Somers Point, NJ Health and Fitness

Doctor of Chiropractic Stacy Cohen founded First State Health & Wellness shortly after he received his degree from New York Chiropractic College in 1984. Since then, his center has expanded to seven locations and welcomed aboard 12 other chiropractic physicians.

Each location features traditional adjustment techniques, mainly x-rays and Activator tools that rapidly and gently prod trouble spots. A few locations feature specialty techniques such as the Newark location’s high-tech subluxation scanning and the Wilmington location’s adjustable Thompson Terminal Point table made up of several different cushions that help it morph into an even more therapeutic surface: a ping-pong table.

Dr. Cohen and his staff complement their chiropractic touch with acupuncture, massage, and nutritional counseling services, which are overseen by the center’s own licensed acupuncturists and certified massage therapists. Together, the team’s collective efforts have been awarded The News Journal’s Reader’s Choice Award for Best Chiropractic Office in 2010, 2011, and 2012, as well as the BBB’s Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in 2009.

At Physique Pole Studio, enthusiastic instructors extol the sensuality of pole dancing alongside its inherent fitness perks, helping students unearth their confidence, define muscles, and burn up to 500 calories per hour. Seven brass poles stand staggered throughout the spacious studio. In addition to dynamic classes, instructors lead pole parties to get women in a sassy mood during bachelorette parties or before defending a dissertation.

Nestled among towering trees in a stone-flanked cottage, Cosmetic Skin Care Specialists of Cherry Hill highlights clients' inner beauty within a serene, homelike environment. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Lyle M. Back calls on more than 20 years of experience as he polishes silhouettes with focused surgical procedures and in-office cosmetic services. Meanwhile, his veteran staff enhances appearances with a slew of nonsurgical treatments—including facials, massage, and waxing—that return bodies to the ravishing, youthful state they flaunted when first hatching from their eggs.

Anytime Fitness accommodates night crawlers and day denizens with 24-hour access to endless rows of equipment, group fitness classes, and personalized training. Custom regimens rounded out by nutritional advice from a certified trainer make each client feel special, like a diamond the size—and shape—of a horse. Group boot camps, alternatively, promote camaraderie and help participants stave off boredom by presenting a mixed array of drills. The gym's rows of TV-equipped treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary cycles with stair climbers help prepare legs for marathons and broken escalators. Weight machines, dumbbells, and kettlebells enable gym-goers to crank up muscle mass, and an unwinding experience on a massage chair or high-powered tanning bed sends clients off with a sense of relaxation.

Chiropractic physicians John and Jimmie Glenn helm a family-friendly facility where they seek to not only eliminate their patients' pain, but help them keep it away. Chronic aches can emerge out of anything from misaligned vertebrae to simple muscle tension, so the husband-and-wife team performs thorough examinations and x-rays to locate the exact source of the problem. Instead of masking symptoms with medication, they then delve in to treat the cause with a series of chiropractic adjustments and certified massages. The doctors also educate their patients about other natural remedies, therapeutic exercises, and secret handshakes they can use at home to maintain a comfortable, low-pain lifestyle.

Versa Fit Studio's two locations blend old-fashioned support from personal trainers with newfangled technology, including the Vacu Fit, which, according to an ABC News report, exists nowhere else in the country. Classes and workouts incorporate the good vibrations of the Power Plate machine that quickens circulation, and Vacu Fit elliptical machines enclose lower halves in a heated vacuum chamber to trim away excess inches. Group exercise sessions bow to restrictive schedules with a range of classes that, unlike getting a tan from an Easy-Bake Oven, last only 30–60 minutes. In addition to high-tech courses, guests can drop in on traditional sessions such as core-toning Pilates, yoga, and boot camp, or they can burn calories in spin and dance aerobics that amp up heart health.