We all know this has been a pretty tough year that’s almost (thankfully) behind us, and for some, it has been far worse if they happened to have lost family members to this ongoing pandemic. It’s times like these that bear down on us without empathy, mercy or compassion, forcing us to go on with our lives – as much as they may have been drastically altered – as best we can.

For this reason (and many others), the thought of getting back into shape or continuing one’s fitness regimen presents a challenge in that we don’t want to let go of all the effort we have made, yet events in our lives – including emotions – have forced us to put physical activity on the back burner. If you have had the COVID blues for a while, we are going to give you some compelling reasons to get back on that treadmill or reach for those weights…after all, a new year is ahead of us so what better time is there to hit the gym again?

Wing Warriors Fitness, located at 21747 Erwin Street Suite B, is a state-of-the-art private gym that first opened its doors in October 2019, a product of two professional trainers and world champions who made it their passion to promote a healthy way of life by sharing their knowledge and unique training techniques with their clients. The trainers here will build your customized fitness and wellness package based on your goals, with programs that include weight loss, toning, professional athlete training, event training, kickboxing mixed with fitness training and more. All ages and level of fitness are welcome.

Athletic Society – West Valley, located at 22235 Sherman Way in Canoga Park, is more than just your typical gym, its representatives marketing the business as a “transformational athletic facility” that encourages members to achieve the highest level of sustainable fitness. Offering easy access to personal training, studio classes, aquatics, wellness programs, rejuvenation and much more, Athletic Society makes it a mission to provide professional instruction for a safe, effective and fun workout. The classes consist of a variety of different formats focusing on cardiovascular conditioning, muscular strength, flexibility training and mind/body awareness.

G.I.T. Fitness, located at 20929 Ventura Boulevard #41, markets itself as the best one-hour HIIT workout around, its principles and professional staff setting the facility apart from the competition in every way that counts. To this end, G.I.T. Fitness believes in creating a health-conscious community that focuses on helping people become the strongest and fittest individuals they can be, achieved through motivational and experienced coaches, fun and effective workouts and a super-supportive environment. If you’re looking for workouts in this COVID era guaranteed to make you physically and mentally stronger, coaches to push and support you and a community to hold you accountable, this is the gym for you.

Impact One Fitness, located at 20300 Ventura Boulevard Suite 110, has been recognized as one of the top personal training studios in the San Fernando Valley, helping clients safely and effectively get into shape since 2010. The instructors here strive to meet you where you are in life and design a fitness program to take you where you aspire to be – as such, the fitness programs are crafted, tweaked and reconfigured using your specific goals, abilities, needs and lifestyle as the blueprint. In the end, you should achieve increased mobility, stability, strength, power and agility, allowing you to live fit, live free and enjoy an enriched life.

VICI Performance, located at 31360 Via Colinas #103-104 in Westlake Village, strives to evolve your understanding of fitness training and rid you of weakness, imbalance and pain, its instructors focusing on building resilient and pain-free joints, maximizing athletic performance and transforming lives through health. If you want to get the most out of your body regardless of age, experience, background or disadvantage, VICI’s unparalleled training and knowledge makes it simple, offering custom solutions to chronic problems.

The Compound, located at 20662 Ventura Boulevard, is the brainchild of Paul Wassily, the powerhouse behind Fitness by Paul, an individual driven by passion, dedication and determination when it comes to personal training. The culmination of over 15 years of success stories, The Compound has evolved to become a luxury, world-class personal training gym where empathy, rigor, inspiration and leadership arrive at a crossroads. Here, Paul’s approach includes understanding his clients’ personal needs and knowing that with personal training, one size does not fit all – this allows him to customize a unique program to adhere to each individual, taking his time to learn about his clients’ fitness and medical history while considering any limitations during the regimen design phase.

What city is most known for its healthy living more than Los Angeles? We can’t think of one. If you’re a Woodland Hills resident, we know that all of the gym options available to you can be overwhelming…but that’s where Woodland Hills Magazine comes in. To help you choose which gym to join as you attempt to shake off the pandemic blues and head into a new year, the aforementioned list should be a good place to start based on your workout preferences.