Austin Fit Magazine October 2021: The Movers & Shakers Issue by Austin Fit Magazine

OCT 2021

Joel Barish of

DeafNation

All About the Kava Root

Olympic Skateboarder Brighton Zeuner

The Future of Wellness Tech

Love is now bigger than ever.

The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. ®

Best Resale Value in its class for two years running, according to Kelley Blue Book.4

Love is now bigger than ever. ®

2021 SUBARU

CROSSTREK

PREMIUM

NHTSA 5-Star Overall Safety Rating.3 Best Resale Value in its class for two years running, according to Kelley Blue Book.4 97% of Subaru Crosstrek vehicles sold in the last 9 years are still on the road today, more than Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, or Jeep Compass.5

299

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$2,105 Down Payment $595 Security Deposit $299 First Month’s Lease Payment $2,999 Total Due at

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2022 SUBARU

OUTBACK

PREMIUM

The 2022 Subaru Outback is a 2021 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ (excludes Wilderness Models). Best Resale Value in its class for two years running, according to Kelley Blue Book.1

349

PER MONTH LEASE/ 36 MONTHS/12,000 MILES PER YEAR

$2,405 Down Payment $595 Security Deposit $349 First Month’s Lease Payment $3,349 Total Due at

Lease Signing

NDD-11

AUSTIN SUBARU 7

Vehicle’s projected resale value is specific to the 2020-2021 model years. For more information, visit Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. Kelley Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. 2 MSRP $30,402. This close-ended lease available to well-qualified lessees. Total monthly payments = $2,564. 12k miles per year, additional overage fee of 15¢/mile may apply. Lessee is responsible for all maintenance unless otherwise specified. Additional fees for early termination, payment delinquency, and/or excessive wear and tear may apply. Lessee must provide appropriate auto insurance throughout lease term of 36 months. See Austin Subaru for details. 3 Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov) 4 Vehicle’s projected resale value is specific to the 2020-2021 model years. For more information, visit Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. Kelley Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. 5 Based on Experian Automotive vehicles in operation vs. total new registrations for MY2012-2020 as of December 2020. 6 MSRP $26,114. This close-ended lease available to well-qualified lessees. Total monthly payments = $10,764. 12k miles per year, additional overage fee of 15¢/mile may apply. Lessee is responsible for all maintenance unless otherwise specified. Additional fees for early termination, payment delinquency, and/ or excessive wear and tear may apply. Lessee must provide appropriate auto insurance throughout lease term of 36 months. See Austin Subaru for details. 7 Purchase/lease any new (previously untitled) Subaru & receive a complimentary, factory scheduled maintenance plan for 2 years/24,000 miles (whichever comes first). See Subaru Added Security Maintenance Plan for intervals, coverages, & limitations. Customer must take delivery before 12/31/2021 and reside within the promotional area. See Austin Subaru for program details & eligibility. 1

Carey Kepler with Ronda & Brook Owner & Coach at CrossFit Central Burnet Rd.

the heart of Discover Austin’s Own Nulo Pet Food

pet food. Find a Local Store at Nulo.com

From the Director inspire and encourage others and to help others become better versions of themselves. Many of our articles even come from experts and doctors who are movers and shakers in their respective fields as well, and I encourage you to read their impressive bios as you move through the pieces. From the cover story, you’ll learn about Joel Barish — an amazing individual who I got the honor of speaking to and learning about. He wears a lot of hats — helmets? — but each part of his life is devoted to making the lives of the Deaf community and the cycling community safer. He’s inspired so many people to travel the world, strive for more and view the world from a whole new perspective. He is a leader like no other. Then there’s Brighton Zeuner,. She’s only just turned 17 years old, but she’s already a part of the movement to bring more women into the skateboarding world. As a member of the inaugural skateboarding competitions at the Tokyo Olympics, she’s inspiring young girls to see their own potential, too. Plus, you’ll be introduced to Black Sheep Boxing, a new gym that’s working to make fitness a prime outlet for those in recovery from addiction through community and coaching; LeAnn Ishcomer, a local park ranger who’s making the green spaces more accessible; the iconic Cap10K, which is revving back up after the past years of bad luck; and so much more! But even with all this, at the end, I hope you take a moment to reflect on the ways that you, too, are a mover and a shaker — on the lives you touch each day, on the amazing things you’ve overcome and on the person you’ve grown to be throughout your life. No matter what you do or who you are, you are making a difference in someone’s life. Moving and shaking isn’t restricted to just the famous or the most well-known, and I think we often forget that our little acts can have big ripples, too.

