Simpsonville, SC Health and Fitness

In 2007, Pace Beattie had an inkling that his life was about to change. He had discovered hot yoga—a discipline that integrates meditation with rigorous exercise—and resolved to pursue it as his vocation. He saw this as a long-term vision; something he would do after retiring from finance and moving back to his hometown of Greenville.

Then, everything changed: In the eight weeks that bridged 2008 and 2009, he lost his job and his mother passed away. In the aftermath, he scrutinized his life and realized: The time is now. Pace enrolled in workshops and conferences, completing levels I and II of the Baron Baptiste teacher-training program. He moved to Greenville, recruited a team of highly specialized teachers, and opened Southern Om.

Today, having boldly charted his own path, Pace equips others to do the same. He fosters self-discovery through two styles of hot yoga: Southern 26 and Southern Flow, a form of power yoga in which students sweat out sweet tea. These classes serve beginners and experienced practitioners alike, incorporating modifications that support alignment.

With a focus on full-body training rather than muscle-isolating machines, Vaughn Bethell’s sprawling 12,000-square-foot gym eschews the traditional rows of high-tech equipment for functional gear such as giant tires, kicking bags, and training ropes. Of course, Bethell—a qualifying World Cup soccer player who has trained many pro-athletes-to-be—believes that the best piece of equipment is the human body itself. He relies on his bevy of fitness-related certifications to craft effective exercises that draw from the body’s own weight to create muscle-toning resistance. He uses these functional movements in a variety of services at his high-ceilinged studio, including athlete training, women’s boot camps, and personal-training sessions.

Bethell also prides himself on cultivating a welcoming nature in his gym, inviting guests to cool down in the lounges or showers before playing a round on the ping-pong tables or dead-lifting the communal computers.

At Greenville Vein & Aesthetics, board-certified surgeon Dr. Donald Gilbert leads a team of medical professionals who employ lasers to wage war on varicose veins, unwanted fuzz, and wrinkles. They also rejuvenate skin with Botox injections, which help smooth down wrinkles, and with SkinMedica chemical peels, which can tighten skin and mitigate acne scarring. By evaluating six different dermal components, Visia Complexion Analysis helps staffers decide which treatments suit clients best and which points to bring up during joint counseling appointments with their breakout-prone noses.

Dr. James Meyer and his dedicated staff of technicians polish and align pearly whites with preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services. Calling on more than 20 years of experience and a stockpile of up-to-date implements, Dr. Meyer straightens wayward incisors with Invisalign braces and scours the mouth’s alleyways in search of vandalism before submitting the culprits to orthodontic re-education. Cavity-ridden molars achieve royal status with Sirona Cerec porcelain crowns, and jaws suffering from TMJ undergo treatment so that they can once again crack walnuts with ease. Technicians replace well-worn teeth with implants or dentures and employ Zoom, BriteSmile, or Venus teeth-whitening technology to illuminate pre-existing smiles.

The staff members at Carolina Health Innovations don’t stop at simply treating chronic pain—they delve into its source to try and correct the cause. Their thorough approach advises a combination of several disciplines, including chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, massage, and nutritional counseling. With licensed experts manning each branch, the wellness center dispenses noninvasive treatments that are tailored to every client's needs.

In 2004, board-certified doctor Thaer A. Joudeh realized his vision of a medical practice run by physicians who consider patient care, not corporate interests, their main priority. Alongside a considerate staff, he oversees the Southside Medical Center's health and cosmetic services. The team's individual specialties coalesce to form a support network for entire families. They treat ailments from headaches to allergies to conditions requiring minor surgery and strive to regard their guests as they would their own relatives. Their hair-, wrinkle-, and spider-vein-removal treatments enlist the help of a gentle Candela laser, which treats all skin types with its cryogen cooling system to minimize discomfort and maximize games of connect-the-goosebumps.