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Best expansive new park
For families feeling a bit of cabin fever, Pleasant View Park, which opened in Gaithersburg in September, offers wide-open spaces to play, relax and enjoy the outdoors. With a bike track, playground, a paved path, fitness equipment and a community garden, there is plenty to see and do. The 9.5-acre park’s large central grassy field—a perfect spot to kick a ball, play tag, or spread a picnic blanket—gives kids (and adults) room to stretch their legs. The bike track has berms, banks, ramps and even a ride-through barrel, drawing cyclists of varying abilities. A half-mile paved path encircles the perimeter. A playground with rocket-themed equipment reflects the location’s past as part of the U.S. Army’s Nike missile system.
10901 Darnestown Road, Gaithersburg, gaithersburgmd.gov/recreation/parks-fields/pleasant-view-park
Lowest commitment for a luxe gym experience
Getting into a fitness or wellness routine can be difficult, and the hefty gym membership fees often don’t make it any easier. That’s why we are fans of The St. James Performance Club’s Courted Recovery Suite, where individuals can book appointments for a la carte services such as cryotherapy, infrared sauna, cold plunging, compression (for legs, hips, arms), percussion tools (portable massage devices) and IV infusions. The spa-like atmosphere offers eucalyptus-scented towels, reclining and heated chairs, and plenty of privacy. For those who want to take advantage of these services regularly, it may be more cost-effective to opt into The St. James’ unlimited recovery services package for $140 a month.
6828 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, thestjames.com
Best ways to try the stretching trend
These studios, which recently opened in the area, offer an individualized stretching experience with equipment you might see in a physical therapy office or at a massage therapist.
While most people know they should stretch, many don’t take the time or do a good job at it, says Mike Grossman, owner of StretchLab in Chevy Chase and Bethesda. One-on-one sessions with a trained “flexologist” can help clients—from high school athletes to older people with mobility impairments—with targeted, deep stretches to help them feel better, he says. It also has locations in Gaithersburg and Olney. The cost for a 25-minute session ranges from about $40 to $65.
4906 Hampden Lane, Bethesda; 8525 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace, Suite 304, Chevy Chase; 113 Market St., Gaithersburg; 18304 Village Center Drive, Olney; stretchlab.com
Carla Butler, general manager at Stretch Zone in Bethesda, says many clients who come in with lower back, shoulder, knee and foot pain find relief through stretching. She recommends sessions once or twice a week (an hour total) to increase range of motion, prevent injury and improve overall well-being. Stretch Zone operates in Bethesda, Gaithersburg and Potomac. Fees for 30-minute sessions are about $55.
5400 Westbard Ave., Suite 280, Bethesda; 251 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg; 7901 Tuckerman Lane, Suite 485, Potomac; stretchzone.com
Newest game plan for MoCo students
There are two new ways to play ball for students in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), which has added pickleball and girls flag football to its high school roster. Both sports came to the district after interest in them spiked, MCPS Systemwide Athletics Director Jeff Sullivan says. MCPS became one of the first school districts in the country to add these sports, according to the district. The new options make playing a sport more accessible—it gives girls an opportunity to play football, and pickleball is part of an MCPS program that aims to have a 50/50 ratio of students with and without disabilities, Sullivan says. Junior Edita Kentale, one of the co-captains for the Gaithersburg High School girls flag football team, says the new sport shows “women can also do anything.”
montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/athletics
If you’re looking to fire up your workout routine, head to Hotworx in Bethesda. This boutique fitness studio, part of a national chain, holds its classes in eight small saunas. Their classes combine heat, infrared energy and exercise to maximize the calories burned and minimize the time spent on each workout. Choose from 30-minute isometric programs, such as hot yoga and hot Pilates, or 15-minute high-intensity interval workouts, such as cycling. Instructors teach live classes remotely via a TV screen in the saunas, each of which accommodates up to three people. Clients register through an app and can access the studio 24 hours a day, Mondays through Saturdays, and the studio is staffed during the day. Additionally, a resistance training area offers weights, bands and other equipment to complement the classes. The first workout is free.
4830 Rugby Ave., Bethesda, hotworx.net/studio/bethesda-woodmonttriangle
Best place to tour golf courses virtually
Want to play golf on the iconic Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland? In golf simulators at the PGA Tour Superstore in Kensington, customers can be transported to their choice of more than 300 courses from around the world to practice virtually. Along the back of the store, there are five practice bays (for up to four people to play) with video replays to help golfers analyze and improve their swing. “On the weekends, we have a lot of families come in,” says Liliana Rivera, sales manager. “We see definitely an influx of people during the winter months.” The practice bays are available to rent (reserve online in advance or walk in) for 30 minutes ($19.99) or 60 minutes ($29.99). An annual membership ($299) includes a daily session in the practice bays using your own clubs. The store also has a studio for lessons and a place to try out new equipment with hitting bays that measure golfers’ ball speed, spin rate and total carry.
5100 Nicholson Lane (White Flint Plaza), Kensington, pgatoursuperstore.com
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