East Lake-Orient Park, FL Health and Fitness

Surrounded by brick walls and serene statues, a small group follows an instructor, moving together through poses both comforting and challenging. The Yoga Alliance–certified teachers offer hands-on corrections and encouragement to all their students during moves that range from gentle hip openers in the beginning Bliss class to balance-testing headstands in the eclectic Yoga Blend class. In addition to their regular classes, instructors also lead workshops designed to appeal to all sorts of students, covering such subjects as yoga and creative writing, aerial yoga, and body wisdom, which teaches students to listen to their bodies and then forget any crazy-person mumbling they hear.

The trainers at CrossFit Malicious focus each workout of the day on functional movement rather than unnecessary muscle bulking and flexibility training done merely to save money when shipping oneself via ground carrier. Each class begins with an emphasis on proper technique to prevent injury and optimize each exercise. Instructors modify workouts to varying fitness levels, but the intensity never subsides, with students supporting one another in an empowering group environment. The workout gear used during each class is completely devoid of complex mechanical contraptions and reflects the minimalist surroundings, with stacks of weight plates for lifting or pushing, pull-up bars, and plyometric boxes.

25 years ago, a personal interest in diet and weight loss led founder Linda Parker to open Transformations, where she and her staff seek synergy between lifestyle change, medication, medical supervision, and proper diet guidelines and education. To this end, trained professionals walk with patients on the sometimes-difficult road toward their personal weight-loss goals. Nutritionally balanced diets and dedicated coaches aim to help patients maintain a targeted healthy weight.

Unlike traditional gyms that take a laissez-faire approach to fitness, letting clients fumble through their own workouts, Orangetheory leads exercisers in innovative personal group-training sessions that run through four distinct steps. Inside the warm, citrus glow of each facility, dozens of treadmills, rowing machines, free-weight sets, and Trx suspension systems await the next interval changeover. Music sends electric currents of energy through the atmosphere as patrons sweat out calories, and personal trainers patrol the aisles, giving pointers for touching up form and blinking out motivational words in Morse code. Clients keep an eye on their heart-rate readouts to ensure they're in the peak range for burning fat and building muscle. After an hour—during which guests complete a 10- to 30-minute interval at each of the four stations—the "orange effect" sets in and jump-starts metabolisms, possibly for days after the workout has ended.

Orangetheory Fitness has been highlighted in the New York Times for its seminal workout plan, which was designed by Florida fitness expert Ellen Latham to help people to turn their workout plateaus into springboards. With more than 50 classes per week at each location, members can capitalize on the gym's personal-training vibe and stimulating group setting at their leisure.

The certified instructors of Zumba on Wheels pack up their fancy-footed dance moves and kick off aerobics parties at nearly any location or event. Demonstrating the workout's signature cardio steps set to Latin-inspired music, mobile hosts add rhythmic pizzazz to birthday parties, gym routines, corporate gatherings, and State of the Union addresses. Their collective energy creates an electric and supportive atmosphere as students shimmy along to multiple Zumba variations, including traditional Zumba, Zumba Toning, and ZumbAtomic for kids.