Ottawa Health and Fitness

David Lee began life on rather precarious footing. He was born to a single mother in a poor area of Seoul, South Korea and, as a small child, suffered from food allergies and poor digestion. Luckily for him, a mentor in Canada sponsored Lee and his mother and sister and taught them about nutrition and the healing power of whole foods. Soon afterward, a young Lee was outlining his own nutrition regimens, and he eventually even managed to overcome his chronic ailments without the help of a doctor or a genie.

Today, David applies this spirit of innovation in his professional life as a personal trainer, nutritionist, and holistic practitioner. Drawing from more than 20 years of experience, he has pioneered Tai Body, a workout that incorporates Thai boxing movements with aerobic exercises, meditation, and stretching. He also developed a system of exercises known as the Vital Health System, which gradually strengthen beginners’ cores so they can begin to tackle more advanced exercises, such as transforming into a treadmill.

Steps from the hustle and bustle of Parliament Hill lies an oasis that swelters even in the depths of winter. Though it teems with plants and cool, filtered water, this place isn't a tropical rainforest or the pied-à-terre of a wealthy goldfish. It's Bikram Yoga Ottawa, where sultry temperatures and ancient exercises join forces to foster wellness. Here, students of all skill levels practice 26 Hatha-inspired poses sequenced by Bikram Choudhury, an athlete who used yoga to mend a serious knee injury. Muscles become extra pliable in the heat, easing into stretches that foster flexibility, stamina, and strength. Pores oust toxins throughout the 90-minute routine, which summons sweat with toe stands, forward bends, and deep-breathing exercises. After class, students can recline on a couch in the foyer or steam away stress in showers filled with organic bath-and-body products.

In personally licensing and graduating more than 1,000 black belts, Hanshi John Therien has been honoured with an elite rank of his own. As hanshi, or leader of leaders, he guides students and fellow instructors through a practical self-defense program that incorporates fighting styles including judo, karate, boxing, and pressure-point tactics. Professional Kickboxing Association champion of the world Jean-Yves Theriault also lends his expertise to students. Theriault teaches kickboxing classes that focus on staying in shape and gaining control of techniques that can effectively disable assailants and aggressive heavy-bags. As students learn the practical safety techniques, they also glean values that can be applied to everyday life, such as discipline and self-confidence.

Europe's Medieval and Renaissance eras were periods in which knights developed sophisticated systems for swordplay, martial arts, and looking really, really cool. Ottawa Swordplay's founder Craig Shackleton, who holds a degree in classical history, and his fellow instructor John Enzinas teach adults and kids to recreate the swordplay of these eras. They ground their curriculum in the research of Johannes Liechtenauer—who the instructors say unified the fighting arts of his time—and teachings from manuscripts that were compiled as far back as 1325.

After research sessions and discussions on sword theory, the instructors lead their students into a padded practice area for hands-on classes. They teach beginners how to grab hold of longswords—a two-handed weapon—and engage in unarmoured combat. Instructors Shackleton and Enzinas can also teach how to adapt these techniques to more advanced weapons, such as a German rapier, a single-handed weapon knights used while texting.

The founder of the Ashtanga form, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, proclaimed once that "yoga is 99% practice, and 1% theory." For Janice DeFilippi, a more appropriate ratio would be 99 per cent practice, and 1 per cent airfare, as she took several yoga retreats to Mysore, India, to study under the late Pattabhi Jois directly. When she's not furthering her knowledge of the Ashtanga philosophy or practicing overseas, she's working alongside her team of certified instructors to expand this powerful practice throughout Ottawa. They teach the arts of proper alignment and breath-linked movement during Ashtanga and Mysore classes, doling out personal attention and hands-on corrections. To help further the mental and spiritual development of this practice, the studio's resident lama, Dr. Bob Kapitany, leads meditation classes to help students get in touch with their inner selves without swallowing correspondence letters.

Empower Me Yoga's crew of 16 instructors guides students through gentle, moderate, and intense yoga courses. Budding yogis and those that prefer a relaxed approach can try the Yoga for Everyone session, during which a guru guides students through the basic precepts of meditation, breathing, and postures. Moderate classes build on these foundations, and yogis who want to oust toxins along with tension can sweat through a slightly heated take on the classic version of Hatha in warm yoga. Marla Ericksen, the studio's program director, also mints brand new yogis in programs that take place at the studio's Teacher Training Academy.