Washington, D. C. Health and Fitness

Exercisers spread throughout spacious workout areas at Results Gym, whose downtown location is as well known for their architecture as their athletic amenities, including choice of a dry or steam sauna, access to the latest in technologically advanced exercise equipment. A Hydrowork training pool with user-controlled current and an underwater treadmill let patrons practice outrunning sharks at cross-species track meets. In addition, massage-therapy, personal-training, and nutrition-counseling services are available. The 65,000 square-foot Capitol Hill location houses four international-sized squash courts, a full basketball and volleyball court, and a 38-foot climbing wall.

Doctor of Chiropractic Dylan Lin adjusts the spines of individuals of all age groups, from newborns just a few hours old to centenarians, and helps athletes such as Texas Rangers players improve their performance and chronic issues. Treatments take place in an office with an exterior that resembles a castle, its stone façade and pointed tower concealing a spacious facility in which Dr. Lin heals without drugs, surgery, or phoenix tears, but only with the most precise and specific chiropractic care.

A lifelong athlete, Dr. Lin has collected firsthand wisdom about physiology that he translates into a specialty in sports injury treatment and prevention. He also uses specific protocols to fix spinal misalignments, advises patients in good nutrition, and doles out corrective exercises to help patients gain an edge in sports performance or relieve chronic pain, migraines, sleeping problems, along with many other health issues.

The muscle tutors at Fitness Together will work with you to determine your goals (drop pounds, run a marathon, get strong enough to finally confront Douglas) and develop a customized workout plan designed to help you reach your true fitness potential. They’ll supervise your squats, offer nutritional advice, and push you until you see results. Individualized attention means it’s all about you—your trainer can point out when you’re doing a stretch incorrectly, help you tone the trouble zones, and push you to keep going when you’d otherwise quit or become distracted by the fragile beauty of a passing hummingbird.

Director and AFAA-certified trainer Tiffany Harlan leads a team of trainers who teach workout styles such as TRX suspension training, Pilates, and spinning. For those who prefer self-guided workouts, LivingWell Health Club also boasts an array of free weights and cardio machines, plus an on-site pool for lap swimming or synchronized sinking.

Warm, humid air swirls in the blades of the ceiling fans of Bikram Hot Yoga Vancouver, helping to limber up the bending bodies during 90-minute classes. Bikram-certified instructors lead students of all skill levels through the style’s 26 postures and two breathing exercises, each of which build on the last to strengthen muscles throughout the entire body. Their classes are set in a 105-degree studio with 40 percent humidity to enable students to sink deeper into stretches, release toxins via sweat, and imagine they’re in the mouth of a peaceful dragon. To help foster a burgeoning community of yogis, the instructors open the studio every third Saturday of the month, inviting all newcomers to try a class for free.

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.