It seems like every day a new fitness concept comes into play. Discover our reader favorites when it comes to local health and fitness destinations with our “Best Of” Health & Fitness awards.
Best Crossfit (City):
Windy City Crossfit
4043 N Ravenswood Ave.
This premier strength and conditioning gym in Ravenswood will help you get in shape in no time.
Best Crossfit (Suburbs):
ETown Fitness Club
2401 Main St., Evanston
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A repeat “Best Of” winner, ETown Fitness Club is a family-owned business that treats its clients like part of the family.
Best Equipment/Athletic‐Wear Store (City):
Lululemon
944 W North Ave.
Integrating technical and performance wear, Lululemon features stylish active and athleisure clothing. Their Lincoln Park location is a beautiful hub for all things fitness, and even offers studio classes.
Best Equipment/Athletic‐Wear Store (Suburbs), Best Yoga Studio (Suburbs):
The Hot Room North Shore
1926 Waukegan Rd, Suite 1, Glenview
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The Hot Room has curated the most effective hot yoga and hot pilates classes to help you experience physical and mental transformations, helping you jumpstart your most powerful life.
Best Fitness Classes (City):
AIR® Aerial Fitness
357 W Erie St.
Designed for all levels, AIR® strengthens your core and tones your physique in record-breaking time by fusing elements of conditioning, Pilates and HIIT (high intensity interval training). It’s pretty fun, too!
Best Fitness Classes (Suburbs), Best Spin Studio (Suburbs):
Studio Spin
195 Northfield Rd., Northfield
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Studio Spin is your North Shore destination for spin and other fusion classes, like Spin & Yoga or Spin & Boxing.
Best Gym (City), Best Spin Studio (City):
Studio Three
648 N Clark St.
This River North studio offers dynamic workouts that combine strength and cardio for an effective sweat sesh that will get you in and out quickly.
Best Gym (Suburbs):
Redefined Fitness
1211 Washington Ave., Wilmette
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A repeat “Best Of” winner, Redefined Fitness helps clients meet their goals in a fun and supportive environment.
Best Personal Trainer (City):
Bobby O’Brien/MVFitness
Pop up locations in Chicago
O’Brien’s full-body dance workouts will leave you feeling energized, confident and strong.
Best Personal Trainer (Suburbs):
Eric Smoot/Redefined Fitness
1211 Washington Ave., Wilmette
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Our readers voted Eric Smoot of Redefined Fitness the best personal trainer in the suburbs for the second year in a row.
Best Pilates Studio (City):
Solidcore
Four different city locations: Boystown, River North, West Loop, Wicker Park
Their high-intensity, targeted, and low-impact resistance training will give you the results you’ve always desired.
Best Pilates Studio (Suburbs):
Pilates Central
1713 Central, Evanston
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Combining strength, stability and core in chair or chair/mat formats, the subtle movements of pilates keep you toned and engaged.
Best Yoga (City): Tie
Corepower Yoga
Multiple locations
One of the greatest things about CorePower Yoga is that their studios are located across the country. Wherever your travels may take you, CorePower is there to help you find your center.
Zen Yoga Garage
1845 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
A home for the urban fitness enthusiast, this yoga studio offers classes in hot & Vinyasa yoga, barre fitness and meditation.
Best Health and Wellness Coach:
Erin Clifford Wellness
(312) 373-0762
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A certified holistic wellness coach, Erin Clifford helps clients create a more fulfilling, happier existence.
Best Chiropractor (Suburbs):
Evolution Spine & Sports Therapy
922 Noyes St., Evanston
From back to neck pain and everything in between, Dr. Travis Ahrens will help you find the underlying cause of discomfort, allowing you to regain your function and live an active life.
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Erin Clifford Wellness
Erin’s Top Local Wellness Picks
Erin Clifford brings world-class training and insight to her work as a wellness coach for corporate and one-on-one clients.
Local Wellness Businesses/Products:
I’ve been obsessed with Harvest Juicery for years. I love their delicious juices, cleanses and nut milks which literally enhance your beauty from the inside out.
I think we should include Chill Anywhere. The studio might be closed at the moment but it’s still a local business. They offer live mediation classes, yoga classes and mindfulness workshops on Zoom and their app, as well as private and corporate mindfulness classes.
A wonderful local health food store in the Gold Coast neighborhood. It features top of the line supplements and hard to find food brands. The store also houses a cafe full of delicious smoothies, juices and healthy meals to go.
My favorite spas are:
Kohler Waters Spa Lincoln Park
I have frequented the Kohler Waters Spa in Kohler, Wisconsin for many years. It was such a treat when they opened a location in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The relaxing state of the art facility features Kohler’s hallmark water features and treatments. It’s a perfect oasis in the city.
Of all the hotel spas the Peninsula truly does it best. The service and staff is impeccable, and the spa features unique treatments with amazing hard to find products. Plus, a hallmark of the spa is the most gorgeous pool in the city. Spending the day at the Peninsula Spa is truly an unforgettable experience.
