Maple Heights, OH Health and Fitness

Atma Center's classes reflect the techniques of Satyananda yoga, a combination of classic yoga traditions adroitly adapted to accommodate the needs of modern and futuristic persons, no matter their age or fitness level. It is also a teacher-training program, so you can be sure Atma's highly trained instructors have accumulated many a hour of individualized in-class wisdom and successfully squeezed through the awfully tight yoga-instructor rites of passage (pass-throughable by only the nimblest and most compassionate of bodies).

History pulses through Lemko Hall, a turreted brick building in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. Over the past century, it has served as a saloon, a ballroom, and a movie set where stars Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken filmed a scene for The Deer Hunter in 1978. Nowadays, one of the space's tenants, Studio 11, channels an even older legacy: the yoga tradition of ancient India.

The studio's seasoned teachers impart moving meditations that have been passed down from generation to generation via careful instruction and epic games of telephone. Classical Hatha poses help yogis of all levels cultivate strength and flexibility as they learn to center their minds and control their breath. Students steep their minds in yoga's meditative qualities during flowing, breath-focused Vinyasa routines or explore the practice’s athletic side during Ashtanga sessions teeming with dynamic poses and vigorous thumb-wrestling bouts. Those seeking a more private yoga experience can engage in a Thai massage, in which a trained practitioner guides the body through assisted poses and stretches.

Yoga-inspired Pilates sessions revolve around centuries-old isometrics that promote balance and help chisel the core. Students seeking a full immersion in yogic history can enroll in studio-sponsored trips to India, which pair yoga classes with sunset meditations and spiritual discourses.

To fulfill her mission of physically and spiritually transforming the individuals in her community, licensed massage therapist Sarah Cheiky transformed a high-ceilinged warehouse space into a health-and-wellness oasis. She and her staff splashed the rooms with sunny shades of yellow and orange, hung artwork from local artists on the walls, and warmed the floors with intricate rugs, successfully creating the holistic haven known as The Studio. Within this cozy domain, the team leads a variety of restorative sessions that focus on whole-body wellness, including yoga classes taught by certified instructors, massage sessions performed by licensed therapists, and traditional energy work to keep chi in check and life force from accidentally turning into magnetic force. Clients put aside the dowsing rod to seek their center during guided meditation classes, and footbaths and infrared saunas draw out toxins from all areas of the body. After emerging from private treatment rooms, clients can refresh themselves in the showers and don superhero costumes in the changing rooms before returning to the real world.

More than 10 years ago, a young couple dreamed up Titans Gym—a 24-hour facility that would house exercise equipment, tanning services, and a cafe teeming with nutritious snacks. Since then, Geoff and Niki DelGrosso have laid the bricks of that ambition, packing their two gyms with row upon row of advanced Strive, Precor, and Magnum equipment and three levels of professional tanning beds. The duo hired a team of fitness instructors to lead an abundance of group exercise classes, personal-training sessions, and surprise games of Red Rover in their private studios. To refuel exercisers, the onsite Titan Up café serves up a dietician-designed menu of wholesome smoothies, pizzas, and desserts. In the end, the couple's efforts have earned accolades from numerous fitness media publications, and their studios have won the title of Best Urban Gym from Cleveland Scene magazine.

Spread across three stories and 110,000 square feet, the Cleveland State University Recreation Center enables students, faculty, and members of the community to tailor custom workouts and play a variety of sports. Weight rooms and cardio equipment help members form balanced workout regimens. Alternatively, athletes can hit the basketball, volleyball, or racquetball courts or take a dip in one of the Busbey Natatorium's two lap pools. Above the facilities, a 7,000-square-foot rooftop patio allows guests to cool off amid light foliage and a view of the campus.

Dr. Iranpour and his staff of hygienists and assistants at Today's Dentistry understand that going to the dentist can be a stressful experience for some. To help ease anxiety, they've installed a soothing waterfall in the office, filled the air with therapeutic scents, and keep warm paraffin wax onsite, into which patients can dip their hands or unpaid parking tickets. During procedures, such as bonding, root canals, or whitening treatments, patients can watch their favorite film through virtual glasses while lounging atop massaging chairs.