Laurel, VA Health and Fitness

In 1997, Nancy Glenmore Tatum and Kevin Casey founded Glenmore Yoga & Wellness Center in their house's sunroom. Their operation's therapeutic blend of yoga, massage, and consultation services attracted a wide enough student base to necessitate three expansions, and Nancy and Kevin eventually settled in the Glen Eagles Shopping Center. They still uphold a central belief that "yoga is for everyone," and have upheld that philosophy by building a time machine to let the late Ben Franklin participate. Nancy and Kevin have also cultivated a nurturing community with resources such as workshops and teacher training that promote its growth.

The center's impressive roster of yoga classes covers the flowing Vinyasa poses as well as specialty courses for prenatal mothers, older adults, and kids. Every class pays attention to the individual needs of its students, just as the massage services modify their kneads to better treat specific tensions. A calming interior contributes to Glenmore's warm ambiance: two carpeted studios, a massage room, and a lounge accommodate its guests. Students can also borrow the yoga books and videos of the lending library, so long as they turn in their senses of balance as collateral.

Since 1988, Midlothian Athletic Club has dedicated its 70,000 square feet to myriad forms of achieving healthy living. Whether members want to hone tennis and racquetball skills, break a sweat in group exercise classes such as spinning and BodyPump, or relax in a sauna, they can do it at the MAC. The staff troll a stock of cardio and strength-training equipment, including FreeMotion Elite weight machines, Life Fitness treadmills and ellipticals, and Precor machines, ready to dole out technique pointers. At the indoor pool, swimmers can get a workout on the lap lanes, slip down water slides, or pretend to be toddlers in the kiddie pool. The club also has six indoor lanes, where instructors lead water-aerobics classes that are gentler on joints than moon aerobics.

To help guests recover after a hard workout, the Midlothian Athletic Club hosts many means of relaxation. The massage therapists calibrate their fingers to several styles of kneading, including deep-tissue, Swedish, and myofascial release massage. At the MAC Cafe, chefs sear turkey burgers, bake lime-chili parmesan fries, and blend protein shakes to order for nutritious refueling.

Led by Heather Dombrovskiy, the certified yoga instructors of Healthy Life Yoga guide students of all fitness levels through a variety of classes. Starting with sunrise yoga, the instructors pack the schedule with their flexibility-increasing classes that include yin yoga, a slow class that moves into deeper stretches in the lower backs and hips, prenatal yoga, and traditional Hatha yoga classes that start with foundation-building beginner classes and move to more advanced, fast-paced classes.

Dr. John J. Andre draws on training in general dentistry, Invisalign systems, and laser treatments while heading a team of doctors and dental hygienists. They perform treatments that range from routine cleanings to implants or extractions, leaving smiles that are beautiful even when directed eerily at the only other person in a life raft. The dentists also specialize in pediatric dentistry, striving to put children at ease during cleanings and to educate them about oral hygiene.

For eight years, Doctor of Chiropractic Michael Mulvaney ignored his chronic back pain and continued to play sports. He recalls a doctor once dismissing his nagging discomfort as “growing pains,” but his suffering persisted through his teenage years. When he reached college and a friend recommended that he visit a chiropractor, he jumped at the chance. Within three visits, he was pain-free.

This experience planted the seed that eventually grew into Dr. Mulvaney’s career as a chiropractor. Today, he helms Spinal Correction Center of Richmond, where he and his staff offer a combination of holistic chiropractic care and massage therapy. Dr. Mulvaney favors the Pettibon system of chiropractic care, which works to restore the spine’s natural curvature and normalize misalignments that may cause pain, stiffness, or unfair limbo advantages.