I gotta say, being the exercise snob I am (I've Soul Cycled in the Hamptons), I was a bit wary of…read morestepping into the proverbial ring at 9Round in North Branford. Its generic strip center home flanked by McDonalds and Dairy Queen notwithstanding, I was expecting a gimmicky variation on the Curves theme -- exercise by exposure. Boy was I wrong! 9Round the 30 minute kickboxing gym kicked my relatively fit (not to be confused with shapely) butt! Here's how it works: There are 9 stations set up around the gym which you rotate through for 3 minutes (you can do anything for 3 minutes) each. My trainer, aka Megan "The Machine" Beavis quickly and efficiently told each person exactly what to do, the bell rings and we were off. The exercises are specific to every "boxer" and change every day. It's truly remarkable. Not only was I able to take out my frustrations by hand and by foot on several different-shaped bags (heavy, speed and eliptical), I was able to drop in on my own schedule and burn somewhere between 300-500 calories almost as fast as I could say Muhammed Ali. All the trainers are certified and the owners, husband and wife Shaun Berner and Tina Valaouras are both professional Kickboxers. Classes: Kickboxing all day, every day Schedule: Very flexible. Opens at 6:30 3 days a week and until 8 Mon-Thursday. Atmosphere: New, clean equipment, efficient use of space. Everything you'd expect in a boxing gym but the ropes. Price: $49 a month for unlimited classes Extras: When you enroll you get your very own pair of gloves and hand wraps. Cherry on top: you can choose your own boxer name. Also access to a proprietary nutrition guide

Fantastic place to train hard in a fun friendly fitness kickboxing environment. The biggest…read moreadvantage for me is that there is no set schedule, so if you are as extremely busy as I am, you can walk in at anytime they are open and get your workout.

Been training here for three years and so far I'm very satisfied with the level of instruction and…read morefull schedule of classes available. I started with BJJ, but soon added Krav Maga and Muay Thai. Every now and then I'll do MMA for fun. This gym feels like a second home and it honestly keeps getting better. On top of having an even balance of gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, no gi, and striking classes, they've recently added judo and fitness classes. The overall environment is very chill and welcoming to everyone. It's definitely not a roided out tap out bro gym. Also, unlike some gyms I've attended, there's no prejudice against other BJJ lineages. Cross training with other BJJ gyms is welcomed and encouraged, as are visiting BJJ practitioners from anywhere. Since signing up three years ago, I've never had any billing or payment issues. I'm suspicious of reviewers who say they have. I've attended and paid for a number of martial arts and fitness type gyms and the policies at Soulcraft are the same ones you'll find at most other well run gyms. In my experience, they've actually been very reasonable. When an injury forced me to stop training for a month, I explained my situation and was not charged for a month. My main reason for writing this review was to share updated photos of the gym facilities. The photos on yelp were pretty old and the gym has changed a lot since then.

Came in to try a class with my friend and we loved it! The place is inviting and the staff is…read moregreat. The class was a lot of fun, a great workout and the instructor was awesome. I will definitely be back to try more classes.

Marisa is amazing. Our boy is autistic and we are starting to introduce him to diffrent activities…read more The staff was patient, understanding and supportive. Great communication. Price is good.

Even the boys are so cute even one that is always flipping his hair and we named him ken flip lol -…read moreAngelina, yonas friend. Even so the workout is great I got really good and got stronger so like JOIN its so fun! - yona- 2024.

I'd give it six stars if I could. The clientelle looks very much like the neighborhood. Younger,…read morelots of students, a LBG population. Lots of people in great shape. I was a little afraid, as I am neither young nor in good shape. Fears unfounded. I find the staff and most of the other clients to be polite and supportive. The classes are the best. Lots of them, everything included in the membership. People encourage each other and the trainers are very good.

Excellent front desk staff, Colby , Barbara and Sara very helpful, very hard workers always doing…read moresomething.

This a great small, local business with lots to offer. I went in to try out kickboxing. I ended up…read moregetting a class card that I can use for any class offered. Ive been going to kicking boxing once a week. Its an amazing workout in 45minutes. Definitely worth it! I have also taken the zumba class, which is lots of fun and also a great workout. I have yet to try the yoga class, but its on my list. There are karate classes for all ages, too. My kids did take class here about 10 years ago and loved Master Ross. He doesn't put up with nonsense but its friendly and relatable. Check it out!

Master Ross and staff are excellent with kids! It's great place to learn and grow.read more

Tania is absolutely amazing! She knows everything about fitness and diet. She is punctual and…read moreprofessional! And of course! most importantly, she is emotionally supportive! Amazing human!

I trained with Tania for about 3 years starting at Yale while in graduate school until I moved to…read morethe west coast this last year. She is motivating and kind. I felt supported in both my diet and exercise goals. I like that she used many different tactics to help me change behaviors from taking about it in training to emails to emotional type exercises to get at route causes of certain eating habits. I'm still on my journey to being the best version of me but Tania was influential in getting me this far. I would recommend her as a trainer to anyone!

Working with Active Wellness has completely changed how I view fitness. They introduced me to…read morePilates and helped me prioritize my physical health in a way that actually feels sustainable. I've learned that I enjoy working out so much more when I have a clear routine and structured workouts--and they're always thoughtful about making adjustments so each session fits my body and needs. I feel stronger, more confident, and genuinely excited to move.

About 15 months ago, I visited the Active Fitness studio to talk to Christina & Drew and share my…read morehopes for our time training together. At the time, I had goal tunnel vision. The sole thing I cared about was rebuilding my atrophied leg, a symptom of extensive knee construction that had turned my quad, hamstring and calve into shadows of their original selves. I couldn't kneel, squat, lunge or even sit for prolonged periods of time without pain. Christina and Drew were thoughtful in their approach (which I now know is just how they operate). I think that they knew my goals would blossom as I felt more control over my knee recovery, and that's exactly what happened. Every week, we saw little gains and I found myself asking bigger questions, not just about my knee but about diet, mental health, routine, self-image, and mindfulness. Now, 15 months later, I feel physically strong. I feel disciplined and capable. I feel like I can trust myself to take good care of my body and brain. And most of all, I feel healthy even though 2020 has been an objectively difficult year for our world. In March, we shifted to Zoom because of coronavirus - I'm so grateful that I had their support during a time when mental and physical health was so important. They helped me transition to quarantine, work from home, home workouts, and a lot more cooking than I've ever done. If you need a team behind you, I highly recommend that you invest in yourself by working with Christina and Drew. Their training quality via Zoom is excellent and leaves me feeling strong, valued and connected!

There is no better place to get all of your fitness needs. Great instructors and so welcoming!!!!read more

This place has changed my life. Since I started going to Cardio Kick 2 1/2 years ago, I am stronger…read moreand happier than I have ever been. The workouts and the supportive community of instructors and members are incredible!!!

I started out in the fit smart program and have to say this was one of the best decisions I made! I…read morehave met so many great people here and the coaches are amazing. If you have a chance to try a class or join one of the challenges you won't be disappointed! I upgraded to the full membership at the end of the challenge, it's been a great experience and I love the workouts!

This place is such a scam. There fit smart program is a scam of taking money from people. Never…read moredoing that ever again. Did not go one day to the program, tried to cancel and they refuse to cancel the membership. Now they are taking 75$ a month from a person who tried to cancel the membership 3 days after I signed the contract.