Sanford Gyms and Fitness

Heather Rossio thinks confidence is sexy. That’s why she founded Studio X Pole Fitness—to help women to feel comfortable in their own skin. Here, experienced instructors show students of all levels how to move their bodies with power and grace. Intro to Pole sessions acquaint first-time twirlers with metallic dance partners through basic stretches, grips, and noninvasive icebreakers. Students can then move on to Beginners Pole courses that teach simple spins and transitions, as well as strength training and calorie-torching floor work. The staff recommends that attendees take at least two basic courses before graduating to Intermediate Pole's lessons on climbing the pole, sitting on the pole, and prepping for upside-down inversions. Advanced Pole classes—at the top tier of the pole pantheon—ready tricks, inversions, and spins for gravity-defying routines or actual moonwalks. Additional classes include Chair X-Fit, which tightens the core, hips, and thighs in 50-minutes sessions, and cardio-packed, dance-heavy Zumba classes. To glide and shimmy effortlessly and comfortably, guests are encouraged to don form-fitting shorts and tank tops.

Carolina Aesthetics and Weight Loss Center aims to be as convenient for men and women as possible, with a one-stop hub of cosmetic and health-care services. The main goal of the practice is to create comprehensive programs for men and women who want to get in better shape and clean their bills of health. Board-certified physicians perform general-health procedures and oversee weight-management programs, and specialists assess clients' candidacy for cosmetic surgeries or the FDA-approved Lap-Band procedure. The staff also includes plastic surgeons that specialize in post-weight-loss reconstruction procedures, such as excess skin removal or formal mediation between patients and their ex-grocery lists.

Practicing as a licensed chiropractor since 1982, Dr. Steve Willen has worked over the years treating not only backs, but also fibromyalgia and chronic-fatigue syndrome. Recently, Willen has rounded out his repertoire with nutrition and weight-loss services that often incorporate body wraps, infrared-sauna sessions, and natural weight-loss supplements. Synthesizing modern technologies and time-tested holistic remedies, Willen and his staff work to help relieve a variety of symptoms, from neck pain to chronic jazz fingers.

Cary Yoga and Kickboxing challenges both body and mind. During high-intensity kickboxing sessions, groups of students jab, hook, and roundhouse kick their way to a healthier existence. A combination of martial arts, boxing, and other fighting forms, kickboxing classes aim to build strength and increase self-awareness, as well. Meanwhile, the facility divides its yoga offerings into two different programs: power Vinyasa and sweat and detox. The latter program revolves around poses that improve the body’s circulatory and lymphatic systems, helping to expel toxins.

In a no-fluff gym filled with steel training bars, plywood walls, and black free weights, personal trainers and exercisers work side by side to forge paths to fitness. Jeremy McKenzie, the gym's training coordinator, emboldens his students to chase down their fitness goals by drafting a personalized blueprint. For group classes, staffers pull from a playbook of CrossFit exercise regimens designed to prepare police officers, military special-operations units, and washed-up prop comedians for hostile environments. Traditional training methods mix with Olympic-style weightlifting and kettlebell lifts to build muscle and burn calories. Trainers and their pet kangaroos step into the ring to teach boxing, sparring, and kickboxing basics.

Though its title may conjure up images of base jumping or spelunking in volcanoes, Xtreme Sports challenges its members to tackle standard recreational activities with intensity. But its coaches and trainers also know that sports and physical activity should be fun, so whether their charges are shimmying to Latin rhythms in a Zumba class, improving athletic prowess during athlete boot camp, or honing teamwork skills during summer camp, they are getting positive reinforcement. This helps the instructors lead both adults and children toward their individual goals of losing weight, improving agility, or bench-pressing family members.