Rosedale, MD Health and Fitness

Dr. Ian Shuman helps teeth realize their whitest dreams with a combination of general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry, each performed by the master dentist himself. With the belief that dentistry should be gentle, effective, and minimally invasive, Dr. Shuman makes the most of advanced dental technology, such as digital x-rays and intraoral cameras that espy dental detriments before they become costly reconstruction jobs. The office’s tooth-colored, mercury-free fillings repair cavities with composite resins that, like snowman tattoos on a polar bear, are virtually invisible. Aside from the typical dental services, Dr. Shuman also spreads his tooth-preserving wisdom with other dentists during his Minimally Invasive Seminar Series.

With a mind for comfort and compassion, Dr. Shuman and the dental staff understand that visits to the dentist can often cause patients anxiety. The team helps assuage apprehension with thorough explanations of treatments. The office itself is designed to cosset patients, with pillows and blankets joining the office’s soft lighting and easy-listening music to help create a warm, relaxing ambiance.

After navigating through the plethora of weightlifting and cardio equipment, guests at 40,000-square-foot Meadow Mill Athletic Club stand before a glass wall protecting them from the ricocheting squash balls speeding back and forth on 16 courts. Meadow Mill’s team of squash instructors leads personal sessions and group clinics on the indoor racket sport for youths and adults, and more seasoned players compete in tournaments often held at the facility.

Just beyond the workout floor and racket courts lie separate fitness studios, in which guests tone their bodies in yoga, Pilates, and 17 spin classes per week, led by certified trainers, who also tailor fitness programs to meet clients' needs in one-on-one sessions. Youth and toddler programs introduce kids as young as 18 months old to fitness with playful movements in Mini Movers, basic skills in Ballet, and fitness-focused games in Toddlercise, such as Pin the Javelin on the Donkey. Furthering demonstrating a dedication to health and wellness, an onsite therapist treats overworked muscles with acupuncture, stretch, and massage treatments.

A trained and licensed acupuncturist, Marina Gan seeks to share the same ancient Chinese medicine that has so deeply affected her own life. Marina approaches acupuncture as a partnership between herself and her patients—a collaborative relationship founded with the common goal of identifying and counteracting troublesome imbalances in the client’s body or teetering Jenga tower. After such imbalances have been discovered, Gan goes to work on the grounds of the Ruscombe Mansion Community Health Center, a palatial country home built on the estate of the famous Quaker abolitionist James W. Tyson.

Kicking, punching and jabbing are typically discouraged, but not at Transformations Fitness for Women. The women’s-only gym’s kickboxing-style workouts give athletes the moves they need to tone physiques and brush up on their fighting maneuvers, no matter their level of experience. The gym’s three locations boast eclectic class schedules, with classes ranging from Zumba dance fitness workouts, which burn calories with sultry Latin moves, to sessions that enhance strength and flexibility through a fusion of yoga and Pilates. While guests work out, they can drop kids off at the gym’s complimentary daycare, whose staffers stay in touch with each other via two-way talk radios, rather than by sending them regular flocks of carrier pigeons.

Dr. Dean Kane's pursuit of beauty has led him across the country and beyond. His specialized training in plastic surgery and medicine began at the University of Puerto Rico, then continued with residencies at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore and the University of Florida. Today, Dr. Kane shares his knowledge of plastic and reconstructive surgery techniques with up-and-coming doctors as a clinical professor at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and beautifies patients at his plastic-surgery practice.

From the moment clients enter the couch- and art-adorned waiting room to the time they grapple through the skylight, the attentive staff cater to them with personal attention. Before treatment⎯such as tummy tucks, liposuction, and Botox injections⎯clients consult with Dr. and Lauri Kane to ask questions about procedures as well as outline their beauty goals. Post-procedure, the clinical or operating-room nurse oversees patients through the entire recovery process.

Fueled by an extensive fitness background, including experience in the Army Reserve and wins in competitive bodybuilding featured on Lift for Life, LT Thomas pushes ladies to reshape their physiques in a supportive environment. His training credo puts safety and common sense before overwhelming the muscles, basing workouts on an initial health assessment to set challenging yet doable personal goals. In addition to private training sessions, LT leads women-only boot camps, specializing in programs for the exercise newbie as well as the experienced athlete who swallows five raw kettlebells a day. Throughout both boot camps and personal-training sessions, manageable progressions in patrons’ fitness regimens keep them motivated as they discover hidden reserves of inner strength.