Friendswood, TX Health and Fitness

Drawing on an education that includes a doctorate from Texas Chiropractic College and a bachelor's degree in public health and human biology, Dr. Brandt L. Spies of Lordex Spine Institute treats bodies entangled by such painful conditions as herniated disks, headaches, and spinal arthritis. The doctor upgrades spinal hardware with chiropractic adjustments, and the center's squadron of licensed massage therapists tinkers on soft tissue with modalities that include Swedish, sports, and deep tissue. The institute also boasts the Lordex Lumbar Spinal Decompression System, a padded table with a knee bolster that supports prostrate patrons. During the 30-minute sessions that make use of this system, a gap in the table slowly widens, stretching spines to alleviate lower back pain and add flexibility to overstarched overalls.

Doctors of Chiropractic Brandi Griffin and Lance Jackson combine their wealth of knowledge to deliver thorough adjustments, using their hands to realign backs for healing that resonates throughout the body, combating pain and preventing illness. During each 15-minute adjustment, one of the licensed chiropractors works to correct vertebral subluxations, which theoretically cause disease, inhibit bodies' innate intelligence, and make it impossible to successfully do the worm. Patients seeking holistic wellness can explore other curative treatments including acupuncture, pregnancy-pain relief, and pediatric care.

Stroller Strides puts an athletic twist on parent-child bonding time, as baby-filled strollers are integrated into one-hour cardio and toning classes. The program is the brainchild of Lisa Druxman, a pre- and postnatal-fitness guru who also exclusively writes the "Mompreneur" column in Entrepreneur magazine. In addition to creating the now nationally practiced fitness program, Lisa has also shared her expertise in her book L.E.A.N. Mommy and in award-winning fitness articles.

As their parents take part in a health-centric activity, little ones also benefit from the social aspect of spending time with other children that share a similar interest in hedge-fund investments. Stroller Strides suggests toting babies that are at least six weeks old, but welcomes kids of any age that enjoy carriage-riding to accompany their parent or caregiver.

The first time Lisa Leonard took a Zumba class, it was the fastest hour of her life. She’d had a blast, and it inspired her to become a certified instructor. In her classes, she leads three types of Zumba routines: traditional fitness, which fuse latin dance and exercise, toning classes that incorporate light free weights, and Gold classes, which modify the routines to make them less intense. With each version, students learn moves that, like rickshas, are easy to follow yet still burn a lot calories.

It’s just after 6 p.m. at Grady Park, and that sound is back. It starts as a quiet wheezing, slowly growing into a chorus of huffs, puffs, and the occasional groan. These guttural sounds aren’t coming from a wild beast or a meeting of Big Bad Wolves Anonymous—they’re coming from a trove of men and women sprinting, lunging, and jumping through Silverback Elite Fitness Boot Camp's intensive exercises. Twice per week, campers follow their faithful instructors through Grady Park and around McWhirter Elementary, dropping to the ground for a set of pushups or scooping a pair of dumbbells off the ground. The one-hour workout leaves campers’ hearts pounding, limbs shaking, and muscles burning; yet, within a matter of days, they’ll each return for another round, with a renewed sense of fitness and increased capacity to handle the grunt-inducing workouts.

Flames pour over the hood of Dr. Melissa Sommers' 1952 mat-black Plymouth Suburban. She and her coworkers remain calm as the airbrushed flames aren't designed to do damage, instead symbolizing the burning importance of regular eye exams.

Like her flamboyant hot rod's lunch-hour journeys through town, Dr. Sommers' attentive eye care is a neighborhood staple. Aided by her ever-growing team of optometrists, she brings 20 years of eye-examining prowess to her practice. She checks patients for signs of aberration and disease, and furnishes them with prescription glasses, contacts, or refurbished corneas courtesy of LASIK surgery.