La Quinta's Coral Mountain Desert Club Breaks Ground on a 400-Acre Wellness Empire
A sweeping new private club in the Coachella Valley will offer championship golf, the largest pneumatic wave basin in the United States, world-class racquet sports, and a full recovery spa — redefining what an active lifestyle resort can look like in Southern California.
An artist's rendering of Coral Mountain Desert Club in La Quinta, set against the dramatic Santa Rosa Mountains. — Meriwether Companies
Meriwether Companies officially broke ground this week on Coral Mountain Desert Club, a 400-acre private resort in La Quinta that its developers are billing as "something entirely new for the region." The facility will anchor its offering around five core pillars — golf, fitness and recovery, racquet sports, surf, and social programming — on a site adjacent to more than 20,000 acres of public land in the Santa Rosa Mountains.
At the heart of the development is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by architect David McLay Kidd, whose prior work includes Bandon Dunes in Oregon and the Castle Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. The La Quinta layout will be Kidd's first desert-style links course and his inaugural work in the Coachella Valley.
"We are excited to offer a modern club where active families can connect through fitness, wellness and adventure."
— Noah Hahn, Managing Partner, Meriwether CompaniesThe club's wave basin — slated to be the largest pneumatic manmade surf facility in the United States — will sit alongside four padel courts, eight pickleball courts, three tennis courts, a pump track, and resort-style pools. The recovery facilities will include massage treatment rooms, steam, sauna, cold plunges, and hot tubs, reflecting the industry-wide shift toward recovery as a core pillar of athletic programming rather than an afterthought.
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Crunch Fitness Brings $4M 'Crunch 3.0' Gym to San Rafael
Crunch Fitness announced the upcoming opening of an 18,000-square-foot facility in San Rafael — part of its new "Crunch 3.0" format emphasizing recovery zones, group fitness, and personal training alongside traditional gym floor space. The $4 million build-out is currently hiring membership representatives, personal trainers, and group fitness instructors.
Monterey, CA — April 16–19, 2026.
Trends & Technology
Section BWearable Tech Holds the #1 Spot in ACSM's 2026 Global Fitness Trends Report
For the second consecutive year, wearable technology has topped the American College of Sports Medicine's annual worldwide fitness trends forecast. Smartwatches, rings, and AI-driven sensors now track heart rate variability, blood glucose, sleep patterns, and skin temperature — giving users what ACSM lead author Dr. Cayla McAvoy calls "unprecedented insights" into their health.
"The question is no longer whether people will use wearables — it's teaching them how to use the data."
— Dr. Cayla McAvoy, ACSM-EPIn California, the trend is especially acute: a Stanford survey found wearable adoption among Bay Area adults now exceeds 61%, the highest rate of any state. Devices from Oura, Garmin, WHOOP, and Apple Watch dominate the market, with AI coaching features accelerating adoption among younger users.
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Outdoors & Events
Section CSea Otter Classic Returns to Monterey Next Week With New Trail Run Added to the Mix
The Life Time Sea Otter Classic — the world's largest cycling festival — opens its gates in Monterey on April 16th for a four-day celebration of all things two-wheeled. New for 2026: a dedicated Sea Otter Trail Run, marking the event's first formal expansion beyond cycling in its 35-year history. The festival encompasses 14 race disciplines and a consumer bicycle expo featuring more than 1,000 brands.
Two Gran Fondo routes will traverse Monterey's coastline and rolling hills, while an Off-Road Tour through Fort Ord offers two distances for recreational riders. "The cycling world unites to celebrate all racers — from the professional to the amateur," organizers say. Spectator admission remains free.
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Trail Running · Records
Trail Running Hits 12.4 Million U.S. Participants — California Leads Growth
Trail running participation has reached 12.4 million in the US alone, according to new Sports & Fitness Industry Association data — the steepest growth curve of any endurance discipline. New events are launching monthly across the state, from the Spartan Trail race over the Golden Gate Bridge into the Marin Headlands this spring, to the Legends Championship functional fitness competition in Del Mar on April 24–26.
Recover Faster.
