Health & Fitness in Athens

Though housed in a historic building downtown, Bikram Yoga Athens is a state-of the-art yoga studio, complete with a purified-air heating system and antimicrobial carpet. Classes, led by experienced Bikram instructors, take place in a room heated to 105 degrees, designed to detoxify systems and make muscles more pliable than Gumby losing a fight with a taffy puller. The studio rents or sells yoga mats and towels before class and houses changing rooms equipped with showers and bathrooms so that guests can cool down.

The athletic instructors at Athens Vertical Pole Dance Academy draw from backgrounds in aerial dance as they dispel common notions about pole dance through classes, workshops, and performances. They teach open-ended sensual and circus techniques to males and females inside a studio, where two 9-foot and two 14-foot spinning poles let students hone their strength, balance, and flexibility. Instructors reserve an impressive 24-foot static pole for special performances. Above the cushioned floor, stereo and theatrical lighting systems and a ballet bar let visitors warm up for dance performances or avant-garde staged readings of Charles Dickens' stories.

Dr. Richard Blue of Blue Laser Group has been in his patients' shoes. A specialist in refractive surgery, he underwent a procedure himself in 1991, and so can personally relate to the trials his patients go through and talk to the leaps in technology that have been made since then. He performs Lasik services with a Wavelight EX 500 laser, with many patients able to return the next day to regular activities. Besides Lasik, Dr. Blue and his team perform routine eye exams and treat eye diseases.

Under the watchful eye of Doctor of Acupuncture William D. Skelton, the skilled staff members at Mind Body Institute aid patients with treatments designed to complement traditional medical treatments. By applying very thin single-use needles to target areas across the body, the acupuncturists redirect the flow of energy, helping to treat chronic pain, anxiety, headaches, and numerous other conditions. In addition to acupuncture treatments, the roster includes services as diverse as psychotherapy, yoga, and massage therapy.

Mia Kytle has a deep love of nature, and her passion for natural healing methods led her to Georgia Massage Institute. Upon receiving her license and national certification, she honed her skills at a local spa before founding Spa Revolution. When Mia kneads sinews, she combines aromatherapy and handmade bodycare products with organic and vegan ingredients. Her toolbox of techniques includes Swedish, deep-tissue, and pregnancy massage. To loosen stubborn knots, she integrates neuromuscular techniques with myofascial-release and trigger-point therapy. When Mia isn't cosseting her clients, she avoids using caustic chemicals by scouring her facilities with all-natural cleaning products, instead of supernatural cleaning products, which are just full of ectoplasmic goo.

All day, every day, the walls of Fitness @ Five reverberate with the sound of vigorous exercise. The hubbub originates from more than 50 pieces of Life Fitness and Hammer Strength equipment, from treadmills and elliptical machines that display workout stats as they boost cardiovascular endurance to plate-loaded weightlifting machines that resist force as they strengthen muscles. Available to members and visitors, SunVision Elite tanning beds and a collection of lotions enhance or lock in golden hues.