Health & Fitness in Salem

Oregon's premiere Snowboard and Skateboard specialists. Locally owned and operated since 1993.

When Lisa Stark's quest for a sensual, laid-back exercise class turned up nothing, she took matters into her own hands. To forge her ideal workout, which is a balance of sexy sizzle and athletic toning, Stark researched popular dance-fitness styles, documented choreography at local clubs, and even enlisted a former exotic dancer to teach her how to kick, saunter, and fill out tax forms in a sensual manner. The months of studying paid off—today, Lisa shares her wit, warmth, and fitness regimen with troupes of women at The Exotic You. Ladies of all fitness levels gather for classes that teach a complete routine of sensual dance moves, checking negative body-talk at the door and summoning their inner vixen out with slow leg extensions and passionate hip rolls.

Steele’s Karate teaches students of all ages how to defend themselves; however, the classes emphasize the importance of humility and self-control above all else. The instructors can incorporate elements of karate, boxing, and kickboxing into their lessons, introducing clients to a variety of techniques while still helping them develop strength, flexibility, and stamina. These classes tend to be held in the 2,000-square-foot training space on the studio’s main floor, although the center also features a lower level—complete with heavy bags, free weights, and regulation-size boxing ring—where visitors can work out at their own tempo.

Cory Cochran devised the inaugural Survive The Burn run by combining his love for running with his experience as a professional firefighter. To raise awareness for burn victims as well as funds for the Burn Foundation, the run mixes a scenic course, which participants can run or walk across for 5- or 10- kilometer, with CrossFit workouts and fun runs for kids. The race even includes a firefighter challenge, in which participants complete the course laden with firefighting gear.

Northwest Medi Spa provides myriad aesthetic treatments and employs a body of learned physicians and staff who provide personalized solutions to skin problems caused by exposure to time and the sun’s grabby rays. Give the gift of renewed smoothness to your body with a six pack of hair-removal sessions, which are administered under the caring touch of a Candela GentleYAG laser, which sends heated waves of light to deforest your epidermis while simultaneously soothing the surface with cooling blasts of cryogen and tiny ice cream cones. Safe, quick, and equally effective on white, black, or zebra-print skin, laser hair removal hurts no more than a snappy retort from a peeved rubber band and permanently reduces your body’s thread count.

As a former athlete, Dr. John-Paul D. Whitmire of Whitmire Chiropractic knows something about soreness. His early exposure to sports medicine primed his later chiropractic training, where he built on an already solid knowledge of functional movement. Today he draws on more than 19 years of experience to vanquish pain in children, adults, and athletes. In his rehab-equipped office, he deploys a variety of techniques, which are safe for every patient because they're noninvasive and free of drugs.

Fitness enthusiast and salsa dancer Jackie leads groups through energetic workouts that get exercisers amped up with high-energy music. An Aerobics and Fitness Association of America–certified instructor, Jackie helps guests shimmy off excess weight with Zumba variations—including Zumba Toning, Zumba Gold, and ZumbAtomic—which build stamina and set heartbeats racing to the rhythm of Latin tunes. Jackie’s kettlebell-fitness sessions help guests tone full bodies with four-week sessions that get students used to heavy lifting and prepare them to rip church bells out of roofs in daring daylight heists.