2018 Be Well Tip-in

BE WELL YOUR GUIDE TO GETTING FIT

THE L ATEST IN WORKOUT GEAR P. 10

FIVE SCENIC HIKES AND BIKES P. 12

ST. LOUIS CELEBS SHARE THEIR WORKOUT ADVICE P. 14

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HealthLink wants to help YOU be a smart health care consumer.

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CONTENTS

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BE WELL

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This 11-year-old is taking bouldering to new heights.

Remember how fun it used to be to go swimming? Now that pool is your best exercise partner.

Keeping up with five St. Louisans on the go

HIGH FLYER

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EATING WELL IN STL

Finding healthy prepared foods has never been easier.

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BOUNCE BACK

How the weekend warrior can gird for battle—and heal afterward

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts, Matt Marcinkowski

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TAKING THE PLUNGE

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ON THE MOVE

Workout essentials, from the gym to the yoga studio

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HIT THE TRAIL

Five scenic bike trails, with something for all skill levels

MOVERS & SHAKERS

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WORK IT OUT

Fitness expert Abby Cohen gives a rundown of workout options.

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KEEP MOVING

Paralympian Kerri Morgan on the power of persistence

June 2017 stlmag.com

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

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THE FUTURE OF FITNESS

BE WELL

HIGH FLYER T H I S 1 1 -Y E A R - O L D I S TA K I N G B O U L D E R I N G T O N E W H E I G H T S .

i just like to be up high,”

says 11-year-old Julia de la Paz, who became St. Louis’ first national USA Climbing champion in bouldering— climbing without ropes— in February. De la Paz has climbed nearly all her life: When she was 18 months old, her mom found her sitting in the kitchen sink.

She entered the competitive world after a cousin’s climbing gym birthday party got her hooked.

Next up? She’s training for a sport-climbing season—long climbs with ropes—and, if all goes well, she’ll compete at the World Climbing Championships.

She wants to be a pro when she’s an adult. “I just don’t want to stop,” she says. In the meantime, she wants to keep training, climbing trees, and running improvised obstacle courses in her yard. —KATELYN MAE PETRIN

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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BE WELL

NUTRITION

EATING WELL IN STL

Finding healthy prepared foods has never been easier. by george mahe

REVEL KITCHEN

FIT FLAVORS

FEED YOUR VITALITY

FRED AND RICKY’S

eatrevelkitchen.com

fit-flavors.com

feedyourvitality.com

fredandrickys.com

BACKSTORY: Cardinals

BACKSTORY: While work-

BACKSTORY: Owner

BACKSTORY: Kathleen

chef/nutritionist Simon Lusky expanded the concept of the former Athlete Eats, changed the name, and moved to a larger space.

SERVICE: Fast-casual service, delivery, catering, and a food truck.

CONCEPT: Start with a base (salad, bowl, egg, handheld) and choose a style (e.g., Asian, Southern) and a protein (Amish chicken, grassfed beef, organic housesmoked salmon), plus add-ins and sides.

BEVERAGES: Juices, smoothies—and even a “water bar.”

ing as a trainer, Jillian Tedesco began cooking healthy meals for clients. Once her meal count hit 700 per week, she opened FitFlavors in Chesterfield, later expanding to Brentwood and Creve Coeur.

SERVICE: Grab-and-go items, with limited seats.

BEST SELLERS: Buffalo chicken and fries, beef enchiladas, peanut chicken over Asian slaw, Greek salad, turkey Sloppy Joe, lemon poppy cake…

TIP: Fit-U is an eightweek program that fosters lifelong change.

Ashley Nanney opened a commissary in the former The Stable/Table space at 1821 Cherokee.

SERVICE: Pickup, delivery, and catering.

BEST SELLERS: Healthy takes on lasagna, chicken pot pie, meatloaf, spaghetti, and tacos.

TIP: Order by midnight on Monday for delivery or pickup on Wednesday and Thursday.

MEAL PLANS: Meals can be tailored to any diet.

There are also monitored programs. And you can opt for à la carte options, as well as weekly or monthly plans.

(a.k.a. Fred, a nickname) and Richard (Ricky) Waidmann sell only “plant-based” foods, with new items added weekly.

