An added bonus to learning self defense is getting in the best shape of your life. Athletic Club South End offers Krav Maga Martial Arts classes which do both at once. Go to the classes for self defense and get in shape as a result, or go to get in shape and learn to defend yourself in the process… either way, the benefits of Krav Maga are immense. Learning potentially life saving skills is fun, especially when the end result is tighter buttocks, trim waistline, and less stress. Things like that extra long day at work or tense meeting with your teenager’s principal simply melt away in these classes, which were originally designed for the Israeli Defense Forces. In Israel everybody serves in the military, and you can be called up to Age 55. Krav Maga was structured to work quickly – both to educate you on self defense while getting you in the shape of your life, propelling you to a level of proficiency more quickly because it uses the body’s natural instincts to do so.

Krav Maga classes at Athletic Club South End are an offshoot of Ryan Hoover’s Extreme Karate in Gastonia. Hoover started in traditional martial arts after suffering scuffles and scrapes as a kid. A host of black belts later, Hoover is a full instructor which includes civilian, military, and law enforcement. His facility is a regional training center, one of only six in the world who can certify Krav Maga instructors. What does this mean to you? For starters, it means in class you’ll see everyone from law enforcement professionals including FBI, CIA, and secret service agents to super moms. That hot guy or gal standing next to you could be your 35-year old accountant or a member of Charlotte’s elite S.W.A.T. team.

Location: Athletic Club South End
Phone: 704-332-6691
Location: Ryan Hoover’s Extreme Karate in Gastonia
Phone: 704-867-4020
Info: Rhek.com

It’s a Saturday morning. You’re staring blankly at each other over coffee and the typical morning paper. It’s time to climb out of that sleepy slump, literally. For about $26, Inner Peaks Climbing Center can make you a climbing fool. And since it’s is a partner sport, climbing is the perfect fitness gift for your loved one. One of you handles the ropes, while the other climbs. It’s inexpensive, something different to do together and comes with major fitness benefits.

Indoor and outdoor climbing requires strength and flexibility. Endurance is helpful, but if you’re new to the sport don’t worry – practice makes perfect. Your skills will improve quickly. Many climbers say once they made their first climb, they were hooked for life, citing the partnership of physical exercise and mental discipline. Added bonuses include more self-confidence, a greater understanding of your body and a feeling of freedom from the ground

Climbers and their partners need a minimum of a day pass (only $13), a harness ($4) and gri-gri lesson ($5) if you’ve never climbed before. Shoes to make climbing easier are optional; you can rent them for an additional $4. Be sure to call ahead for groups of nine or more. Here’s a tip: wear comfortable clothing! Wearing short-shorts or blue jeans makes for an uncomfortable experience courtesy of the climbing harness.

Location: 9535 Monroe Road Suite 170  
Phone: 704-844-6677
Info: InnerPeaks.com  

If the words “four handed body massage” don’t jar you into wanting an immediate appointment at Salon Vivace, maybe knowing that this is the place supermodel Marvy Rieder makes a beeline for when in Charlotte, will. Rieder, one of the faces of Guess Jeans recently visited Charlotte for a charitable event. The one salon she patronized while here was Salon Vivace. Said Rieder of the Salon, “if only I had another day to just sit here and relax.”

You don’t have to be on the cover of magazines to earn the right to a day of health and beauty. Man or woman, giving in to the powerful benefits of massage therapy can soothe a hurting back, heal injuries, and treat stress. Massage therapy is one of the oldest ways people throughout the ages have “achieved better health, relaxation, and rejuvenation”. Massage is credited with “relieving body aches and pains, alleviating migraines, promoting better circulation and delivering a general sense of peace and stress relief”. With the four handed massage, South Park’s Salon Vivace wisely recognized that the only way to improve on a great massage is to make it bigger. With 75 minutes of double therapeutic massage, no matter how much you love your Valentine, we challenge you to actually give this gift away to anyone (other than yourself, of course.)

Location: Piedmont Town Center
4625 Piedmont Row Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210
Phone: 704-552-1662
Info: salonvivace.com

After climbing, massage therapy, karate… who feels like cooking? You will, if you swing by Pasta & Provisions on the way home. Treating your special someone to a night of gastronomical Italian bliss isn’t as difficult as you might think. A Meal from Pasta & Provisions is the best kind of home cooked Italian meal – one that doesn’t require chopping, dicing, or rolling. It’s all done for you, and beautifully presented in the form of ready to heat homemade sauces and fresh pastas, Italian groceries and specially selected wine to go with all of the above.

The brainchild of Tommy George, Pasta & Provisions has been enthralling Charlotte foodies since 1992. The pasta is made fresh daily and cut to order in your favorite form – spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, or angel hair. Adventurous pappardelle and lasagna lovers can get these pastas uncut in 11”x16” sheets. Flavored pastas include wild mushroom, basil, black pepper and lemon among others, gnocchi, tortellini and gourmet prepared dishes from lasagna to chicken Marsala are made fresh daily. 18 Sauces are also made fresh from marinara to gorgonzola to basil pesto. There’s even a black bean pesto with zero grams of fat. Try the garlic and parsley linguine with Pasta & Provisions famous amatriciana tomato sauce with imported prosciutto, pancetta, ground beef, Italian sausage, garlic, onions, and parsley. Add a bottle of Guggenheim Syrah from the hand-picked wine selection chosen specifically to match the store’s fresh foods. An appetizer of fresh mozzarella and prosciutto de Parma completes the perfect Valentine’s Day at home feast he or she will love you for making.

Location: 1528 Providence Road in Myers Park
Phone: 704-364-2622  
Info: PastaProvisions.com