Mind & Body
Section DNew Platform Lets Clinicians Formally Prescribe Exercise as Medical Treatment
MoveFitRx connects clinicians, patients, and fitness facilities to verify exercise prescriptions.
A California-based health tech startup called MoveFitRx has launched a platform that connects physicians, patients, and fitness facilities to formally prescribe and verify exercise as a standard of care. The technology — announced in March — aims to bring movement into the clinical workflow as a first-line treatment, not a footnote on a discharge summary.
"We're establishing movement as a formal Standard of Care, not an optional lifestyle suggestion."
— MoveFitRx, Launch StatementThe launch comes as the ACSM's 2026 trends report ranks "exercise is medicine" second on its global list, and as Blue Shield of California expands Wellvolution — its digital health coaching program — to cover exercise-based interventions for members managing chronic conditions including diabetes, depression, and hypertension.
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State Briefs
RoundupRecovery Is No Longer Optional: California Gyms Race to Build 'Wellness Ecosystems'
From cryotherapy chambers and infrared saunas to cold plunges and hyperbaric pods, California's boutique fitness studios are investing heavily in recovery infrastructure. Industry analysts say the shift reflects a fundamental change in consumer motivation: a 2025 Wakefield Research survey found 60% of Americans now cite longevity and healthy aging — not appearance — as their top reason for exercising.
Women's Wellness
Menopause Fitness Takes Center Stage as 47 Million Women Enter Midlife Annually
The American Council on Exercise says 2026 is the year menopause fitness becomes impossible to ignore, driven by new research on the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Declining estrogen now understood to drive joint pain, bone density loss, and tendon injury risk — and California gyms are beginning to tailor programming accordingly.
Walking Trends
'Japanese Walking' Surges 2,986% in Search Interest — California Leads Adoption
The interval walking method — alternating fast and slow strides in three-minute segments — has exploded in popularity after a PureGym report flagged its near-3,000% rise in search interest. Walking yoga, the 6-6-6 challenge, and "snack-sized workouts" are also gaining traction as Californians seek efficient, low-impact movement options.
Athletics & Events
Section ELegends Championship Brings Elite Masters Competition to Del Mar, April 24–26
The Legends Championship — one of the highest-profile functional fitness competitions in the Western United States — comes to Del Mar next weekend, emphasizing elite and masters categories in what organizers describe as a showcase of "longevity divisions done seriously." The event highlights a broader industry recognition that strength and power maintenance with age is one of the strongest predictors of independence and quality of life.
Meanwhile, the CrossFit Teen Championships are slated for San Jose McEnery Convention Center in July, and Mt. Umunhum Ultras return to the Santa Cruz Mountains on June 6th. The full California trail race calendar now lists 277 events statewide in 2026 — a record.
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Pilates · ClassPass
Pilates Is the Most-Booked Workout on Earth for the Third Year Running — Up 66%
ClassPass's annual Look Back Report confirmed Pilates held the global top spot for the third consecutive year, with bookings up 66% since 2024. California studios, particularly in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, are reporting multi-week waitlists as the reformer-based discipline continues its dominance across all age groups.
Classifieds & Notices
Section FOur Software.
PERSONAL TRAINERS — CRUNCH SAN RAFAEL NASM-CPT & ACE preferred. Now hiring ahead of grand opening. Apply: crunch.com/locations/san-rafael
PILATES INSTRUCTOR — Club Pilates, West Hollywood. Full-time, competitive pay. Send resume to careers@clubpilates.com
RECOVERY STUDIO FOR LEASE — 1,800 sq ft. Existing infrared sauna + cold plunge. Silver Lake, LA. $3,600/mo. 213-555-0188.
Upcoming Races & Events
Sea Otter Classic — Monterey, Apr 16–19
Legends Championship — Del Mar, Apr 24–26
Spartan Trail SF — Marin Headlands, May 10
Mt. Umunhum Ultras — Santa Cruz Mtns, Jun 6
CrossFit Teen Championships — San Jose, Jul 24–26
Born to Run Ultra — Los Olivos, Oct 2026