Westchester, FL Health and Fitness

South Beach Boxing is a fighter-friendly gym that has hosted boxing legends such as Muhammad Ali and extends its exercise expertise to guests of all fitness levels with more than 50 weekly classes. Led by owner Jolie Glassman, a team of 12 pro fighters helps students pummel New Year's resolutions during one-hour workouts and private lessons, teaching them that "you don't have to be a fighter to train like one." Fists and feet collide with dozens of heavy blue bags suspended from the ceiling in pro-level boxing, boxing aerobics, sparring, muay thai, jujitsu, and mixed-martial-arts classes. Meanwhile, muscles strain against cycles, kettlebells, and functional training machines during R.I.T.E. fitness workouts, which emphasize ever-changing exercise routines.

Winston Towers Medical Center caters to patients with all manner of ailments with a diverse palette of medical services and medical professionals. Sports-massage therapists assuage injured tendons and offer preventive care, and massage specialists' deliberate strokes and intimidation tactics encourage subsurface muscles to submit. Aestheticians help faces to achieve youthfulness with cosmetic injections, psychiatrists move minds toward a more peaceful state, and podiatrists keep feet healthy.

Jim Pruchniewski peered down his leg at his blackened toes. He'd been rushed to the hospital after a blizzard waylaid him on a mountainside in Lake Placid. "You have third-degree frostbite," the doctor confirmed. "We'll have to amputate." Fortunately for Jim and his digits, the US Olympic ski team was training nearby. The team's podiatrist hurried to the hospital like a long-lost lover hurries to interrupt a wedding before the end of a movie. "Stop!" he might have shouted as the buzz saw probably descended toward the patient's toes. The hero, our Olympic podiatrist, examined the foot and concluded that the damage was superficial. The toes would recover. And they did. The episode moved Jim Pruchniewski, a former biology teacher, to earn his medical degree. Over the last 20 years, he's gained fourfold board certification in podiatric orthopedics, surgery, primary care, and the treatment of diabetic foot wounds. At North Lakeland Foot Clinic, he examines feet with the same attention that saved his toes decades ago. He and his staff do everything in their power to keep feet healthy and, in the case of diabetic patients, avert extreme measures like amputation.

All American Crossfit co-owner Oscar Castillo is a firefighter, but even though his job is physically demanding, he says it doesn't compare to CrossFit. “What we do at work—it's hard, but it's not as hard as CrossFit,” he says.

But that's not to say the workouts are only for the physically fit—Oscar and his partner can vary the weight and intensity of each exercise for students of any fitness level. The constantly changing workouts combine elements of weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardio to appeal to those who tire of traditional gym routines. Students swing kettlebells, climb ropes, and perfect their Olympic medal acceptance speeches while holding themselves up on gymnastic rings. “It's constantly varied,” Oscar says. “It doesn't get boring.”

As they challenge their bodies with each day's workout, members can draw inspiration from an assortment of colorful flags representing professions such as firefighting, police work, and the military, as well as causes including the fight against breast cancer.

For more than two decades, Dr. Lilian Gonzalez and her team of specialists at Dental American Group have cared for teeth using the latest equipment and techniques. The crew—which includes an orthodontist, a periodontist, an endodontist, and oral surgeons—performs services ranging from practical to cosmetic. Doctors may straighten smiles with braces, or replace missing teeth with dental implants. Wrinkle-relaxing Botox injections are also available, leaving faces youthful enough to re-grow their baby teeth.

A dull thud shakes the padded floor as Bruno Garcia drops a barbell after demonstrating squat thrusters to his student. All around him trainers bellow motivation, and the air is damp with the sweat of men and women of all ages powering through the workout of the day. This scenario plays out daily for Bruno and his team of trainers, each of whom holds at least a CrossFit Level 1 trainer certification and listens to a soundtrack of workout grunts on a loop before bed.

The trainers introduce exercisers to CrossFit gradually. They start by teaching On Ramp fundamentals classes and then roll out the workout of the day, which typically includes a nonstop sequence of exercises such as sprints, lunges, and pull-ups. Aside from the daily workout, the trainers oversee a specialized CrossFit Football program, which was created with guidance from an actual professional football veteran.