Health & Fitness in Winston-Salem

The Yoga Gallery's experienced instructors foster flexibility in yogis of all ages and experience levels with a variety of limb-limbering classes that target physical and mental stress. Perk up postures bent from manning the helm of warring starships with an alignment-based class, or bend, balance, and headstand with a vigorous power-flow session. The Yoga Gallery’s wall-suspended straps help refine postures and improve flexibility, and expecting mothers and seniors, as well as those recovering from disease or illness, can all select classes from a bustling schedule to suit their needs and activity level.

Dr. Raymond Frye kindles his passion for beautiful smiles by developing convenient at-home pearl-polishing devices to forge dentist-chair results. His ultrasonic toothbrush invigorates morning routines by scrubbing teeth at the speed of 30,000 dynamic strokes per minute. A built-in alert sounds every 30 seconds, letting brushers know to switch areas and reward themselves with a piece of saltwater taffy, before a two-minute timer signals the end of cleaning. For immediate enhancement, regimens such as the Icing 30 Carat system, JägerWhite gel, and Shazzam White gel brighten beams with varying strengths of carbamide peroxide, eschewing the expense and hassle of in-office treatments. Specialized whitening trays, which shape to fit the mouth in an easy at-home molding session, contour to the gum line to keep the whitening solution focused on its pearly objectives, never veering off to burnish marble statues or someone else’s teeth.

Prana the neighborhood cat seems to be proof that animals can sense positive vibes. The inquisitive feline has a fondness for visiting Bikram Yoga Greensboro between classes, meeting students at the door as they enter and leave. Those who have just finished their 90-minute sequence at either Bikram Yoga Greensboro or Bikram Yoga Winston-Salem typically emerge drenched in sweat and refreshed after progressing through Bikram's signature series of 26 poses in 105-degree heat.

Yogis hone their form with the guidance of certified instructors who have studied under Bikram Choudhury himself during nine-week intensive courses. Teachers channel more than 500 hours of training each, which allows them to adjust postures and tips according to individual needs. To explain each pose, they follow the Bikram Dialogue, a script that calls for intuitive language instead of wordless, squeaky demonstrations with Barbie dolls. This simple and attentive style helps beginners and advanced practitioners properly position their stretches.

Crossfit Winston Salem's owners, Kevin and Renee Boyles, both of whom are Level 1 CrossFit–certified trainers, lead a diverse team of certified instructors who motivate trainees to reshape their fitness regimens and lives through the CrossFit program. Drawing from impressive collective experience—including Olympic weightlifting, soccer, and gymnastics—they develop varied routines that target endurance, strength, balance, flexibility, speed, and coordination. Their anaerobic exercises marry with aerobic workouts—body-sculpting and mind-sharpening Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics alternate with functional movements such as squats, dead lifts, and changing the tires on a monster truck. Helmed by these supportive instructors, each CrossFit training session, personal-training session, and CrossFit Kids class pushes muscles through intense workouts while maximizing the release of hormones to the brain and adrenaline into the circulatory system. The dedicated trainers also help their clients develop successful dieting strategies to overhaul unhealthy lifestyle choices.

In 1997, Richard Smiley began to feel cramped. It wasn’t his muscles—as a competitive triathlete and Ironman participant for more than 25 years, he knew how to stay in peak physical condition. Instead, it was the gyms he frequented. As Smiley saw it, many training facilities prioritized rising membership numbers over the comfort and individual needs of their members.

The 2,200-square-foot gym he founded, Smiley-Fitness by Design, features treadmills, Nautilus Circuit stations, recumbent bikes, and squat racks, but it’s the people there that make it unique. You could also say that it’s the lack of people. Smiley oversees a staff of ACE-certified trainers and strength and conditioning specialists, who guide small-group classes and attend to a deliberately limited membership base. They offer personalized exercise plans, nutrition plans designed by a registered dietician, and training services, all inside an intimate gym setting where members can exercise under the guidance of experts without feeling rushed or being asked to fill in as a barbell.

Metabolic Effect's staff of holistic physicians, clinical nutritionists, wellness coaches, conditioning specialists, and personal trainers pull from more than 100 years of collective experience to craft the center’s fitness and health regimens. Semiprivate personal-training sessions corral between two and four exercisers in order to ensure ample trainer attention and that all will fit into a raft in case of unforeseen whitewater rapids. After a consultation to learn each client’s fitness goals, a trainer designs a workout to chase his or her chiseled dreams. In 30-minute training sessions, exercisers, like the Partridge Family during their rebellious years, perform solo routines on the same stage, and the small class cap allows the trainer to tweak any wonky technique.

The optical experts at Summit Eye Care boost clients' vision with Essilor lenses and fashionable frames from name brands. The savvy staff introduces nose bridges to lightweight frames from stylish designers including Liz Claiborne ($190), Elan ($100), and Parade ($75). To keep eyes peeping at 20/20 no matter how many angry cats customers encounter, pairs of sight-supporters can be outfitted with antiscratch and anti-reflective lenses. Since regular spectacles can’t protect corneas from UV rays, sunglasses strut through the showroom—with or without prescription lenses—from well-known brands including Banana Republic and Juicy Couture (less than $100 each). Additionally, photochromatic, polarized, and tinted eyeglasses guard face orbs, and sports eyewear protects athletes' eyes from competitive sweat and poorly tossed bowling balls.