When it comes to getting fit and staying healthy, Mayor Wharton leads the charge. Long a champion of physical activity, he has pushed the battle against childhood obesity, touted bike-to-work days and is adding 55 miles of bicycle lanes to city streets. Don’t be surprised to see him jogging or crunching with his tie expertly knotted, either. So he was perfectly comfortable, even in sartorial excellence, as he visited Outdoors, Inc. on Poplar (Best Outdoor Store). Founded in 1974 by Joe Royer and Lawrence Migliara, the rugged retailer has solidified its niche.

“We put a lot of effort into customer service, and we take care of people,” Migliara said. The mayor, meanwhile, asked questions about the material that kayaks are made of and then tried on some life jackets, saying, “I need one for all the stuff they throw at me down there at City Hall.”

Outdoors is a repeat winner as is Stern Cardiovascular Center (Best Heart Clinic). “I’ve worked at Stern for 30 years, and the readers have just reaffirmed what we all know – that we have the best doctors, staff and patients,” said spokesman Sharon Goldstein. “Not only is it about our research and many services, but we’re friendly and communicate well with everyone.” It’s your ticker’s best friend.

Best Bike Shop

Winner: Peddler Bike Shop

Peddler Bike Shop is a multiple Memphis Most winner, attesting to the power of dedicated gearheads. A fixture in the area for years, this is the place to come whether you want to buy a bike, get it fixed or find out where your fellow ridersrollers are off to.

575 S. Highland, 327-4833; 2095 Exeter Road, 757-8485; peddlerbikeshop.com

Finalist:   Outdoors, Inc.

Several locations; outdoorsinc.com

Finalist:   Midtown Bike Company

509 S. Main St., 522-9757; midtownbikeco.com

Best Sporting Goods Store

Winner: Dick’s Sporting Goods

Dick’s Sporting Goods started with a $300 investment in the late 1940s and now has more than 300 stores nationwide. So it knows something about giving athletes what they need, along with price and service. So go suit upfish already!

2393 N. Germantown Parkway, 386-5302; 7766 Polo Grounds Blvd., 737-2216; dickssportinggoods.com

Finalist:   Bass Pro Shops

6140 Macon Road, 213-5800; basspro.com

Finalist:  Sports Authority

Several locations; sportsauthority.com

Best Outdoor Store

Winner: Outdoors, Inc.

Outdoors, Inc. is another multiple winner of Memphis Most, which is no surprise since the home-grown experts on getting some fresh air have been at it for a while. Most any outdoor activity is covered with its selection of gear and stylin’ apparel. It’s a rugged thing, so take a hike.

Several locations; outdoorsinc.com

Finalist:   Bass Pro Shops

6140 Macon Road, 213-5800; basspro.com

Finalist:   Dick’s Sporting Goods

2393 N. Germantown Parkway, 386-5302; 7766 Polo Grounds Blvd., 737-2216; dickssportinggoods.com

Best Health Club

Winner: Life Time Fitness

Life Time Fitness has 88 locations in 19 states, but the one in Collierville rocks the local market. Scads of machines, a gym, pools, big screen plasma TVs, a cycling theater — it’s an amusement park that makes you sweat. This is where you could really lose it.

3470 S.outh Houston Levee Road, 853-9393; lifetimefitness.com

Finalist:   YMCA

Several locations; ymcamemphis.org

Finalist:   Germantown Athletic Club

1801 Exeter Road, Germantown, 757-7370; www.germantown-tn.gov

Best Pediatric Clinic

Winner: Pediatric Consultants

Pediatric Consultants has been tending to the little ones since 1991 when it was founded by Dr. Noel ’Kip’ Frizzell and Dr. Landon B. Pendergrass. Now it has 10 pediatricians providing care to infants, children and adolescents. That’s how you make it all better.

Several locations; pedconsultants.com 

Finalist:   Pediatrics East, Inc.

Several locations, 757-3535; pedseast.com

Finalist:  Memphis Children’s Clinic

Several locations; memphischildrensclinic.org

Best Hospital

Winner: Baptist Memorial Hospital

Baptist Memorial Hospital again wins the coveted Memphis Most award. We’ll dispense a few numbers to show you how much it does: 26,000 admissions, 57,000 emergency department visits and 15,000 surgeries in 2009. A good place to go for what ails you.

6019 Walnut Grove Road, 226-5000; www.baptistonline.org/facilities/memphis

Finalist:   Methodist Healthcare

Several locations, 516-7000; methodisthealth.org

Finalist:   Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

50 N. Dunlap St., 287-KIDS; lebonheur.org

Best Women’s Hospital

Winner: Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women

Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women again is tops with our readers. The 140-bed hospital opened in 2001 and offers a wide variety of services including labor and delivery, but also newborn ICU and its Comprehensive Breast Center. Little wonder that women place their trust here.

6215 Humphreys Blvd., 227-9856; www.baptistonline.org/facilities/womens

Finalist:   Methodist Healthcare

Several locations; methodisthealth.org 

Best Sports Medicine Clinic

Winner: Campbell Clinic

Campbell Clinic again wins the Memphis Most designation, which means they know what they’re doing at the joint. Which would include joints, and feet and the spine and everything else in the orthopedic catalog. They’ve been getting athletes back

up and running for more than 100 years.

Several locations, 759-3100; campbellclinic.com

Finalist:  Baptist Rehabilitation

2100 Exeter Road, Germantown, 757-1350; www.baptistonline.org/facilities/germantown

Finalist:  OrthoMemphis

6286 Briarcrest Ave., 261-2500; orthomemphis.com

Best Cosmetic Surgery

Winner: Langsdon Clinic

Dr. Phillip Langsdon wins Memphis Most for his Langsdon Clinic, which specializes in facial cosmetic surgery. You need to know something about chemical peels, botox or rhinoplasty? Ask the man. He’ll give you a lift.

7499 Poplar Pike, Germantown, 755-6465; drlangsdon.com

Finalist:   The Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis

80 Humphreys Center, 761-9030; memphisplasticsurgery.com

Finalist:   Dr. Thomas P. Chu

520 Trinity Creek Cove, 755-2511; drthomaschu.com

Best Heart Clinic

Winner: The Stern Cardiovascular Center 

The Stern Cardiovascular Center has been pumping for 90 years with a constant flow of research into cutting edge heart medicine and procedures, but also with a keen sense of patient care and education. Heart disease may be the country’s No. 1 cause of death, but Stern is fighting back.

Several locations, 271-1000; sterncardio.com

Finalist:   Baptist Heart Institute

6019 Walnut Grove Road, 226-5000; www.baptistonline.org/facilities/

memphis/services/heart/

Finalist:   Memphis Heart Clinic

6025 Walnut Grove Road, 818-0300; 391 Southcrest Circle, Southaven, 662-349-1900; www.memphisheartclinic.com