Tonawanda, NY Health and Fitness

The certified personal trainers, licensed massage therapists, and physical therapists at Hive Lifespan Center all operate beneath an invisible umbrella of wellness. They continually widen their reach to cover the needs of those who enter the practice, uniting the spectrums of fitness, health, and nutrition services.

The gym floor buzzes with iPod-compatible cardio equipment and strength circuits, and specialty studios provide focused zones for spinning, Pilates, and yoga. The conditioning studio hosts the resistance workouts of TRX suspension training and the core-tightening moves of Ab-Lab. Interactive tracking programs such as exerspy and eFitnessSystem tools can chart factors such as calories burned and daily steps taken without hiring a private investigator to follow each foot. The health component of the center prevents and rehabilitates injuries with chiropractic, massage, and physical-therapy treatments.

Modern decor throughout the venue complements the contemporary idea of wellness integration. A 1960s-inspired concrete wall carved in a grid of flowering squares runs throughout the space, and as if to match its blooms, the towels stacked by the spa-like locker rooms emit scents of eucalyptus and lavender, much like a koala that has just gotten out of the shower.

At Pole Play Dance Studio, students flip, twirl, and slide along poles as they learn the cardio-boosting and sensual art of pole dancing. A succession of classes cover topics ranging from stretch techniques and strength training to 1960s-style go-go dancing and incorporating hula hoops. The studio also hosts regular themed workshops and bachelorette parties, in which the bride and her friends learn to perform a group dance on multiple poles in case they're ever bored and stranded in a bamboo forest.

Dawn Hammer's infectious enthusiasm packs enough motivation to get a shy George Washington statue to dance, and it's the key ingredient in her one-hour Zumba fitness classes. During these sessions, she leads up to 35 students through high-energy hip shaking and cardio shimmying. Latin-inspired beats resound in the expansive gym as Dawn teaches the fast-paced dance routines. Her two years of Zumba experience inform her expertise, which she makes use of as students jive with one- to two-pound weights, gulps of water, and hair that bounces as though programmed to move with the beats.

Applied Fitness's personal trainers never quite know what they're going to do next. That's because they use a process called Metabolic Typing to design customized workouts and diet plans. This system accounts for a person's metabolic rate and lifestyle, which helps trainers select exercises that will maximize each workout's results. In addition to these evaluations, the personal trainers follow guidelines set forth by organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Furthering this personal approach, Applied Fitness's trainers will work with clients wherever they feel most comfortable. They can train at homes, offices, or the company's own studio, which is designed to be as distraction-free as the office Neil Armstrong built on the moon.

Fusion is an amazing force. It sets stars ablaze, redefines cuisine, and has even produced a hybrid of a gym and spa at Platinum Fitness. There, certified personal trainers construct individualized workout regimens or lead small group classes, pumping up muscles with Zumba, Pilates, or yoga. Therapists work alongside them, relaxing bodies with massage treatments or chiropractic manipulations, which, like an argument in Bantu, commonly produce clicking noises. After a workout or knead, members can relax in an infrared sauna or educate themselves about healthy eating with a nutritional consultation.

As a full-service facility, Women's Medicine of Niagara enlists a team of medical providers to provide a mixture of clinical and holistic services designed to treat issues specific to women. Board-certified doctors channel years of experience to keep patients healthy with services ranging from obstetrics and gynecology to osteoporosis screening. They pair those with nutritional counseling, acupuncture, cardboard cutouts of George Clooney, and herbal remedies to give women wellness benefits achievable without prescription medicines. The medical team also harnesses the power of modern technology by administering minimally invasive operations with the da Vinci robotic-surgery device and removing unwanted hairs with the pulsed light of the Candela GentleLase Pro.