Norwood, MA Health and Fitness

At Visions HealthCare, a team of doctors and practitioners focuses on health’s fundamentals, taking into account each patient's environment and lifestyle to root out the causes of ailments during acupuncture, nutrition consultations, and other treatments. Functional medicine emphasizes preventative care by identifying the causes of physiological and biochemical disturbances that negatively impact health, and stress-reduction programs counteract the damage done by backbreaking bosses or back-talking pets. Acupuncturists draw upon the ancient practice's tenets to free up energy flow, thereby helping to allay migraines, uro-genital conditions, and allergies. Chiropractic treatments address the biomechanics of each section of the spine, aligning the vertebrae with manual adjustments and supporting the joints with soft-tissue or myofascial treatments. Visions HealthCare rounds out its whole-health focus during spiritual alignment sessions that bolster clients' peace of mind and reduce their tendency to mispronounce chakra.

After serving inner-city patients with the National Health Service Corps, Dr. Joseph Lee founded Wellesley Dental Associates and Southboro Dental Partners. While his friendly staff welcomes patients, doctors with degrees from Harvard and Tufts perform general and cosmetic procedures, such as dental implants, root canals, routine checkups, and tooth facials. Veneers cover rough toothscapes with a porcelain façade; invisible braces ensure that teeth step in line; and whitening services boost shine in-office, at home, or midmarathon. In addition to beautifying bites for a living, Dr. Lee has generously donated his services to patients in Honduras and Bolivia.

From their home base in the Warren Building, officials of the Wellesley Recreation Department fine-tune a year-round roster of sports leagues and community classes. Adults master crafts that range from pottery throwing to Capoeira, a blend of Brazilian martial arts and dance. Kids channel their creativity into painting courses or the Star Wars: Jedi Training class, which often includes creating a recycled droid and lightsaber lessons with retired stormtroopers. All of the programs are self-supporting, so directors charge reasonable fees and divvy up the money among materials, instructors' salaries, and other necessary expenses.

During the summer, throngs of people advance on Morses Pond, an ocean lookalike complete with a sandy beach, water slide, and volleyball nets, and kids aged 5–12 fend off boredom with summer day camps. Meanwhile, the lights of Hunnewell Tennis Court blaze into the evening hours, allowing athletes to face off after dark when the sun is taking its nap.

At Weston EyeCare, opticians fill fashionable frames with lenses prescribed by the boutique's onsite optometrist Maryam Fattahy, OD. Dr. Fattahy's journey with ocular health began in 1997, when she graduated with honors from the New England College of Optometry. Though her schooling has ended, her desire for knowledge persists as she and her staff regularly attend lectures, taking what they learn, dispensing it to clients, and applying it to their comprehensive eye exams, which can be scheduled online. Weston EyeCare opticians provide one-on-one assistance and assess patients' eyes with an array of frames and digital-lens technology. Dr. Fattahy tests patients with tonometry tools that can measure internal eye pressure for signs of glaucoma or signs that the patient is staring at an earthquake. Once prescriptions are written, customers can take computerized images with eyewear and browse the shop's selection of frames, which includes basic designers, handmade luxury eyewear, sportswear, and children's frames.

Ann Saldi is an expert at exchanging monotony for rhythm in gym routines. Having navigated the dance fitness industry for more than 20 years, she has mastered countless combinations of muscle-building moves and catchy beats, from pole-dancing to hip-hop cardio. She has also taught thousands of aspiring instructors the fundamentals of Zumba as a Zumba Education Specialist, and hosted workout workshops both in and out of the country. All of her experience has enabled her to develop her own signature routines at VaVaVoom Dance & Fitness, including Hip to Strip—a specialty class that blends aerobics and flexibility training with empowering striptease elements.

Ann prizes her studio's non-intimidating atmosphere, welcoming students of all backgrounds to boost their confidence and learn to wave with their bellies during her inventive classes. Private parties accommodate groups of girlfriends, moms, and bachelorettes with lessons on pole and chair work, which are led by accomplished instructors.

All Dental Center distracts patients from periodontal treatments, root canals, and full-mouth rehabs with comforting amenities and refreshments. Aromatherapy soothes the senses while patients watch DVDs or listen to music on an iPod. They can snuggle into a warm blanket or cool off with an iced neck pillow. And if none of this is enough to relax a patient, sedation and nitrous oxide calm the mind more effectively than a hug from a baby sloth.