Best of Boulder 2022 — Health & Fitness

Hair Salon

Voodoo Hair Lounge

2100 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-449-4453

Silver: Twig Hair Salon

Bronze: Zinke Hair Studio

Write-in: Sweep Salon

You’ve got to trust your hairdresser. Not only are they making you look good, they’re helping you feel good, assisting you in expressing your personality. And we’ve all had a haircut or coloring go oh-so wrong, so once we find someone who gets us—who gets our hair—we hold on for dear life. Our readers have found the talented stylists at Voodoo Hair Lounge and said there’s no better salon to make your hair dreams come true. The staff of fully trained, creative and compassionate hair professionals ensure that you’ll leave VooDoo’s Boulder digs with hair that makes you feel great about yourself.

Gym/Fitness Center

Colorado Athletic Club

1821 30th St., Boulder, 303-501-1700

Silver: North Boulder Rec Center

Bronze: Boulder Rock Club

Write-in: Town Strength

It’s got an array of workout equipment, a pool, clean facilities, friendly staff and trainers, classes, courses and generally everything one could want from a gym and fitness center. The Colorado Athletic Club even has a social component, where members can sign up for brewery tours and hiking expeditions. All of that elevates the fitness experience, and it’s why the Colorado Athletic Club has yet again been voted as Best Gym in Boulder. 

Nail Salon

Jlounge Natural Nail Bar and Spa

3003 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-484-6669

Silver: Contempo Nails

Bronze: Luxe Nail Bar

Write-in: Star Nails

Co-founders Julie and Jen started jlounge Natural Nail Bar and Spa with a mission to offer natural nail and spa services in a modern setting, providing a high-quality day spa experience. According to our readers, they can buff, shape, trim, soak, massage and polish like no other. Add on a good scrub, detox and hot towel rub for good measure. Come enjoy some alone time, use it as an excuse to catch up with friends or celebrate someone special. One thing is for sure; our readers say jlounge is the Boulder nail salon of choice.

Martial Arts

Easton Training Center

2005 32nd St., Boulder, 303-938-1275

Silver: Boulder Ki Aikido

Bronze: Tran’s Martial Arts & Fitness

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the art of joint manipulation, leverage and weight distribution. It’s not about trying to harm your opponent, you just want to disable their ability to harm you. Muay Thai is a martial art and combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. Known as the “art of eight limbs,” Muay Thai is characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins—“the art of eight limbs.” Try either one of these and more at Easton Training Center. Our readers keep voting it as their favorite place to learn and practice martial arts.

Climbing/Parkour Gym

Boulder Rock Club

2829 Mapleton Ave., Boulder, 303-447-2804

Silver: The Spot Boulder

Bronze: Movement Climbing + Fitness

Boulder has one of the biggest, most active rock climbing communities in the nation. Naturally. Straight outside of our doors we’ve got some of the best outdoor climbing in the world—and here in town we’ve got some of the best indoor climbing gyms, too. But if you’re looking for the best of the best, the gym that stands above the rest, Boulder Rock Club is the one to check out. Locally owned since 1991, BRC offers a huge variety of different routes and rooms for top rope climbing, leading or bouldering, and offers programs for youth, teens, adults, or women; BRC offers private lessons, personal training, yoga classes and even chiropractic services. Boulder Rock Club has everything you could hope to ask for from a climbing gym, and it’s also a great community to meet other climbers in the scene.  

Urgent Care Center

Boulder Community Health Urgent Care center

Multiple locations

Silver: Boulder Medical Center

Bronze: UCHealth Urgent Care

No one likes to be sick, uncomfortable, or deal with pain—so head to Boulder Community Health Urgent Care, as our readers do, when you can’t wait for your non-emergency healthcare team or primary-care doctor to attend to your needs. Treatments for common illnesses and minor injuries don’t require appointments (they’re open 365 days a year, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.), and will likely result in less expensive medical bills than an emergency department.

