Shorewood, WI Health and Fitness

After studying chiropractic at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa, Doctor of Chiropractic Brian W. Kurth took over a thriving clinic, then parlayed his success there into his own practice. Now at Kurth Chiropractic, he uses state-of-the-art technology to diagnose spines and help put them aright. Dr. Kurth scans patients' spines for muscle tension, misalignment, and vertebrae playing musical chairs before he develops a custom chiropractic plan. He then enlists massage therapists to ease away patients' pain and discomfort. Their strokes boost circulation and cause muscles to slowly uncoil.

The chi master at the Apex Acupuncture & natural Health Clinic seamlessly weaves Chinese medicine stretching back 3,000 years with modern medicine's focus on disease and pathology. At the clinic, third-generation acupuncturist Nancy Yuan Luan adds express lanes to the body's energy highways through the shallow insertion of pre-sterilized, disposable needles at precise points. In addition to her mastery of ancient Chinese techniques, Yuan Luan's expertise led her to cofound the AcuBeauty anti-aging system, the AcuFit weight-loss system, and the AcuRelief pain-management system, which all blend acupuncture methods with specially selected herbal remedies. A pivotal component of the AcuBeauty system, the microcurrent Acu-FaceLift treatment gently transmits electrical impulses and AM radio signals into facial cells to help increase the production of elastin and collagen to combat signs of aging.

While the Funke Family Dentistry practice may have begun in 1928, there's absolutely nothing old about its approach to dental care. Although Dr. James E. Funke and his daughter, Dr. Laura J. Funke, carry on the family legacy of friendly service and lasting doctor-client relationships, they aren’t afraid of modernity. In addition to keeping a banner that reads “Welcome Robot Overlords” on hand, they greet the future by offering a selection of advanced dental services, using state-of-the-art equipment, and operating in a newly remodeled office.

Lined with sky-blue walls and lush green plants, the studio emanates a deep respect for the earth, which staffers honor with a focus on local, organic foods and exercises that require minimal electricity, instead working the body through natural movements. "We were born to be runners; we were born to be strong, to use our muscle, so we learn how to do that the correct way here," says certified personal trainer Nick Lynch, Superb Health's owner. Lynch and his team of trainers and nutrition experts look to early humans to help clients unlock their physical potential, emphasizing getting fit through functional movements that improve strength and endurance in day-to-day activities.

Group classes revolve around functional training, bolstering the entire body with tools such as kettlebells, weighted ropes, and medicine balls. The studio's Adventure Workout thrusts groups into the great outdoors, where they gallop down riverside trails and practice pull-ups on tree branches and the tusks of wooly mammoths. Whether performed in a group or a one-on-one personal-training session, each workout is paired with healthy-eating tips crafted by Lynch and his wife Natalie, a registered nurse, who also leads meal-planning sessions and grocery-store tours to help patrons make healthy choices.

Like mobile Knights of the Round Table, bikers sit in a circle on Science and Fun’s seven-person conference bikes. One rider steers while all passengers pedal, powering bikes as they cruise through the city or serve as low-key parade floats. Groups with sufficient manpower for two bikes can turn open, paved spaces or Bucketworks’ indoor arena into bicycle basketball courts. Each bike constitutes a team, and both teams launch a barrage of foam balls at their opponent’s bike-mounted hoop during four-minute rounds in a game adaptable to all ages and pending NBA contracts. While advance bike reservations ensure a circular steed, Science and Fun happily reschedules or cancels reservations that coincide with inclement weather.