Best of Boulder East County 2013: Health & Fitness

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The Bob L. Burger Recreation Center

Dance Studio
ART UNDERGROUND
901 Front St., Louisville, 303-229-1127%u2028
Second Place: Soul Tree Studio
Third Place: Colorado Conservancy of Dance
Fourth Place: Longmont Dance Theatre
Fifth Place: Dance Dimensions

Our readers told us that their favorite place in East County to learn dance is at Louisville’s Art Underground. And it’s easy to understand why. Art Underground is a nonprofit organization that was started to fill a void in arts education. The organization has excellent instructors dedicated to enhancing the arts community of East County in many different ways, including offering age-appropriate dance instruction for all ages. Art Underground offers far more art experiences than just dance, but hey, they just won the dance category, so we’ll stop there. Check them out, it’s a great organization.

Alternative Health Care
SOUTHWEST ACUPUNCTURE COLLEGE
6620 Gunpark Drive, Boulder, 303-581-9955
Second Place: Soul Workings
Third Place: Rolf Institute
Fourth Place: Foundation Wellness Center
Fifth Place: Love and Life Holistic Health Services

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that involves needles being placed into the body along strategic points called “meridians.” And as painful as it sounds, most report that the process itself is actually quite relaxing, and many find relief through acupuncture that traditional Western medicine had failed to provide them. Southwest Acupuncture College is one of the county’s enduring resources for this alternative medicine, offering courses and degrees in everything from acupuncture to herbal medicine, physical therapy, nutrition and exercise/ breathing therapy. If you’ve gotten acupuncture in Boulder County in the past decade, there’s a good chance you were punctured by a Southwest grad. And since our readers think the college is the best around, that’s a good thing.

Barber Shop
FLOYD’S BARBER SHOP
589 S. Hover St., Suite 600, Longmont, 303-485-1150
Second Place: Coal Creek Barbers
Third Place: Great Clips
Fourth Place: Sports Clips
Fifth Place: Niwot Barber Shop

Have a little jam session with that haircut and shave, why don’t you? Floyd’s Barber Shop matches a rockin’ good time with a basic haircut or shave. They’ve got their own radio station that blends spicy new music selections with time-tested and much-loved classics.

And don’t be shy, ladies, the original rock ’n’ roll barbershop isn’t just for guys — women can get their hair cut there, too. Take advantage of a shop that promises walk-in availability every day and lets you check your preferred stylist’s schedule online and call to book in advance.

Chiropractor
CAFÉ OF LIFE
202 Main St., Suite 1, Longmont, 303-827-3541
Second Place: Christopher Village Chiropractic Clinic
Third Place: Front Street Chiropractic

Sometimes, your back or some other part of your body hurts, and the easy solution is to just pop some ibuprofen and get on with your day. But often, recurring problems are a sign that there is something beyond the short-term symptom, and our readers have voted the Café of Life the place to go in East County when chiropractic care is the prescription for a long-lasting solution. Dr. Christine Sigg gets high marks in testimonials from current and former patients about her healing abilities.

Day Spa
SUNFLOWER SPA
1715 Ironhorse Drive, Suite 150, Longmont, 303-485-1390
Second Place: Mystic Garden Spa & Salon
Third Place: Tapestry Salon & Day Spa
Fourth Place: aRejuvenation Med Spa
Fifth Place: Essence Spa and Boutique

Spas are about how you look and how you feel in equal parts. If you leave a spa feeling like some jerks just took care of your skin or whatever, well, that’s not much of a success. The same is true if you leave feeling like the specialists at the spa were extremely attentive and gracious as they did nothing at all. The winners in this category manage to accomplish both; they’ll improve how you look and how you feel. At Sunflower Spa, the special organic facials are applied by helpful professionals who are positive and friendly.

Dental Care
SAGE DENTAL CARE
2695 Northpark Drive, #104, Lafayette, 303-604-6355
Second Place: Young Dentistry for Children
Third Place: Maurer Family Dental

Your teeth are an important part of your health, so waste no time getting over to Sage Dental Care in Lafayette, where dentists Terry Batliner and Andrew Holecek will take care of all your tooth-related needs. They specialize in prevention and are both deeply involved in charity work. Batliner, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is a long-time advocate for increasing access to dental care on the reservation. Holecek co-founded Global Dental Relief, which provides dental care and oral health education in countries like Nepal, India, Vietnam and Guatemala. A portion of the fees patients pay go to benefit the doctors’ efforts, so you will emerge not just with a sparkling smile but with the satisfaction that you helped make someone else’s life just a little better.

Golf Course
INDIAN PEAKS GOLF CLUB
2300 Indian Peaks Trail, Lafayette, 303-666-4706
Second Place: Coal Creek Golf Course
Third Place: Sunset Golf Course
Fourth Place: Twin Peaks Golf Course
Fifth Place: Ute Creek Golf Course

Ah, golf. One of the few places in the world where there’s a dress code but it’s still acceptable to show up without a tie. A “gentleman’s game” built with accommodations for ladies. On the whole, that doesn’t sound as intimidating as the game is sometimes made out to be. Plus, at the Indian Peaks Golf Club, adults can play on their 18 championship holes or the six sets of family tees, where kids play free after 5 p.m. Talk about fun for the whole family.

