Health & Fitness in Alexandria

Today's side deal to Fitness on the Run gets you two personal training sessions for $55, up to a $160 value ($100 value for new clients). Many of Fitness on the Run's trainers come from busy careers in politics and government, so they know how difficult it is to make fitness a priority in the midst of a heavy workload and fast-paced career. Your trainer will provide the motivation and support, so all you need to do is pencil in your session. With a variety of specialties and approaches, your trainers will maximize your efficiency, for a workout that boasts better results with a decreased risk of injury from incorrect form or overworking. In an effort to help the procrastination-inclined, this Groupon expires on March 30, 2010.

Sometimes it takes more than medication to heal. That’s why acupuncturist Linda Wentz founded Holistic Touch Center and its mission to help hasten the healing process by offering services that extend beyond the body to incorporate the needs of the mind and spirit. There, Silvy Franco, the center's holistic esthetician, blends years of skin care experience with training in natural health and energy medicine to produce treatments that restore the body while rebalancing the mind and spirit. She reads each client's skin like a map, plotting out appropriate treatment courses that are delivered as part of one of the center's rituals, which include components ranging from traditional facials and detoxifying peels to Vitamin C infusions and cold stone massages. In addition to performing these rituals, Silvy also helps clients adapt these treatments for use in at-home skin care regimens, keeping epidermises glowing and well-adjusted to changes in seasonal weather.

Those interested in acupuncture may enlist in Kirsten Jacob, a trained herbalist who received her Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Han University of Traditional Medicine in Tucson, Az. In addition to specializing in facial-rejuvenation acupuncture treatments, she also possess a background in pediatric respiratory therapy as well as general family treatment. Her specialities include pediatric and family acupuncture, behavioral/learning issues, and stress reduction and internal medicine. Kirsten incorporates classical Chinese botanical therapy into her work, which includes tui na–or Chinese medical/therapeutic massage–cupping, and moxa. When she is not helping her clients attain inner peace through eastern healing techniques, she tends to her kids while indulging in reading, writing, and traveling.

When you did fitness alone, you couldn’t figure out the machines, did a wimpy walk on the treadmill, went home, and ate Funyuns. Today’s Groupon brings back the buddy system with $75 for three 45-minute personal training sessions at Fitness Together, a $225 value. With 13 participating locations in the DC metro area, you're bound to pass one on your way to the grocery store and four on your way to the grocery store that carries your favorite brand of Yoo-Hoo.Follow @Groupon_Says on Twitter.

Lindsey Vick, owner of Sunflowers Healing and Wellness, is a jill-of-all-trades in the world of holistic healing. Her résumé lists a slew of specialties—certified hypnotist, reiki master, certified birth doula—that attend to both the emotional and physical needs of patrons. At her side is Mark Vick, a Harvard graduate who facilitates couples counseling and life-coaching sessions. Together, they strive to bring positivity into the lives of their clients.

Dr. Roy Heron, a bariatric specialist and veteran member of numerous local medical societies, helps patients attain svelte, healthy physiques through personalized weight-loss plans that highlight his signature low-carbohydrate philosophy. Backed by a motivating staff of nutritional counselors, Dr. Heron had performed more than 1,100 SmartLipo procedures and lends his extensive medical wisdom to the customized programs, each of which is tailored around clients’ unique health histories, dietary habits, and jumping-jack preferences. Tools such as BMI assessments, B12 injections, and appetite suppressants assist patients throughout the program, and minimally invasive laser treatments can help augment results by trimming lingering fat. To further fortify results, Dr. Heron can give thoughtful recommendations on valuable local services, such as health spas, fitness clubs, superhero meetings, and dermatology offices.

Alexandria's licensed massage therapists come from backgrounds that range from the US Army Reserve to the biomedical division of the Red Cross. They alleviate chronic tension with Swedish and deep-tissue techniques or the light pressure of craniosacral therapy. Therapeutic acupuncture and aromatherapy are also offered along with Rx massages focused on specific afflictions, such as headaches, TMJ, and poor comedic timing.