SERVICE: Pickup or eat-in at two locations, as well as grab-and-go items at select locations.

BEST SELLERS: “Plantasagna,” enchiladas, coconut curry stew, orange-glazed tofu TIP: Frozen family-size entrées and soups were recently added.

METABOLIC MEALS 4

Fred’s a “flexitarian” (i.e., omnivore); Ricky follows a stricter diet (no dairy, nuts, or saturated fats).

Launched in 2009 and offered nationwide, the granddaddy of local healthy food delivery services emphasizes fresh, organic, gluten- and soy-free ingredients. Pick from two plans: Chef’s Choice (a structured weekly menu) or My Choice (six to 21 meals per week from a rotating menu). There’s no prep, cooking, or cleanup. mymetabolicmeals.com.

stlmag.com June 2017

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PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY:

Photography courtesy of Fred and Ricky’s

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Offering a comprehensive range of medical, preventive care, fitness, nutrition, and spa services to improve your overall well-being.

Visit www.palmhealth.com to learn more.

9160 CL AY TON ROAD, L ADUE, MISSOURI 63124 // 314.801.8898 // PALMHE ALTH.COM Located at the Former Busch’s Grove Restaurant

June 2017 stlmag.com

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BE WELL

INJURY

BOUNCE BACK How the weekend warrior can gird for battle—and heal afterward. by jeannette cooperman

sweat pouring, endorphins flooding you with an

unaccustomed love for all humanity, you take the hill, pound down the other side, and—twang!—your knee blows. In less than a second, you go from euphoria to excruciating pain. Or maybe you play a game of pickup basketball—and twist your back. Or you go hiking and step into a mole’s soft trap, spraining your ankle.

So much can go wrong, so fast.

Dr. Micah Hobbs, an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Missouri Baptist Medical Center, offers common sense, starting with the humility of a few preventive measures: “If you have a history of, say, some knee arthritis, and you want to go play 36 holes of golf, it’s reasonable to take some anti-inflammatory medicine beforehand. Or wear a wrist support before you paint your kitchen.” Or a knee support before basketball. Or an ankle support for the trails.

Think of it as armor.

Then, if you can stand to lose a few pounds, do so; it will take some of the stress off your joints.

What about taking glucosamine? “Might help, and it won’t hurt. Try taking it for a month, then stop and see if you miss it.”

Stretching? “If you don’t ever stretch, and then you just stretch before the game, it’s not likely to have much effect.”

Special insoles? “Most patients are a little bowlegged or knock-kneed; their weight doesn’t go through the middle of the knee. Over-the-counter inserts and special insoles can provide some symptomatic relief.”

When you strain, sprain, or overuse something,

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“most the pain is from the swelling and the fluid,” your body’s response to the injury. That’s why RICE—rest, ice, compression, elevation—works so well: “The rest and compression are just trying to immobilize whatever body part is irritated,” Hobbs explains. “The ice and elevation—ideally, above your heart—reduce swelling.

“Ice is a great way to treat swelling, especially if you have an injury to a joint, like a knee or ankle,” he continues, “but when you get into muscle strains, like a twisted neck or lower back, I recommend moist heat, because it penetrates.”

For pain, take whichever nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug works the best for you, naproxen [Aleve] or ibuprofen [Advil]—and take it consistently, in doses sufficient to increase its concentration in your system.

Don’t skip doses of NSAIDs (as Hobbs regularly has to remind his wife); anti-inflammatories don’t work that way. “It’ll usually take a couple days to really get the benefit,” he says. Take them with food, and monitor your tummy for GI side effects.

If your pain persists, “see somebody and get some imaging,” urges Hobbs. He’s seen too many people relax after shoulder pain eases, only to reinjure themselves because they just worsened a rotator cuff tear. Once you’ve been in pain long enough to earn the dread label “chronic,” NSAIDs aren’t likely to have much of an effect—but physical therapy still can, provided you follow directions. “If just doing exercises on your own were sufficient, you probably would have gotten better by now.”

Bottom line, noble warrior: “Be honest with yourself.”

