Whitefish Bay, WI Health and Fitness

Lined with sky-blue walls and lush green plants, the studio emanates a deep respect for the earth, which staffers honor with a focus on local, organic foods and exercises that require minimal electricity, instead working the body through natural movements. "We were born to be runners; we were born to be strong, to use our muscle, so we learn how to do that the correct way here," says certified personal trainer Nick Lynch, Superb Health's owner. Lynch and his team of trainers and nutrition experts look to early humans to help clients unlock their physical potential, emphasizing getting fit through functional movements that improve strength and endurance in day-to-day activities.

Group classes revolve around functional training, bolstering the entire body with tools such as kettlebells, weighted ropes, and medicine balls. The studio's Adventure Workout thrusts groups into the great outdoors, where they gallop down riverside trails and practice pull-ups on tree branches and the tusks of wooly mammoths. Whether performed in a group or a one-on-one personal-training session, each workout is paired with healthy-eating tips crafted by Lynch and his wife Natalie, a registered nurse, who also leads meal-planning sessions and grocery-store tours to help patrons make healthy choices.

Like mobile Knights of the Round Table, bikers sit in a circle on Science and Fun’s seven-person conference bikes. One rider steers while all passengers pedal, powering bikes as they cruise through the city or serve as low-key parade floats. Groups with sufficient manpower for two bikes can turn open, paved spaces or Bucketworks’ indoor arena into bicycle basketball courts. Each bike constitutes a team, and both teams launch a barrage of foam balls at their opponent’s bike-mounted hoop during four-minute rounds in a game adaptable to all ages and pending NBA contracts. While advance bike reservations ensure a circular steed, Science and Fun happily reschedules or cancels reservations that coincide with inclement weather.

The Preserve at Deer Creek invites golfers to swing through nine bucolic fairways from a choice of three tees. The course’s creeks sneak across no fewer than seven of the nine fairways, demanding precision from each swing. Before whipping out their scorecards and pencils, players can practice aim without numerical reprimand at the practice putting green or practice-chipping area. After games, they can stroll over to the clubhouse and tell lovelorn tales of the golf ball that got away in between sips of beer.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par-36 course
• Length of 3,210 yards
• Slope rating of 128
• Three tee options
• See the scorecard

Physicians Weight Loss Centers of America, Inc. peppers the nation, doling out slim-down tips honed during the course of three decades in business. Each center staffs a physician, who, in tandem with a team of skilled counselors, selects one of six weight-loss and lifestyle programs to guide each client toward his or her desired results. The center’s sextet of plans are tailored to those who prefer not to exercise, those who travel often, those who cook at home, and those who cook in nonfunctional stage kitchens. Patients chat with their counselors often, soaking up the tips the staffers learn from continual training programs. Clients are encouraged to build a bond with their counselor, as camaraderie not only eases the process, but also improves one’s chances of finding a lifelong three-legged-race partner.

Lisa Belisle spent her life travelling around the country and the world, but couldn't escape the pain of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. While looking for a nutritional solution for her condition, Belisle traveled to India to study the 5,000-year-old art of Ayurveda and studied to become a clinical nutritionist. Today, Belisle applies Ayurvedic teachings to her treatments, emphasizing the digestive system—the core of the body—and offering a nine-day cleanse to rid the body of toxins from environmental pollutants. In addition to her cleanses, Belisle mixes custom herb blends and teas in her own apothecary for patients who need an extra boost.

Belisle's services further supplement nutrition and herbal cleanses through hot-oil treatments, herbal facials, and massage. The serene blue walls of the treatment area flutter with images of dragonflies that symbolize renewal, the theme of the practice. Belisle says that her favorite part of her job is seeing her clients change both inside and out by losing weight and overcoming pain.