Hospital

Boulder Community Health

Multiple locations

Silver: Foothills Hospital

Bronze: Avista Adventist Hospital

The last two-plus years have been increasingly difficult for healthcare workers around the world—and we couldn’t be more thankful for the wholesome support, healing, triage efforts and information distribution coming from our reader’s favorite hospital: Boulder Community Health. All throughout the pandemic BCH had been there for the community, building off their near 100-year history of excellent general and specialty services, medical care and patient appreciation. 

Day Spa

St Julien Hotel & Spa

900 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-406-9696

Silver: The Dragontree Spa

Bronze: jlounge

Write-in: Niwott Inn

Life can feel pretty hectic in today’s world. Which makes good self-care and relaxation an essential part of staying healthy. Lucky for Boulder, we’ve got the St Julien Hotel & Spa to whisk you away into a world of soft towels, relaxing music, great smells and elevated care that’s unmatched. Book a massage, get a facial, enjoy some hair care, or set up a manicure/pedicure to calm your nerves and still your mind. No matter what you do at the St Julien, it’s bound to be a rejuvenating experience. 

Veterinary Care

Alpine Hospital for Animals

3210 Valmont Road, Boulder, 303-443-9661

Silver: Boulder’s Natural Animal

Bronze: Humane Society of Boulder County

Write-in: Rise Vet

No matter what kind of animal companion you’ve got, the folks over at Alpine Hospital for Animals have their veterinary needs covered. They do wellness exams, vaccinations, medical, diagnostic and therapeutic services, surgery and more. So whether your dog needs its distemper shot, or your cat needs laser therapy, or if your pet iguana needs behavioral counseling Alpine Hospital for Animals has got your back. 

Pilates Studio

Bolder Pilates

3012 Folsom St., Boulder, 303-544-5930

Silver: The Pilates Center

Bronze: Boulder Bodyworks

Write-in: Contrology Studio

Bolder Pilates owner/founder Donna Ligon spent 15 years looking for an answer to her chronic back pain. When she found Pilates, she knew her life had changed forever. Now, Donna and a team of experts at Bolder Pilates want to help you change your life, whether that’s about dealing with pain, losing weight, or simply finding new ways to move your body. Our readers have said more than once over the years that Bolder Pilates is their favorite Pilates studio. 

Barber

FLOYD’S 99 barbershop

Multiple locations

Silver: Voodoo Hair Lounge

Bronze: Rollins Barbershop

If you’ve got hair on your head, chances are you need a good barber (at least from time to time). Having a shop you can trust to make you look good makes getting a fresh cut a stress-free errand. And at Floyd’s 99 Barbershop in Boulder, it’s more than just stress free—these stylists make your haircut a relaxing and enjoyable experience. With rock’n’roll playlists bumping all day long, walls covered with band posters, and a group of stylists that knows what they’re doing, a visit to Floyd’s 99 is always refreshing. And when you walk out of the door, you’ll like the way you look. 

Physical Therapy

Alta Physical Therapy & Pilates

2955 Baseline Road, Boulder, 303-444-8707

Silver: Coal Creek Physical Therapy

Bronze: Altitude Physical Therapy

When you’re injured, the only thing most people can think about is getting better, getting healthier and getting there fast. In order to do that, sometimes you need physical therapy—and the quality of care you get translates directly into your speed of recovery. At Alta Physical Therapy & Pilates in Boulder, these physical therapists are not just providing the highest quality physical therapy, they’re passionate about helping people get better. They’ve just got one goal: your health. It might hurt, it might be frustrating at times, but they’re there to help you along the path to recovery every step of the way. 

Lasik Services

Boulder Eyes/Beyer Lasik

1810 30th St., Suite B, Boulder, 720-996-1201

Silver: Colorado Eye Center

Bronze: Boulder Eye Surgeons

Nothing can change your life like getting a new pair of eyes. For over 20 years, Dr. Craig Beyer of Boulder Eyes/Beyer Lasik has been providing compassionate, personalized care for the Boulder customers who come to him for Lasik. Boulder Eyes is at the forefront of medical science and technology, and is even helping to push that forefront further through clinical research on refractive surgery. The top priority, though, is providing patients with the best results science can offer and the best vision they’ve ever had.