Pain is a signal. It’s meant to be heeded.

stlmag.com June 2017

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June 2017 stlmag.com

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BE WELL

THE LIFE AQUATIC

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Remember how much fun it used to be to go swimming? Now that pool’s your best exercise partner. by jeannette cooperman

ADVICE Wear goggles. If you shut your eyes instead, your spatial awareness will be thrown off.

you try boxing and fracture your finger. Running and you twist an ankle. Yoga and you

strain your back. “What can I do and not kill myself?” you wail, and every time the answer’s the same: swim. It’s a whole-body workout that’s aerobic but easy on your joints—and it frees you from gravity. Jeff Barbeau, a certified personal trainer at Wellbridge Athletic Club & Spa, has been swimming competitively since age 4. “Start,” he urges, “by splashing around like a kid; play, relax, get comfortable in the water.” Your body awareness will be different than it is on land; you’re suspended, and you’re not in as much control. On the other hand, you’re buoyant. Here’s Barbeau’s primer on the most common strokes—and how to create your own workout routine.

FREESTYLE

BACKSTROKE

BREASTSTROKE

Relaxed, efficient breathing is crucial. Breathe in and out through the mouth easily, finishing above water as your head turns for your next e-a-s-y inhale. Beware the tendency to stay stiff; your body should rotate toward whichever arm is moving back to begin the next stroke. “Your body is going to find the easiest way to perform any movement,” Barbeau notes, “so it steers away from what is weak.”

Stretch your hip flexors and lower back, tighten your abs and glutes, and keep your core engaged. You want a flutter kick—don’t bend at the knees; let the movement start at your hips.

Make sure your arms extend straight up. As they enter the water, don’t dig down deep, or you’ll be bouncing and your face will be drenched. Use an outward pull, staying within the same plane as your body, not beneath it. As you finish, you should almost be slapping your leg. People tend to cut short and not get the full range of motion. You don’t want your knees coming up out of the water, so don’t bend them too much. Use the same kick you use for the crawl. Rotate even more than you do in freestyle. Let your body roll from side to side, one shoulder coming up as the other strokes back.

Use a frog kick. Avoid a stroke that’s too wide and too long. Keep your hands in front of your chest; the stroke’s like a scooping-in.

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SIDESTROKE Use a scissor kick, with the bottom leg coming forward.

Glide forward with the bottom arm extended, then bring it toward the other arm as though handing it an apple. But keep both arms in front of you; don’t go deep to hand off that apple.

THE ROUTINE Choose from your favorite strokes and gradually build speed and distance. Visit stlmag.com for more tips.

Find a suit that, like good paint, goes on easily and stays on—racerback, not halter or strapless or a swimdress that’ll float up in the water.

If your aquatic facility doesn’t provide robes, bring a toweling-off robe so you’re not messing with thin, dinky towels.

Also pack a terry turban for your hair so you’re not dripping as you try to spin your suit dry in one of those little machines that do work but never in the way the directions say they will.

A pool buoy between your legs will let you focus on your upper body and perfect your stroke.

If your feet or calves cramp up from all that balletic toe pointing, make sure you’re drinking enough water before your swim.

You’re starving because swimming, especially in cold water, cools your body. Hop in the sauna to stave off the hunger.

stlmag.com June 2017

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vendorli

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT Browse these businesses and more at the second annual Be Well STL Boot Camp on Saturday, June 17.

Visit stlmag.com/bewellstl for more information and to purchase tickets.

SHRED415

HELLFISH FITNESS

8384 Musick Memorial Drive, St. Louis, MO 63144

314-277-4293 | hellfishfitness.com

314-735-0368 | shred415.com

Hellfish Fitness is a full-service company with in-the-gym, in-home and Skype personal training sessions for individuals, partners and small groups, plus regular boot camp-style fitness classes throughout the year.

The Shred415 experience is an instructor-led, calorieburning, interval training class designed to target all levels of clients. Alternating between cardio work and strength training, the workout is tailored to your goals.

TRAVEL LEADERS, CHESTERFIELD MO

TITLE BOXING CLUB

17281 Chesterfield Airport Road Chesterfield, MO 63005

Locations in Ballwin, Creve Coeur, Rock Hill and St. Charles

636-778-1081 | travelleaders.com/stlouismo

314-925-1523 | titleboxingclub.com

Travel Leaders, Chesterfield MO, specializes in stress-free travel services for families and groups.

