Corpus Christi Health and Fitness

Gymnastics rings dangle from the ceiling and flags dress the walls at SeaCity CrossFit, where workouts draw inspiration from Olympic sports such as weightlifting, gymnastics, cycling, and running. Here, experienced coaches stress form and posture during training sessions that incorporate strength and cardio exercises. The trainers focus on performance and skill acquisition as students use tools such as kettlebells, medicine balls, and sandbags to perform functional exercises. They’ll tailor movements to a variety of fitness levels to ensure that every participant, whether they’re pro athletes or infrequent exercisers, gets the most out of their workouts.

New Stride Physical Therapy's accredited staff helps physiques recover from injury or stress with a slate of rehabilitation services. Touting a doctorate in physical therapy, owner Traci Powell leads Peak Pilates sessions that disperse workloads to the muscles, helping to increase energy and strengthen the body. The facility boasts a gym area, pool area, and therapy room, where physical therapist Brooke Thorpe helps visitors with bone, nerve, and balance troubles. Certified massage therapist Oscar F. Flores culls from a repertoire of therapeutic kneads to help shoo away muscle knots and plugs spinal cords back into the proper outlet.

For more than 30 years, the physicians and staff at Obstetrical and Gynecological Associates have provided women of all ages with quality medical care, working in conjunction with neighboring Christus Spohn Hospital South. With sophisticated technology, such as diagnostic medical sonography, physicians expertly care for normal to high-risk pregnancies and diligently scan breast tissue for abnormal conditions during mammograms. The office also performs bone-density tests with DXA, illuminating patients on their risk of osteoporosis.

Padre Island Health and Fitness’s fleet of energetic and certified trainers lead students through beach fitness classes under the sun’s gaze as the Gulf waters lap the powdery sand. Breaking free from stationary equipment at traditional gyms, patrons torch calories with their toes in the sand during morning boot camp, and stretch and tone their muscles in the Beach Body Flow class, which combines yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and traditional mermaid calls. A beginners' running club introduces novice sprinters to the toe-friendly art of running in the sand, and one-on-one personal-training sessions pair exercisers with a certified trainer for customized, outdoor fitness routines.

When Barron Jackson craves beauty, he doesn't always seek out a colorful sunset or a dramatic thunderstorm. For him, one of the most stunning sights to behold is a lifestyle that's changed for the better. As a certified personal trainer, Barron knows lots of people who embody this type of beauty. Many are his clients, who he coaches in boot camps at X-Train: A Fitness Community. During his indoor and outdoor camps, exercisers of all levels chase their fitness goals through intense workouts that pair motivation with cardio challenges and functional strength training. In addition to sculpting muscles with kettlebells and TRX suspension straps, participants forge friendships as they cheer one another on toward personal bests. A certified trainer supervises each session, stressing proper technique as the group performs core-toning bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and calorie-torching plyometrics such as jumping jacks. To help clients achieve a healthy BMI, Barron's team also provides free measurements, weigh-ins, and body-fat assessments along with nutrition classes.

Dr. Jeffrey Lewis didn't prepare for his interview for chiropractic school in the usual way. "I had to look in the dictionary to see what 'chiropractic' was," he chuckles. Dr. Lewis had just completed a degree in physics, and he had no experience in chiropractic. But after the interview was over, he realized that the two disciplines significantly overlapped—both are about structures. "It's all about balance… so it's an engineering problem. And that's what I am!" he exclaims. With that realization, he left physics behind for a career as a chiropractor.

Inside his office, where contemporary decor helps relax clients, Dr. Lewis strives to "keep it simple." He compares his clients' spinal x-rays with a normal spine, and then discusses how misalignments could trigger pain, organ malfunction, and an unfair limbo disadvantage. Though he doesn't write prescriptions, he frequently encourages clients to revisit their doctors for medication modification. However, he still thinks that pain is treated best after targeting its source. "If I'm stepping on your toe, what do you want to do? Take my foot off your toe or take a pill?" he asks. By treating the cause of his patients' maladies, he can help them realize happier lives without the contraindications and side effects of drugs.