs can do the trick. If you're looking to make these activity intervals a bit more interesting, there are plenty of quick exercises you can do with a minimal amount of equipment.
If you need to remain prim and proper for a virtual meeting, the wall pushup is a great way to work out the upper body without having to get down on the ground or fiddle with a necktie. Since you're doing some sitting anyway, the chair squat is another quick workout that can work on your legs and core–the best thing about this one is that it's pretty much just sitting down and standing up again.
While there are plenty of exercises and activity options for those who do most of their work from home, the key is to train your brain to take regular five to ten minute breaks per hour and get the blood flowing. Your body–and your boss–will thank you.
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FITNESS
Best Acroyoga Classes
Awaken Studios and Retreats
awakenstudios.com
2. Mosaic Yoga
3. CorePower Yoga
Best Aerial Silks Classes
Kairos Fitness
dancekairos.com
2. Awaken Studios and Retreats
3. Onyx Pole and Aerial Fitness Studio
Best Barre Fitness Studio
The Bar Method, Salt Lake City - Sugar House
barmethod.com
2. Barre3, Salt Lake City
3. Awaken Studios and Retreats
Best Beginner Yoga Classes
Salt Lake Power Yoga
saltlakepoweryoga.com
2. CorePower Yoga
3. Awaken Studios and Retreats
Best Bootcamp
Rise4
rise-4.com
2. Fit to Recover
3. F45 Training Sugar House
Best Boutique Fitness Studio
Torrent Cycle, Downtown SLC
torrentcycle.com
2. Rise4
3. Kairos Fitness
Best Boxing Club
Rumble Boxing
rumbleboxinggym.com
2. Brickyard Boxing & Conditioning
3. Rebel House
Best Circuit Training
Rise4
rise-4.com
2. Brickyard Boxing & Conditioning
3. Awaken Studios and Retreats
Best Community Swimming Pool
Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center
chparksandrecut.gov
2. Steiner Aquatic Center
3. Glow
Best CrossFit Gym
Salt Lake City CrossFit - South
slccrossfitsouth.com
2. Salt Lake City CrossFit
3. CrossFit Sandy
Best Fitness Influencer (Social Media)
Dillion Chase - Salt Lake Power Yoga
instagram.com/dillicious.xyz
2. Mike Barney - Torrent Cycle
3. Joey Alatorre - Peak 45
Best Fitness Studio: All Categories
CorePower Yoga
corepoweryoga.com
2. Rebel House
3. Salt Lake Power Yoga
Best Fitness/Aerobics Class Instructor
Meredith Dalenburg - Rebel House
rebel-house.com
2. Dan Cooney - Torrent Cycle
3. Alison Dorenbosch - Peak 45
Best Gymnastics Training (Adults)
Salt Lake City Circus Center
saltlakecitycircuscenter.com
2. Salt City Calisthenics
3. Gymnastics Training Center
Best Gymnastics Training (Kids)
The Little Gym, Salt Lake City
thelittlegym.com
2. Elite Gymnastics Academy
3. Academy West
Best High-Intensity Interval Training
Rebel House
rebel-house.com
2. Seek Studio
3. Torrent Cycle, Sugar House
Best Hot Yoga
Bikram Yoga SLC
bikramyogaslc.com
2. Suvita Hot Yoga
3. Satori Hot Yoga
Best Kids' Fitness Programs
Gracie Barra Sandy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
graciebarra.com/sandy-ut
2. Brickyard Boxing & Conditioning
3. Awaken Studios and Retreats
Best Martial Arts School
Gracie Barra Sandy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
graciebarra.com/sandy-ut
2, Bernales Institute of Martial Arts
3. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Salt Lake City
Best Personal Trainer
Meredith Clark - Fitness With Meredith
instagram.com/fitnesswithmeredith
2. Joey Alatorre - Peak 45
3. Lya Wodraska - The Backline SLC
Best Pilates Studio
Peak 45
peak-45.com
2. The Point Pilates
3. Streamline Pilates
Best Pole Fitness Studio
Kairos Fitness
dancekairos.com
2. The Salt Mine SLC
3. Onyx Pole and Aerial Fitness Studio
Best Privately Owned (Non-Chain) Gym
Rebel House
rebel-house.com
2. Salt Lake Power Yoga
3. Peak 45
Best Public Rec Center
Salt Lake City Sports Complex
saltlakecounty.gov
2. Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center
3. Dimple Dell Recreation Center
Best Qi Gong Instruction
Toni Lock
mountainyogasandy.com
2. Rachel Silverstone
3. Scott White
Best Rock Climbing Wall
Momentum Indoor Climbing, Millcreek
momentumclimbing.com
2. The Front Climbing Club
3. Bouldering Project, Salt Lake
Best Senior Fitness Programs
Age Performance
ageperformance.com
2. X365 Fitness
3. Foothill Personal Training
Best Ski/Snowboard School
Brighton Resort
brightonresort.com
2. Snowbird
3. Alta
Best Spin Classes
Torrent Cycle, Sugar House
torrentcycle.com
2. CHVRCH Cycle
3. Rideologie
Best Virtual Fitness Program
Salt Lake Power Yoga
saltlakepoweryoga.com
2. Lindsay LaPaugh - LVL Holistics
3. Jenna Hansen - Awaken Studios
Best Weight Training Instruction
Seek Studio
seekstudioslc.com
2. Brickyard Boxing & Conditioning
3. The Backline SLC
Best Yoga Instructor
Dillion Chase - Salt Lake Power Yoga
saltlakepoweryoga.com
2. Hailey Quinn - CorePower Yoga
3. Karen Tao - Breathe Love
Best Yoga Studio
Salt Lake Power Yoga
saltlakepoweryoga.com
2. CorePower Yoga
3. Rebel House
Best Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga Assets
yogaassets.com
2. Salt Lake Power Yoga
3. CorePower Yoga