Those who take vacations are generally happier and more satisfied. Be well—take a vacation!

TITLE Boxing Club is the first and only boxing club committed to giving people of all ages, all bodies, all weights and all abilities the most empowering workout of their lives.

OVERLOOK FARM

PURE PLATES STL

901 S. Highway 79 Clarksville, MO 63336

Locations in Chesterfield and Kirkwood Chesterfield: 636-778-3555 | Kirkwood: 314-394-3360

573-242-3838 | overlookfarmmo.com

pureplatesstl.com

Overlook Farm is a farm-to-table operation that follows organic practices to produce products without antibiotics or added hormones, including grass-fed beef; free-range turkey, chicken and ducks; and eggs.

Delivery is available.

Pure Plates delivers healthy meal prep to your doorstep—and when they say “healthy,” they mean it! Their handcrafted meals include mostly organic produce, clean meats and high-quality ingredients.

Plus, they are always 100 percent gluten-free.

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BE WELL

ESSENTIALS 2 1

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1. Trigger Point Performance Mobility foam roller kit, $49.95. REI. 2. Everest Pro Style training gloves, $29.99. Target. 3. Keep Burning towel, $5. Orangetheory Fitness. 4. Hydro Flask, $29.95. Alpine Shop. 5. Manduka LiveON yoga mat, $49. LA Luxury Activewear. 6. Jaybird Freedom wireless buds, $129.99. Best Buy. 7. Lift & Lengthen yoga block, $14. Lululemon. 8. Smart Rope, $59.99. Target. 9. Patagonia Airshed pullover, $119. Alpine Shop. 10. Alala Cross Back black-and-silver bra, $65. Dimvaloo. 11. Fallon shorts, $39.95. Fabletics. 12. NB RunIQ watch, $299.99. newbalance.com. 13. Bravely black tote bag, $30. bravely.org. 14. Asics GelFlux 4, $99.99. Laurie’s Shoes. 15. Bride to Be Sticky Socks, $18. Pure Barre. 16. C9 Champion 10-pound kettlebell, $29.99. Target.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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ON THE MOVE

W O R KO U T E S S E N T I A L S , F R O M T H E G Y M T O T H E YO G A S T U D I O

BY COURTNEY SCOTT

June 2017 stlmag.com

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BE WELL

HIKING & BIKING

HIT THE TRAIL FIVE SCENIC BIKING AND HIKING ROUTES, WITH OPTIONS FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS

BY KATELYN MAE PETRIN

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AL FOSTER TRAIL

KATY TRAIL, WELDON SPRING– AUGUSTA This scenic 10-mile stretch in St. Charles County runs along the river bluffs and through wine country. Start at the Weldon Spring trailhead and head west toward Defiance.

(Those without bikes—and looking for a shorter ride— may rent one for $5 per hour from Katy Bike Rental in Defiance.) Then continue along the trail, running alongside Highway 94, past Klondike Park, and along the Missouri River. Finally, stop for a drink at Augusta Brewing Co. or one of the town’s wineries. (Just remember to bring water and pace yourself with the wine.)

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Running along the Meramec River, this flat 5.5-mile crushed-stone trail provides access to some of the county’s most scenic parks, including Castlewood State Park and Rockwoods Reservation. Start at the trailhead in Glencoe (where kids can ride the WF&P miniature railroad on Sundays for $4) and trace the path of the historic Pacific Railroad. There are plenty of challenging scenic detours along the way, including the Bluff View (a mountain biker’s dream) and Rock Hollow (a.k.a. Zombie Road) trails.

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Photography courtesy of Google Earth

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MCT TRAILS Madison County Transit offers more than 100 miles of trails, with seven loops ranging from 10.1 to 31.1 miles. “They’ve built a crazy network of trails that you can ride forever,” says Trailnet executive director Ralph Pfremmer. Cross the McKinley Bridge or Old Chain of Rocks Bridge to connect to the MCT Confluence Trail and start exploring. Before you go, visit mcttrails.org to map out your route.