Gym/Fitness Center
BOB L. BURGER RECREATION CENTER
111 W. Baseline Road, Lafayette, 303-665-0469
Second Place: YMCA of Boulder Valley
Third Place: Louisville Recreation Center
Fourth Place: Longmont Recreation Center
Fifth Place: Longmont Athletic Club

East County’s rec centers always see a lot of use, especially when the weather is sketchy and us fair-weather joggers and cyclists head indoors. The family-friendly Bob L. Burger Recreation Center in Lafayette has been voted best in class by our readers, and that’s saying something, considering the fine facilities in Louisville and Longmont and how physically fit and active the average East County resident is. YMCA of Boulder Valley is no slouch, either, and it came in second.

Hair Salon
BARBARA THE BARBER

730 Thornwood Way, Longmont, 303-881-7586
Second Place: 95th Street Salon & Spa
Third Place: Ciao Bella Hair Studio
Fourth Place: Studio Boom
Fifth Place: Front Street Hair Studio

How many places can you go and get an amazing haircut, a live jazz performance and maybe even a good deal on your next house all at the same time? The answer as far as we know is just one. Barbara the Barber is well known in the salon world, having garnered mentions in publications such as Vogue and Glamour. She has also trained salon employees from New York to Vail to California. But hair isn’t her only love. She is also a Realtor and a jazz singer. Who knew? Apparently, our readers, who voted her best hair salon knew. Got to love a multi-tasker.

Medical Marijuana Wellness Center
HERBAL WELLNESS CENTER
400 W. South Boulder Road, #2700, Lafayette, 303-665-5599
Second Place: Compassionate Pain Management
Third Place: Green Tea Medicinals
Fourth Place: Blueberry Twist
Fifth Place: Altermeds

Kaytee Monson, Kayley Blood and Melanie Ralston of Herbal Wellness Center in Lafayette. | Photo by Susan France

Like any successful business in the world of health and wellness, MMJ dispensaries have to have consistent products, really great service and a vast knowledge of how those products will affect their customers.

When it comes to medical marijuana, some patients need a product with low THC and high cannabinoids. Others may need more THC if they are dealing with pain issues. In other words, if you want to win this category you have to know what you’re doing, and our readers tell us that Herbal Wellness Center knows its stuff and does a great job in every area of its business.

Lasik
INSIGHT LASIK
300 Exempla Circle, Suite 120, Lafayette, 303-665-7577
Second Place: Eye Center of the Rockies
Third Place: Colorado Eye Center
Fourth Place: Eye Works
Fifth Place: Summit Vision Care

Clear vision is very important for many daily tasks, like driving, watching TV and reading brilliant print journalism. And the LASIK specialists at Insight Lasik have been named the top clear-vision providers in East Boulder County for their state-of-the-art facilities. It’s tough to do better than the expertise at Insight: C. Starck Johnson, an ophthalmologist at Insight, is the team ophthalmologist for the Denver Broncos. Now if only he’d do some surgery on those referees, too. This marks the 10,000th time Johnson has heard this joke.

Martial Arts
TRAN’S MARTIAL ARTS AND FITNESS CENTER
117 S. Sunset St., Longmont, 303-776-1887
802 S. Public Road, Unit A, Lafayette, 303-664-0900
3101 1/2 28th St., Boulder, 303-402-9460
Second Place: Dragonfly Integrated Martial Arts Academy
Third Place: Louisville Tai Kwon Do
Fourth Place: Alpha Martial Arts
Fifth Place: Rocky Mountain Kung Fu

Bruce Lee. Jackie Chan. Poorly dubbed flicks imported to the states. Mr. Miyagi. This might be what comes to mind when you think of martial arts, but the reality is much richer. Martial arts offers something for everyone, from out-of-shape investors to the Wu Tang Clan. Few better ways exist to teach discipline and self-control to children, and for adults, it’s hard to get a more intense, functional workout. At Tran’s Martial Arts and Fitness Center, both children and adults benefit from expert instruction and individual attention, from disciplines like krav maga, Muay Thai kickboxing, fitness kickboxing and more. Master Vu D. Tran has more than 25 years of experience in martial arts, and his programs are guaranteed to leave you and your kids pouring sweat.

Massage
SUNFLOWER SPA
1715 Ironhorse Drive, Suite 150, Longmont, 303-485-1390
Second Place: Massage Envy
Third Place: Soul Workings
Fourth Place: Mystic Garden
Fifth Place: Essence Spa

Massage therapy gets great and much-deserved credit for making us feel better, and feel a little more relaxed and a little less weighted down by the pull of gravity. But medical research is slowly starting to stack up showing that there’s more to it than just feeling relaxed — or that feeling relaxed has other ripple effects that reach into your health. Medical professionals have started to point out that relaxing slows your heart rate lowers your blood pressure, and may help muscles heal or be used to treat knee pain from osteoarthritis.

