Health & Fitness in Palmetto Bay

An addiction. That’s what Cheryl Mullin, head trainer at Tone You Up, Inc., calls her relationship with fitness. Starting out as a dancer at the age of 5, she transitioned into cheerleading in high school and eventually track and field in college, where she fell in love with lifting, plyometrics, and circuit training. Ten years and three certifications later, Cheryl and her staff of dedicated trainers pass their passion on to others with their three pillars of training: fitness, nutrition, and overall health.

Groups sprint and lunge across Tropical or Palmetto Bay Park during intense, one-hour boot-camp classes, all while Tone You Up's trainers preach the components of a healthful diet, such as eating plenty of protein and vegetables and not using cake frosting as toothpaste. Some staffers motivate the campers through cardio and strength training in the great outdoors, and others lead in-home personal-training sessions. Each one-on-one or one-on-two session begins with a thorough body assessment and fitness test. Based on results, trainer and client discuss goals and map a total lifestyle program to help shed pounds or boost athleticism. Tone You Up also offers programs for small groups, including onsite boot camps for workers at schools and offices.

Acupuncture served as the main healthcare treatment for thousands of years, and it is still the go-to therapy for millions of people worldwide. Acupuncture physician Richard Browne is at the forefront of this field as both a practitioner and an educator.

Browne is the cofounder and president of Acupuncture and Massage College, which has been a community staple for more than 30 years. When not teaching budding acupuncturists how to strategically place needles or deflate sinister-looking balloon animals, he can be found at Affordable Acupuncture Clinic, practicing acupuncture himself or overseeing his interns while they practice it.

Browne and his staff also offer services ranging from cupping therapy to shiatsu massage to Reiki. They work to relieve such ailments as back pain, headaches, and insomnia.

Physical therapist Cathy Parbst-Accurso knows full well the importance of a working, wellness-filled body. A former duathlon national champion, Cathy sprinted and cycled her way into the history books as the highest-placing American in the world championship. Now, she and her team at In Balance Physical Therapy help clients recover from injuries or retain current fitness levels with personalized treatment regimens. Depending on the goals and diagnoses, clients might test out custom foot orthotics, undergo running analysis, or sit for one of the wellness clinics taught by office staff.

The instructors of Palmetto Bay CrossFit only teach one fitness class. That's because their inclusive sessions combine several forms of exercise into one comprehensive workout that strengthens the entire body. Each class melds strength training and gymnastics exercises with cardio and coordination techniques that nurture bodies, and the general structure of classes ensures that students of all fitness levels can take part. Additionally, each class incorporates sports-like competitions between students as a way to build camaraderie and get rid of any trophies lying around. Classes are further bolstered with nutritional guidelines.

The idea of the Buddha getting in a fight might be startling, but the image that Brawling Buddha Studio represents is one where both yoga and martial arts find a home. Atop hardwood flooring, yogis stretch, twist, and pose during classes with the help of longtime yoga instructor Hayley Milks. In a padded area nearby, kids and adults learn karate, muay thai kickboxing, and brazilian jujitsu from seasoned sensei Jimmy Guerrero.

With more than 30 years of experience teaching Iyengar yoga, director Bobbi Goldin oversees the impassioned instructors that lead her studio's classes for all skill levels. The weekly schedule includes multilevel I sessions that safely introduce the style's fundamental poses and emphasize proper alignment and spirit-animal management, and multilevel II classes that incorporate inversions and limbo-worthy backbends into the series and challenge attendees to sustain deeper stretches. The studio's gentle/special sessions easily accommodate students with physical limitations, leading pupils through one hour of slower-paced practice, which gingerly loosens joints, and 15 minutes of friendly ghost stories.