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Everyone from tykes to seniors flocks to this 8-mile paved trail in South County for a low-stress, low-impact trek. Start in Kirkwood, just south of I-44, and make pit stops at Sappington House (the county’s oldest brick house) and Whitecliff Park in Crestwood. Then continue on to Grant’s Farm, where you can gawk at Clydesdales (and skip the $12 parking fee). Families with little ones might consider turning around, but older kids can venture on to the BMX bike park near the end of the trail, just east of I-55.

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ST. LOUIS RIVERFRONT TRAIL DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS

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This 11-mile paved trail hugs the shore of the Mississippi, winding through industrial areas near the heart of the city. Start at the trailhead, by Rootwad Park (site of the late sculptor Bob Cassilly’s last commissioned work) and make your way north. You’ll pass Produce Row and travel through North Riverfront Park (and near Cassilly’s Cementland, the cement factory–turned– amusement park that remains closed to the public) before eventually coming to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, where you can cross to Madison County Transit’s trail system or make your way back.

June 2017 stlmag.com

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BE WELL

EXERCISE

MOVERS & SHAKERS K E E P I N G U P W I T H F I V E S T. L O U I S A N S O N T H E G O

BY ALLEXANDRA SAMMULI

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE Olympic gold medalist, community activist After winning six Olympic medals and setting a world record in the long jump, Joyner-Kersee started a foundation in her hometown of East St. Louis to help instill a goal-oriented mindset in future generations. When she’s not playing basketball with kids at the youth center bearing her name, she stays active by jogging and strength training. “I find pleasure in running, especially because you can gather your thoughts,” she says. “I try to surround myself with positivity and try to be the best me I can be.”

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Photography by Matt Marcinkowski

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MICHELLE BEISNER-BUCK Features reporter, ESPN Beisner-Buck maintains a healthy lifestyle despite traveling constantly for her job. How? “It’s about consistency and boosting your metabolism,” she says. Beisner-Buck avoids processed food and packs Lärabars and peanut butter made with organic almond milk. When not on the road, she does yoga at Yoga Six and pedals through SoulCycle classes—ways of not only getting fit but also finding peace. “Even with the blaring music, I find ways to quiet my mind,” she says. “To me, it can be very cathartic.”

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BE WELL

EXERCISE LANA PEPPER Founding managing director, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Pepper didn’t realize that she was out of shape until taking her first TRX class.

“It was the hardest workout ever,” she says. “It’s what I had been looking for my whole life.” TRX—short for total body resistance exercise training—is focused on building core strength, balance, and flexibility through the use of gravity and body weight to power through different types of workouts. Pepper’s workouts are never the same—and never easy. Personal trainer Val Strang leads her through 30 minutes of sheer intensity and strength-building three times a week. When she’s not with her trainer, the 70-year-old switches up her workout routine with boxing, stairclimbing in Forest Park, even tango from time to time.

NATASHA KWAN Owner, Frida’s Deli and Pedal Pedal JASMINE HUDA News anchor, KTVI (Channel 2) Some women are afraid that strength training will cause them to bulk up. Not Huda, who frequently lifts weights, and does cardio and yoga.

“What people don’t realize about weightlifting is that you’re burning calories,” she says. Huda works out five or six times a week and eats healthily. “You can’t be fixated on the numbers on the scale,” she says.

And yoga helps her “feel stronger and at peace,” she says. “Everyone is so distracted and imbalanced. Focus a little bit each day—it calms the mind and gives you perspective.”

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“I know a lot of badass women,” says Kwan, who starts each day around 5:15 a.m. “When you want to be healthy, you make the time.” In the course of a day, Kwan often leads classes at her cycling studio and oversees operations at her University City restaurant, touted on its website as “St. Louis’ premier vegetarian destination. No sugar. No butter. No bull.” Sounds about right.

Photography by Matt Marcinkowski

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EXERCISE

BE WELL

BOXING: “It forces the body to learn how to recover in short periods of time while working high effort. Whether it’s kickboxing or shadowboxing studios, hitting with a bag or focus mitts, it will burn a maximal amount of calories and fat in a short period of time.”

DANCE FITNESS: “It allows you to just have fun—there’s no judgment. You obviously want to get your heart rate up, sweat, and move, and that’s exactly what it does. It also uses your core and works on your legs.”

