Whitehall, PA Health and Fitness

Doctor of Chiropractic Tony Chappie is the perfect motivator for exercisers, as he’s been an athlete his entire life. He devoted 25 years to rugby, but when one too many injuries made traditional training impossible, he turned to kettlebells. As a chiropractor and owner of his own practice, he understands the rehabilitative effects of the bulbous weights and incorporates them into classes at his gym, Pittsburgh Kettlebell & Performance.

He defies the traditional gym formula of deploying exercisers onto rows of boredom-inducing machines, instead filling the fitness studio with Russian kettlebells, battle ropes, medicine balls, and sledgehammers. The unusual tools tone bodies at classes ranging from explosive kettlebell training to a Navy SEAL course—taught by retired SEAL Daniel Toth—that is more grueling than teaching a seal to stand at attention.

Twenty years ago, the founders of Med Health Services were fraught with frustration. Avoidable health emergencies such as strokes and heart attacks were killing too many people nationwide. They pondered how to shift medicine's emphasis from treatment of acute symptoms to disease prevention and early detection. Their answer was an OSHA-certified outpatient facility that partners with physicians to perform diagnostic medical tests.

Today, at more than 50 area locations, Med Health Services’ team of pathologists, radiologists, and cardiologists addresses problems plaguing the American health-care system. Many patients undergo expensive tests at hospitals when they're already very sick, and many doctors don't have the right equipment to perform these tests in their offices. By taking some of these tests out of the hospital, Med Health Services helps doctors and patients catch serious problems in their early stages. Appointments are easy to schedule, and results turn around quickly, like a somersaulting carousel.

Assessments range from ultrasounds and x-rays to blood and nerve-conduction tests. Board-certified physicians and registered technologists perform the tests and analyze the results to ensure accuracy and peace of mind. To make the tests as accessible as possible, Med Health Services works with a wide range of health plans and Medicare providers.

Pittsburgh native Jonathan Kohler doesn't just educate his patients; he helps the community understand dentistry. At the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, he shares his knowledge of restorative dentistry with future dentists. He also regularly visits local grade schools and high schools, where he educates kids on proper brushing technique and explains why we can’t taste the roof of our mouth. In the office, his staff share his friendly, upbeat attitude, guiding patients through cleanings and fillings while answering questions and keeping them comfy.

Sometimes our dreams are within reach, but more often, those dreams are on the highest of high shelves, beside the BB gun and the cupcakes "for tomorrow." Reach that shelf with today's Groupon, which will stretch your muscles and muscle your stretches into a month-long stretch of intense muscular moves. For $30, you get 30 days of unlimited group yoga classes at Yoga on the Square in Regent Square, a $99 value. The 30 days are consecutive and begin the first time you drop in for a class.

In 1976, educator, musician, and kinesiologist Robin Wes opened The Little Gym based on his new take on physical education. His curriculum emphasized motivating children to achieve instead of pressuring them to win. As a result, The Little Gym became a noncompetitive, positive, nurturing environment where young ones could develop physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually. Since then, Little Gyms have sprouted up across the country. Enter Kevin and Page Helmick. Kevin and Page's passion for working with children stirred the duo to open their own Little Gym locations in Liberty Township and Mason. Parents of two young boys, Kevin and Page captain a talented staff of childcare professionals and instructors that is as passionate about childhood development as they are. The programs and classes they teach aim to help kids develop skills such as rhythm and coordination, and kids camps during winter, spring, and summer breaks prevent children from creating finger paintings that express the existential ennui they feel when school is out of session. The gym's classes, camps, and childcare programs have earned this location the Best Children's Play award from Cincinnati Family Magazine.