When you need a dose of some deep tissue treatment, Sunflower Spa is our readers’ choice for massage. They offer deep-tissue massage, Swedish and Ashiatsu — that’s the one where the massage therapist uses feet in addition to hands and upper body to apply pressure. So let someone press, pull and knead you toward better health.

Medical Facility
BOULDER COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
1000 W. South Boulder Road, Lafayette, 303-666-4357
1100 Balsam Ave., Boulder, 303-440-2273
4747 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 720-854-7000
Second Place: Avista Adventist Hospital
Third Place: Longmont United Hospital
Fourth Place: Kaiser Permanente
Fifth Place: Exempla Good Samaritan

Boulder Community Hospital, with two main locations in Boulder as well as its Community Medical Center in Lafayette, serves East County so well that our voters gave it top honors in the best medical facility category. With its top-notch doctors, nurses and equipment, BCH supports the community in many ways, whether it’s just providing a Band-Aid or performing surgery. Thankfully, most of the time, we don’t need their services, but it’s good to know they are there when emergencies and health complications arise. Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville is our second-place winner.

Nail Salon
HAPPY STAR NAILS
1355 E. South Boulder Road, Louisville, 720-890-5007
Second Place: Aloha Nails
Third Place: Mimi’s Nails Salon
Fourth Place: Nails 2000

Happy Star Nails in Louisville, winner of best nail salon. | Photo by Susan France

The line between good and bad when it comes to a nail salon is a thin one. After all, no nail salon is routinely breaking people’s fingers or coating them in acrylic paint. But customers applaud Happy Star Nails for doing all the little things right to set itself apart — cleanliness, friendliness, affordability. The specialists also offer hot stone massages and shellac nail polish treatments. At runner-up Aloha Nails, customers say the service is neck-and-neck with Happy Star in its attentiveness and friendliness.

Pilates Studio
BARRE BODIES
1822 Sunset Place, Longmont, 720-340-8156
Second Place: Flatirons Pilates
Third Place: Rocky Mountain Pilates
Fourth Place: Happy Cat Pilates

Fifth Place: Soul Tree Pilates

The four basic needs all human beings must have are food, water, shelter and clothing. Well, let’s face it: Most of us these days have no trouble meeting these. But given how many of our lifestyles include getting out of bed in the morning, driving to work, sitting at a desk for the good part of eight hours, driving home and maybe walking from a parking spot to a restaurant, there should be an addendum to that list: exercise. Pilates is a low-impact way to get that exercise our bodies so desperately crave, and it’s great for strengthening core muscles while toning the rest. Barre Bodies offers pilates class and Barre classes, which are based around exercise performed on a ballet bar. Our readers think there’s no better pilates studio in East County.

Tanning salon
PRESTIGE TAN AND HAIR
2919 W. 17th Ave., Suite 110, Longmont, 303-772-7766
Second Place: Tan Express
Third Place: Endless Summer
Fourth Place: Hot Tanz
Fifth Place: Golden Comb

Keeping up that summer glow in the winter months can be rough. Who wants to sunbathe in a bikini when it’s 30 degrees and snowing outside? The wonders of modern technology make such an absurd undertaking obsolete, and when it comes to keeping a little color in your cheeks — and on your face — our readers recommend Prestige Tan and Hair. Formerly Twisted Rayz, the salon also offers hair and nail services, so you can come out fully prepared to face the world, whatever the weather.

Veterinary
JASPER ANIMAL HOSPITAL
1369 Forest Park Circle, Suite 101, Lafayette, 303-665-4002
Second Place: VCA All Pets Animal Hospital
Third Place: Banfield Pet Hospital
Fourth Place: Pets and Pals Veterinary Hospital
Fifth Place: Mountain Ridge Animal Hospital

When Fido or Misty is sick or injured, it’s like a family member is in need, and everything else gets put on hold. We don’t often think about it, but when pet emergencies happen, it’s good to have a dependable safety net, a trustworthy clinic that we can rely on. In East County, our voters selected Jasper Animal Hospital in Lafayette for top honors, and we love the fact that Jasper provides low-cost veterinary services to several rescue organizations. Congratulations to VCA All Pets Animal Hospital, also in Lafayette, for landing second-place honors.

Yoga
SOUL TREE STUDIO
422 E. Simpson St., Louisville, 303-665-5244
Second Place: Yoga Junction
Third Place: Sangha Studios
Fourth Place: Healing Movement
Fifth Place: Hot Method Yoga

Yoga is exercise and a lifestyle that can make your muscles strong, improve your balance and even make your spirit soar. Our readers chose Soul Tree Studio as their favorite place for yoga, and why not? There’s nothing better than being healthy in a place with a mission statement that says, “We strive to inspire you to grow strength in your body, root peacefulness in your mind and create a playful expanse in your heart.” Sounds good to us.