INTERVAL TRAINING: “It’s like the perfect storm, because you can incorporate weight-bearing exercises, which help increase metabolism, and cardiovascular exercises, which help strengthen the heart and lungs.”

PILATES: “It’s unfortunately seen as the silent partner in physical fitness, because it holds your core and spine in strength, so you can do everything else. Pilates is the center of everything.”

SPIN CLASSES: “It’s non-impact, very for-

WORK IT OUT

Fitness expert Abby Cohen gives a rundown of workout options. by chelsie hollis

after more than 25 years in the fitness industry, Abby Cohen has

tried nearly every workout imaginable. She has master’s degrees in sports nutrition, exercise science, and physical education, as well as certifications in group fitness, swimming, Pilates, cycling… And she’s a master instructor for the International Sports Conditioning Association, where she’s certified in training trainers. We asked her for a rundown of exercise options.

giving on the lower back and knees, and it’s a great cardiovascular activity that focuses on the core to balance but uses your legs at the same time.”

STRENGTH TRAINING: “It’s something that should be incorporated into everyone’s lifestyle. If we don’t strength-train our muscles, then everything kind of falters at the bone structure level.”

YOGA: “If you’re going to ask your body to do all of those things, you need to give back to your body. The only thing that’s going to do that is yoga and the peace of mind to rest, stretch, and relax.”

RELAX, GO TO IT

ISOLATION TANKS: “If you’re high-stressed, a float tank is probably one of the best things

WAY S T O U N W I N D A N D R E C OV E R

We need to stretch. When I work with my clients, the best part of their workout is the five to 10 minutes of assisted stretching at the end, because they’re not going to stretch at home.”

for you. As a swimmer, I know how amazing water therapy is for you.”

ASSISTED STRETCHING: “We don’t stretch enough, and our body is constantly broken down.

June 2017 stlmag.com

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

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BE WELL

REFLECTION

KEEP MOVING PA R A LY M P I A N K E R R I M O R G A N O N T H E P O W E R O F P E R S I S T E N C E by jeannette cooperman

a 100 -meter sprint wouldn’t have been Kerri Morgan’s

choice; she was an 800- to 1,500-meter racer. But competitors in the 2012 London Paralympic Games were grouped by function—which was great, because she’d be on the track with other women who didn’t have full upper-extremity motion or trunk control either. The field was level.

Except that the morning of the race, she woke up achy and chilled, with a 102-degree fever. Through waves of nausea, she heard her coach’s voice: “We train so even on a bad day you can still put up something good.”

Her start was always her weak point, and she came off the line a little crooked. In the 100 meters, you don’t have time to recover. At 20 meters, she was in last place.

Kerri Morgan was never in last place.

The world slowed and went silent. “You just spent four years on this,” she told herself. “You are not going away without a medal.”

A virus had attacked Morgan’s spinal cord when she was 1.

As a kid, she’d had physical therapy sessions in the janitor’s closet while everybody else went to gym class. By high school, she’d been mainstreamed—which usually meant standing on the field with a stopwatch. At least she was an amazing swimmer, which was great because her friends hung out by the pool, and she made the swim team. “But they’re all

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starting on the block,” she pointed out, “and I’m starting from the pool, so the gun goes off and I’m already behind.”

Not now, she wouldn’t be. “Move,” her brain urged.

She was used to moving, firing every muscle every day so she could rely on her body to compensate for what she’d lost. She couldn’t afford an overuse injury, and movement was prevention. But this time, it was more.

Later, watching video of the race, she’d realize that the last 50 meters was the fastest she’d ever run.

Morgan holds a Ph.D. in movement science (as well as a master’s degree in occupational therapy) from the Washington University School of Medicine. She’s learned from experts, mentors, and a kickass coach who sought her out when she was the only woman on a wheelchair rugby team and asked to train her.

She thanked him that day in London, after she won the bronze medal. It felt even sweeter than beating her longtime rival in New Zealand in 2011 to win the gold.

Her workout advice? Find something you love to do. Take it in manageable chunks; small successes will keep you motivated. Find the right teacher or trainer. Compete at your own level. Ignore ads promising quick results; be patient and persistent. “When you are persistent for a considerable period of time, it does pay off at the end. I promise you.”

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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