Health and Fitness News

5 new places to get your health and fitness fix in Dallas

Rio Jiu Jitsu just opened in Lakewood.

Rio Ju Jitsu

Dallas-Fort Worth is a body-conscious place, and we've got the fitness centers, salons, and treatment programs to prove it. This latest health-minded roundup stretches from pilates to self defense to a new initiative distributing free condoms.

Here are five new offerings that are prioritizing wellness in Dallas:

Jetset Pilates
Dallas is a big city for pilates — we're home to the BodyBar chain, among others. Now comes Jetset Pilates, a franchise based in Miami that just opened its first Texas location in McKinney at 3241 S. Custer Rd. #103. A staple in south Florida, Jetset boasts 50-minute workouts on reformer machines with rope cabling, rings, and dumbbells — but set to a DJ music soundtrack. You can do a single class for $33 or 20 classes for $479. Memberships start at $89 for a four-class monthly membership, to $259 for an unlimited class monthly membership.

Free Narcan vending machines
This initiative has a mission to save lives by helping prevent opioid overdoses. Inspired by a similar project in Austin, it will dispense free Narcan nasal spray in vending machines, ideally placed in schools and public spaces. (Narcan is Naloxone, a drug used to combat overdoses of drugs like Fentanyl.) The project is being deployed by Livegy, a nonprofit based in Hurst that is already making Narcan available in wall-mounted Narcan dispensers for schools.

Aquatic program at ForeverFit
ForeverFit, a resource for cancer patients at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, just unrolled a new hydrotherapy/aquatic exercise program. Hydrotherapy can reduce joint and muscle stiffness, improve circulation, strengthen the immune system, and enhance lymphatic flow. It helps with tissue healing, improves fitness and strength, reduces fatigue, and aids in pain management. It also helps to elevate mood and foster connections among participants. Anyone with a current or previous cancer diagnosis is eligible for the program with a referral from a physician or oncologist.

Free condom vending machines
Prism Health North Texas, which provides HIV and sexual health services, has deployed new vending machines that spit out condoms for free. They've been installed at two locations: Dallas Woody’s, a bar at 4011 Cedar Springs Rd. where it's on the first floor, replacing an existing cigarette vending machine; and The Shops at RedBird at 3662 West Camp Wisdom Rd., where it's set up in the Dallas College Workforce Center at RedBird. The vending machines are part of a pilot program; they'll compile data to consider funding and locations for more machines.

Rio Jiu-Jitsu
Jiu-Jitsu training facility is now open at Hillside Village shopping center at 6465 E. Mockingbird Ln. #350 where it's offering classes for both kids and adults, including self-defense, yoga, and more. Prices range from $100 for a one-month movement class to $349 for a monthly family membership featuring movement, spa, and Jiu-Jitsu, although they let you do a free trial. The facility has locker rooms, private showers, a cold plunge tub, sauna, and towel service. It was founded by four partners including Rafael Lang, a fourth degree black belt who has spent time training the Australian Army and Dallas police force.

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RETAIL WATCH

Texas AG Ken Paxton opens investigation into fast-fashion giant Shein

Photo courtesy of SHEIN

Shein is now under investigation from the Texas Attorney General.

Critics of fast fashion have found a strange bedfellow in Ken Paxton. The Texas Attorney General announced December 1 he would investigate online retailer Shein for alleged unethical labor practices and unsafe consumer products.

According to a release from Paxton’s office, the inquiry aims to find out if Shein’s “supply chain and manufacturing practices violate Texas law by using toxic or hazardous materials, misleading consumers about product safety, and misleading consumers about ethical sourcing.” The probe will also look into the corporation’s data collection and privacy practices.

In a statement, Paxton put a partisan spin on the investigation.

“Safe, non-toxic material and products are another key ingredient to [Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s] Make America Healthy Again movement,” said Paxton in the release. “Any company that cuts corners on labor standards or product safety, especially those operating in foreign nations like China, will be held accountable.”

Paxton’s move unexpectedly aligns the AG with environmental watchdogs. Nonprofit Yale Climate Connections has long sounded the alarm about the Singapore-based e-tailer, calling it one of the world’s biggest polluters. Paxton has long railed against climate change regulations and sued the Biden administration several times to block emissions rules.

The investigation is part of a larger Republican crackdown on Chinese consumer products. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are debating new restrictions on Shenzhen-based aerial drone maker DJI, and Senator Tom Cotton has called for investigations of “Communist Chinese” companies Shein and Temu. The September Texas vape ban specifically banned disposable e-cigarettes manufactured in the country.

In a statement emailed to multiple media outlets, Shein said it would comply with Paxton’s investigation.

“Shein takes these concerns seriously and is fully committed to cooperating,” a spokesperson said. “Our mission — to provide affordable, fashionable products to customers around the world — is underpinned by a dedication to safety, compliance, and respect for human rights.”

The controversy will likely have little effect on Shein’s popularity with Zoomers. The company snagged an estimated $38 billion in sales in 2024 and has an average of 24.7 million active app users each month.

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