Golf Course

Flatirons Golf Course

5706 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-442-7851

Silver: Haystack Mountain Golf Course

Bronze: Indian Peaks Golf Course

With sweeping views of the magnificent Flatirons reaching up to the sky west of Boulder, how can a game of golf get better? This view at the 18-hole Flatirons Golf Course keeps people coming back swing after swing, put after put. To prepare yourself for the green, head to the Flatirons’ driving range (generally open from dawn to dusk, and only $10 for 100 balls) so that when you step onto the grass, your killer drive can match the killer views. With complimentary push carts, plus junior and senior discounts, we’re far from surprised at our readers’ choice. 

Dentist

North Boulder Dental Group

1001 North St., Boulder, 303-447-1042

Silver: Boulder Smiles

Bronze: Comfort Dental

They say going to the dentist is one of the most important things you can do for your health, which makes finding a dentist you can trust imperative to your well-being. Whether you’ve got a toothache, need a check-up or are otherwise looking to improve your chompers, the folks at North Boulder Dental Group are here to help. By offering high-quality, compassionate care, they’ve won our readers’ vote for the best place to get dental work done. Providing family dentistry for almost 40 years, these folks know how to help all of us achieve optimal oral health.

Acupuncture Clinic

Acupuncture Clinic of Boulder

2500 Arapahoe Ave., Suite 290, Boulder, 303-665-5515

Silver: BoulderBodyworks

Bronze: Boulder Community Acupuncture

Write-in: Inner Ocean Center for Healing

The ancient alternative medicine of acupuncture has taken thousands of years to hone and perfect, building upon wisdom spanning the ages. Today it’s widely used to treat pain, headaches and migraines, lower back problems, arthritis, sleep problems, nausea, and more. There’s a lot of acupuncture clinics out there, though, and any time you’re seeking medical treatment (especially one involving so many needles) you want to make sure you’re going to see the best in the business. And the best in town is at the Acupuncture Clinic of Boulder on Arapahoe. They collaborate with patients and the healthcare community to provide traditional Chinese medicine that renews and inspires health and vitality.

Dance Studio

Alchemy of Movement

2436 30th St., Boulder, 303-449-4410

Silver: Block 1750

Bronze: The Avalon Ballroom

Write-in: The Honey Pot

Don’t get stuck going through the motions of life without stopping to experience the joy—take the time to kick your shoes off every once in a while and dance! At Alchemy of Movement in Boulder, they’ll show you how. They offer “Free and Fit,” “Hyped and Fit” and “Strong and Fit” classes, as well as deeper dives for those who want to push themselves further and explore some of the less-accessible forms of dance. There’s no judgment here—just the joy that’s produced from the Alchemy of Movement.

Chiropractor

Apex Chiropractic

183 S. Taylor Ave., Suite 162, Louisville, 720-328-1790

Silver: The Joint Chiropractic

Bronze: Boulder Sports Chiropractic

Write-in: Awaken Chiropractic

There are few experiences more relieving than when a good chiropractor re-aligns your hips, back, shoulders or neck. It can make a huge difference in your day-to-day life, and often-times, it can solve health issues you didn’t even realize you were struggling with. In a place like Boulder, there are a lot of good chiropractors—but, according to our readers, none of them stand up to Apex Chiropractic. Apex offers chiropractic services for anyone who’s been in a car accident, had a sports injury, or who just simply feels out of alignment. These specialists also offer pregnancy chiropractic care, pediatric chiropractic care and even mental health chiropractic care. They do it all at Apex, and they do it better than the rest. 

