Blue Ash, OH Health and Fitness

Though Kim Boardman was a flourishing musician who played in prestigious national orchestras, behind her tooting clarinet thumped the heart of a dancer. Kim spent 12 years of her childhood avidly studying dance at local studios and the respected Interlochen Arts Academy, but eventually put away her pointe shoes to pursue a career as a clarinetist. Unable to shake her passion for movement, however, Kim began taking dance classes as an adult, and earned certifications as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer. Though she continued to teach a variety of fitness classes, she found the most happiness in teaching dance.

Today, she draws from her professional understanding of music and movement to teach classes through Cardio Dance Party, which has received praise from Cincy Chic. Here, she is joined by a staff of seasoned instructors and fellow dance aficionados, leading students of all abilities through high-intensity dance moves as popular music sets bodies in motion. Much like a rollercoaster operated by your childhood babysitter, her dance classes are designed to be fun rather than frustrating, dull, and repetitive.

Inspired by their participation in the Firefighter Combat Challenge FireFITT’s founders translate a training program generally reserved for professional firefighters into a regimen suitable to individuals of any fitness level or vocation. Much like mailing wedding invites without stamps, the team maintains a limited class enrollment of no more than six students, allowing instructors to personalize workouts for individuals while still cultivating the camaraderie of a group environment. This program emerged from the founders challenging themselves in 2006 to participate in what ESPN has called the "toughest two minutes in sports", during which a pair of firefighters square off to race through a gamut of five tasks. Over time, the team built out their own course where they could practice for competitions. Just outside the indoor space, students find the crown jewel of FireFITT’s training course, a five-story training tower used by fireman to practice scaling flights of stairs in full uniform.

When skaters of all ages aren't perfecting figure eights on its NHL-size rink during public-skating hours, Northland Ice Center plays host to the Cincinnati Cyclones' practice squad, uniting amateurs and pros on its flat, frozen playground. Open year-round since 1973, the frosty arena also sets the stage for skating and hockey lessons, during which instructors impart their skills according to a curriculum formulated by U.S. Figure Skating. Athletes slap pucks and hot potatoes to teammates in youth and adult hockey leagues, and friends and families feast on pizza and cake in private party rooms before taking to the ice.

With a snack bar refueling legs and a pro shop sharpening blades to razor edges next to the ice, outings can stretch on into the evening or until a triple axle gone awry slices the zamboni's power cord.

At The Better You Clinic and Spa, board-certified physician Dr. Karen Jobalia makes one-on-one support the pillar of her practice. A certified supervisor of hCG-supplemented diet plans, she encourages her weight-loss patients to call and text for moral support and meets with all dermal-filler recipients a week after their treatments to administer touchups and help fill out each wrinkle’s change-of-address card.

As twilight approaches, Mary Beth Nishime can hardly sit still. Her inner party animal is purring, and its insatiable hunger can only be quelled with a hearty helping of beats, moves, and action. Fortunately, Zumba provides all three, plus the joyful atmosphere common to Latin salsa and merengue. So Mary Beth and her crew move the party to local churches, schools, and senior centers, where students of all fitness levels melt calories and stress with each chest pop and hip swivel. A team of teachers leads many of the church-based classes, filling the room with more energy than a newborn quasar. And to help students vary workouts, Mary Beth also hosts boot camps, yoga classes, and kickboxing sessions at her dojo, Nishime Family Karate.

With boot-camp locations throughout the Midwest, Look Good Naked's comprehensive program combines results-oriented training with nutrition and lifestyle education. Its name is actually an acronym that spells out the business's strategy for improving health. At the heart of this elucidation of principles is the notion that a workout program ought not only be about workouts. Of equal importance is food, which is why the most difficult workouts can be in the kitchen. The program promotes wholesome lifestyle habits with a coach-assisted nutrition program and kitchen cleanouts, and encourages clients to log their daily meals. Students receive constant motivation outside the sessions via frequent informative emails, regular progress assessments, and online educational podcasts and webinars.

Uniting a fidelity to natural, unprocessed food with dedication to a vigorous exercise program helps Look Good Naked clients go a long way to achieving this business's appellation for themselves. The latter half of that strategy begins by joining a boot-camp session, where a trainer always puts positivity and support at the forefront of their teaching methodology. Trainers lead high-intensity workout sessions throughout the week, tailoring movements to accommodate each participant, as well as working with clients who have restrictions such as injuries or lazy Siamese twins.