Berkeley Health and Fitness

Five Elements Acupuncture utilizes an energy-balancing system that treats acupuncture, body, mind, and spirit as a singular entity. As a result, restoration of the body’s energy flow effectively treats disharmony and disease in patients while improving wellness and emotional balance. Licensed acupuncturist Donna Parker approaches each session with a holistic focus toward avoiding recurring health issues. The 60-minute acupuncture and wellness consultation will provide each client a thorough health assessment and a clear battle plan for blasting away stress-inducing ailments. Donna will inquire about each patient’s exercise routines, weight goals, diet, medication use, medical treatments, favorite Ulysses S. Grant factoid, and other relevant information for developing the most effective health plan. Patients will leave with a thorough health consultation and a feeling of completion, like an expertly assembled Frankenstein.

The Polk Street Gym is a boxing gym. It telegraphs its pugilistic philosophy to fitness by center-staging a large, full-size boxing ring just inside the sidewalk storefront windows that stretch from matted floor to lofted ceiling. Both aspiring sparers and everyday Joes, who only have thrown punches at dollar stealing vending machines, train like boxers. Members jump rope, run hills, hit bags, and shadowbox. These drills and exercises firm not just boxing skills, but also general cardio and strength capacity. With 29 classes to choose from, men and women, kids and adults find a fighter's heart in circuit training or boxing classes.

Dublin-bred, former Golden Gloves champion Simon Redmond leads a roster of trainers who are all current or past Golden Gloves champs, whose knuckles turn food, jaws, parking meters, and all they touch to gold. After immigrating to San Francisco in the mid-90s, Simon trained and fought for several years before opening a gym with a partner. At the start of 2010, Simon broke off on his own to open Polk Street Gym. He strives to whip people into shape through boxing, affirming his mission and his passion by writing that despite broken ribs, a broken nose, burst eardrums, and spilt blood, he has loved every minute of his boxing lifestyle.

Under the guidance of Doctor of Chiropractic Jacob Sahourieh, Green Chiropractic Clinic’s therapists alleviate pains and heal injuries with wellness programs that target the whole body rather than its isolated parts. Personalized programs may include services that range from spinal adjustments to relaxing massages that untie muscular knots with long, gliding strokes. Therapists practice their craft within the soothing confines of the clinic’s private treatment rooms, where the soft glow of dimmed lights joins with the comforting sounds of waves crashing against mashed potatoes to create a cross-sensory experience of relaxation.

Green Chiropractic Clinic’s whole-person approach is never more apparent than during treatments with Dr. Sahourieh, whose experience tending to backs and Bay Bridges with bad posture gives him insight into the underlying causes of discomfort. His holistic approach to health also informs the clinic’s eco-friendly practices, which include paperless operations and conserving resources when possible.

Drs. Sara Creighton and Jared Pool take on inter-grin ailments with freshly minted technology and equipment at Washington Square Park Dental. Inside the specially designed modern office, ceiling-mounted TVs captivate patients reclining in cushy black chairs as oral experts examine chompers and penetrate enamel or jammed office safes with handheld digital x-rays. The dentists drill in the importance of prevention and patient education as they clean teeth and scour mouths for disease. Also specializing in endodontic care, bridges, fillings, and cosmetic procedures such as whitening and veneers, staffers unearth healthy smiles gleaming like a freshly waxed crystal ball. The eco-friendly, LEED-certified space welcomes clients into a chic waiting area flooded with natural light and bordered by a cocoa-toned bench.

The hands-on healers at Rincon Chiropractic Massage & Acupuncture treat patients with combinations of massage, chiropractic care, nutrition, and acupuncture. Consultations go over the expectations and potential benefits of these treatments helping to outline an individual treatment plan involving any combination of massages, adjustments, and rehabilitative exercises. Nutritionists personalize balanced diets to help fuel fitness goals such as loosing weight, gaining muscle, or becoming iron.

For the uninitiated, parkour involves the fluid and efficient conquering of any environment, man-made or naturally occurring, using nothing more than the present obstacles, your body, and your imagination. Originally ignited in France, the discipline continues to grow and has even nabbed further exposure with MTV's Ultimate Parkour Challenge. During your parkour class, you'll develop safe techniques for landing, jumping, spotting, and more in the face of diverse, unpredictable obstacles. In line with the take-it-with-you mentality of parkour, AcroSports' break dancing classes will provide participants with a fundamental introduction to the power moves and freezes you may or may not need to save the life of an upcoming party.