Massage

St Julien Hotel & Spa 

900 Walnut St., Boulder, 720-406-9696

Silver: Apex Massage & Recovery Lab

Bronze: The Dragontree Spa

At the St Julien Hotel & Spa, a massage is the ultimate way to unwind. Even with the classic massage, you determine your level of desired pressure to relieve tension and circulate blood. As our readers can attest, the pampering services not only make everyone feel like royalty on the set of Bridgerton, the rejuvenating techniques also leave you looking fresh and ready to hit the town.

Yoga Studio

Yoga Pod

Multiple locations

Silver: CorePower Yoga

Bronze: Little Yoga Studio

Write-in: One Dojo

With a variety of styles and traditions, the classes at Yoga Pod offer a place to develop skill, de-stress and build strength, all with the goal of reaching a healthier mind and body space. For beginners and advanced practitioners alike, these folks will take you on an ancient journey to achieve a more fulfilling future. Yoga Pod’s put safety precautions in place, and it offers lessons in-person and online.

WINNER SPOTLIGHT: FAMILY AT THE POD

Nicole and Gerry Weinholt were on their honeymoon when they laid out a vision for their future. The two wanted to merge Nicole’s experience teaching yoga with Gerry’s knack for business into a single enterprise—a passion project they could pursue together and through which they could share their mutual love for yoga with others. 

That was 17 years ago, now. Today the vision they painted on that trip has grown from the seed of an idea into a fruitful, flowering tree with roots in five different states across the US. They’ve poured their hearts and souls into it, cultivating a community that’s more than a simple yoga studio. The Yoga Pod, from its owners to its teachers to its students, is a family striving for health and wellness together and thriving along the journey. 

That family feel is a huge factor in what sets their studios’ above the rest, they say. 

“It’s so fulfilling,” Gerry says, seated beside his partner in business and life, Nicole. “That’s one of the main reasons why we do it.”

In 2010, the couple acquired their first location: the original Yoga Pod on 29th street, here in Boulder. They renovated the space, added their own style and flare to it—manifesting their vision and realizing their dream. They expanded. Then that studio moved to their larger current space at 30th and Walnut. Then they opened up other studios in other states, in Arizona, Florida, Texas and Nevada and opened more studios here in Colorado. The Longmont Yoga Pod opened at the beginning of 2022 and they just announced the acquisition of the Yoga Loft at Foothills and Broadway in South Boulder, which will become Yoga Pod’s 13th studio nation-wide. 

“The transformative power of yoga is what we want people to know and share because of what it means to us and how it has changed our lives in so many ways, not just physically, but [spiritually] as well,” Gerry says. 

“Yoga is bigger than just the physical asana and the twisty bendy postures we put ourselves in,” Nicole agrees. “We just want [our students] to be able to come in and relax and let go of whatever they have to let go of and walk out of here feeling a little better and more cared for.”

In a town like Boulder, with so many yoga studios, it takes a special kind of business to stand out. Asked what sets them apart, both Gerry and Nicole responded without hesitation: it’s their teachers. They have the best, most talented teachers at Yoga Pod and they encourage them to shine their brightest, they say. 

“Our teachers are so talented and they have years of experience and they come with so many creative gifts. And we’re so grateful to be able to let them share that,” Nicole says. “They’re taking the student on a journey, and we’re grateful that they’re able to provide that.”

“We don’t try to cookie-cutter [our teachers] or restrict them in how they want to express themselves as teachers,” Gerry says. “That’s a high motivation for us to create the environment where teachers can flourish in they’re calling, their gift, their talent.”

And with their new location in Longmont and soon-to-open location in South Boulder, they’re vastly expanding the opportunities for their teachers and their students. By opening their third location in Boulder County, they’re making it possible for their teachers to teach yoga full time if they want to—and they’re obviously adding a lot of classes for students to explore and experience. 

Gerry says he simply can’t imagine doing anything else, anywhere else in the country. They’re so passionate about this work, are so supported by this community, they just want to give back to it—through the power of yoga.

“Yoga really is, not just to practice, but a lifestyle,” Nicole says. “And we really try to embody that.”  

—Will Brendza