Health & Fitness in Doral

Wading through indoor heated pools, the instructors at British Swim School teach independent swimming skills to learners aged 3 months and older, adhering to a curriculum devised by British national swimmer Rita Goldberg. The 30-minute one-on-one sessions and small-group lessons, containing six or fewer swimmers, elucidate essential techniques for water safety and the importance of speaking fluent manatee. Swimboree (ages 3 months–3 years with parents) and Young Minnows sessions (ages 1–3 years without parents) teach wee swimmers basic water-survival skills, such as the back float. Turtle One and Turtle Two classes focus on freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke maneuvers, honing more structured swimming skills in older kiddos. British Swim School's Shark courses enhance stamina and speed and teach even more demanding strokes, such as the butterfly and little-known mountain-goat flail. Certain British Swim School classes require parents to participate in the water or to supervise from the pool deck, and adults-only lessons allow grown-ups to refine their own abilities without the supervision of a toddler.

Jorge Perez lay on the gym floor, panting heavily and in a state of disbelief. He had years of athletic-training experience and certifications under his belt, but after one CrossFit workout, he felt like a train had hit him. Impressed by the innovative program and determined to improve as an athlete, Jorge continued on to perform countless CrossFit workouts after leaving the gym that day, eventually earning his certification as a CrossFit level-one trainer.

Jorge Perez now shares the CrossFit training methodology with students of all fitness levels at his own studio—BluePrint CrossFit - Doral. Towering ceilings loom over an expansive floor of free weights, pull-up bars, and resistance bands, where Coach J and his staff of fellow certified coaches lead high-intensity CrossFit and bootcamp workouts. Committed to encouraging healthy lifestyles outside the gym, they conduct free nutritional seminars and share healthy recipes to demonstrate proper eating habits and how to get a restraining order against Twinkies.

At the new Golden Butterflies Spa & Rehab Center, medical staffers trained in high-tech, nonsurgical procedures team up with beauty therapists to transform bodies into fashion statements, independent of clothes. The team's most unusual treatments involve hormones and plasma formulas rich in platelet cells, which can alter body chemistry to catalyze rejuvenation and the cultivation of tiny victory gardens by the digestive tract's flora. Lasers do double duty as emissaries of smooth, hairless skin and leaner bodily contours, whereas cosmetic injections focus on creating youthful faces and obliterating cellulite. With aromatic oils and warm stones within reach, the gentle hands of massage therapists send waves of relaxation rolling through muscles via the careful acupressure of reflexology or deep-tissue therapy aimed at soothing connective tissue. Permanent cosmetics stands out as the only service with effects meant to endure forever, unlike promises of marriage to snowmen.

CrossFit 4U declares itself a CrossFit boutique, in which students of all fitness levels can explore functional movements with personalized attention in an upscale training space. Within the brightly lit studio flecked by vibrant fitness equipment, the passionate instructors push clients through exercises that draw from actions relevant to real life.

The strenuous workouts prime bodies for everyday activities such as climbing stairs, yard work, and lifting heavy objects, such as newborn rhinos. Patrons hoist brightly colored weights and toss medicine balls, and they stimulate major muscle groups with pushups and squats. Each class introduces a new Workout of the Day, which burns calories and swells strength levels at an intense but scalable pace. To supplement CrossFit choreography, staff members also dispense nutrition tips for more wholesome eating plans to enhance workout results.

OptimalFit Pilates Studio proprietress Vilija Conley has amassed a wealth of health and fitness credentials—she holds a Level 5 certification in Romana Pilates, a Level 4 certification in YogaFit, and a personal-training certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Armed with the six principles of Pilates, Vilija guides students through a series of movements that lead to physical well-being, better posture, and a level of body awareness that's like a vivid dream about fighting your doppelgänger.

Yoga teacher Peter Calin adds his 30 years of experience in Hatha, Ashtanga, power, and Bikram yoga to the studio's arsenal of classes and techniques. In addition, Vilija and Peter invite visitors to shape and tone muscles with specially designed equipment from spin bikes to sophisticated Gratz ladder barrels, spine correctors, and Wunda chairs.

“My practice is really centered on the individual,” Dr. Amaryllis Pascual told NBC 6 News about her self-named clinic, Pascual MD Med Spa. “What I like to do is set up an initial consultation where I meet with the patient and we go over what their desired results are. I then take a look at their lifestyle and the person as a whole, and we customize a treatment plan that’s going to fit that individual.”

Dr. Pascual and three other on-staff doctors—Dr. Vijay Sharma, Dr. Jeffrey LaGrasso, and Dr. Jorge Gaviria—follow this regimen for each treatment they provide, whether clients seek cosmetic surgery, medical weight-loss supervision, or classic skincare services. They also equip their office with delicate lasers capable of softening wrinkles, ousting unwanted hair, and drawing old-timey mustaches on hamburger buns.