Catalina Foothills, AZ Health and Fitness

Founder Brianna Arndt dreamed of a place where her fellow citizens checked their stress at the door, engaging only in meditative exercise and relaxing spa treatments. So she got her hands on a 2,400-square-foot studio with new, polished hardwood floors and used her know-how as a registered yoga teacher and massage therapist to open Barefoot Studio. Brianna blends an intimate knowledge of the body's workings into every class, choosing asanas that help relax, heal, or energize clients. Outside the studio, she employs massage to relax tense muscles or beautifies bodies with waxing, facials, and pedicures, the only known treatment for a chronic fear of toes.

While many Americans may think they know Chuck Norris because of the way his on-screen persona has roundhouse kicked its way into our hearts, few have actually met the man. Fewer, in fact, have been bestowed a sixth-degree black belt from Master Norris in his chun-kuk-do martial-arts system. But the founder of Ultima Self-Defense and Fitness LLC, Charles Allen, has.

Mr. Allen takes seriously his role in building confidence and shaping role models throughout the community, which is why he handpicks each of his center’s instructors. These instructors cater to diverse fitness and self-defense expectations, including adults looking to cut a competitive edge into their lives with mixed martial arts, a form of training that schools students in the sparring, grappling, and takedown techniques popularized by the caged sport. For energetic, high-energy exercise, KravFit uses kettlebells to achieve total-body toning and conditioning. Kids' programs include krav-maga self-defense classes as well as birthday parties that challenge celebrants to cut their cake with only their forearm.

For Doctor of Chiropractic Sophie Jacob, chiropractic medicine goes beyond the bones—it’s in her blood. Jacob grew up watching her father care for patients in the field for 30 years, deciding early on to follow in his footsteps and become a second-generation chiropractor. She originally helmed two practices in her hometown of Quebec City, Canada, before moving to sunny Arizona, where she performs treatments ranging from adjustments and custom orthotics to a variety of detoxification services.

Perhaps her most important mission, however, is assisting patients with their weight-loss and fitness goals. During an interview on KGUN 9's The Morning Blend, Dr. Jacob admitted to struggling with her own weight as a child, exemplifying empathy with regards to the physical and emotional impact of excess poundage. She has designed an alkaline-food-based weight-loss program to restore bodily balance via detoxifying protocols, supplements, and hormone testing. Dr. Jacob has also treated professional athletes and has competed in several athletic events, including triathlons, swimming matches, and marathons to the moon and back.

Professional fighters such as Eddie “Crazy Face” Arizmendi and Chad “Grave Digger” Griggs call Apex Mixed Martial Arts home, but owners Joey “Boom Boom” and Nicole Rivera treat each client like a champion. Inside the cages and on the grappling mats, instructors lead a variety of martial-arts programs such as striking, adult and kids' MMA, grappling, capoeira, and professional practice. Native Brazilian Melissa Morgensen leads energetic Brazilian samba classes, and Apex also hosts other special events such as kids' camps.

When discussing the teaching philosophy at Tucson Pole Fitness, founder Jessica McCain explained to reporters of Tucson Weekly, “Our goal is not just to teach you fancy tricks. Our goal is to help you lose weight and get fit. Along the way, you learn new things.” Among them, fancy new tricks. Jessica and her staff of fellow instructors conduct a variety of fat-blasting, fitness-infused pole-dancing classes on the towering gold poles of their private studio, interspersing routines of spins, tricks, and climbs with high-intensity strength and conditioning exercises. Other classes focus more on the pure artistry of the form, creating routines and honing technique. In addition to Tucson Pole Fitness’s bread and butter, the instructors lead lap-dancing sessions and striptease workshops, ideal for injecting a little spice into relationships or seducing your favorite football team’s mascot.

Car horns, like distant banshees. Thrumming traffic. The clatter of lawn mowers. All the sounds that fill everyday life fade away on the sand-hued cork floors of 4th Avenue Yoga. Instructors guide students of all skill levels through yoga, meditation, and tai chi, all of which seek to focus the body on conscious breaths and graceful balance. Candles flicker against the exposed-brick walls, bringing the rough texture to life, and a warming system kicks into action to start hot-yoga classes and end long, pointless stories told by eskimos.