WHO IS A MOVER AND SHAKER?

mover and shaker is someone who uses their life in a way that moves others to be more, to strive for more, to go against the grain. But this can manifest in a plethora of ways, from participating in activism to leading in an industry to simply trying one’s best each day to bring kindness into the lives of others. Throughout this issue, you’ll read stories on every kind of mover and shaker — about local people using their passions to make a difference in the lives of others, to

OCTOBER 2021

Keep Austin Fit,

Monica Hand

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT

PHOTOGRAPHY

Exposure

PHOTOGRAPHER KEELYN COSTELLO N ATA S H A W H I T B Y

@NatashaWhitby

Want to possibly be featured in AFM? Email your work to afmteam @austinfitmagazine.com!

AU S T I N F I T M AG A Z I N E

October 2021

THE GOOD STUFF

AN ANCIENT ROOT TO RELAXATION

34 PARK RANGER SPOTLIGHT:

36 THE LIFE, ADVENTURES &

LEANN ISHCOMER

OCTOBER 2021

ACTIVISM OF JOEL BARISH 6

Contents

HIGHLIGHTS

Letter from the Director 4 | Digital Content 8 | Events 76 | Rides and Races 78

AUSTIN’S FITNESS INSTRUCTOR SHORTAGE

SKATEBOARD LIKE A GIRL

AMBASSADOR’S CORNER: REGYMEN FITNESS

NUTRITION

LIFESTYLE

WELLNESS

Recipe of the Month: Be the Starfish Thrower 22 Jalapeño Orange Salad 10 Black Sheep Boxing: How to Read a Nutrition Label 12 A Place to Call Home 26 Delicious to Your Door 18

Look How Far We’ve Come 48 5 Massage Myths Debunked 52 How to Vet Your Health Influencers 56

FITNESS

Six Yoga Poses to Boost Immunity 60 Shake Up that Fitness Routine! 64 Cap10K is Back 68 KMB: Shape Method 70

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TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE & FERTILITY

LIFESTYLE

Rest Days are for Your Mental Health

OCTOBER 2021

FITNESS

Find the Best Workout Tech for You

WELLNESS

Maintaining Your Career in Addiction Recovery

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DIRECTOR OF CONTENT | MONICA HAND ART DIRECTOR | BEN CHOMIAK PHOTOGRAPHER | BRIAN FITZSIMMONS PROOFREADER | HAYLEE REED CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Shelby Autrey, Mia Barnes, Jason Bourgeois, Monica Brant, Mike de Lota, MD, Kati Epps, Cindy Present, Jessica Tranchina, DPT, Laura Williams, Allison Wojtowecz INTERNS Habraham Arellano, Jackie Bocanegra, Amanda Bouressa, Jacqueline Knox, Alexie Rendon, Aja Webber

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PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

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NUTRITION CONTRIBUTOR

Anne Wilfong, R.D., L.D.

OCTOBER 2021

RECIPE OF THE MONTH n High protein. Low carb. It’s the ultimate salad recipe.

JAL APE ÑO O R A N GE SALA D INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small red onion, diced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, minced 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes Juice of one orange 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped PREPARATION: 1. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. 2. Add red onion to skillet and sauté until slightly soft. Add minced garlic, jalapeño and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute. 3. Add the orange juice, shrimp and tomatoes to the skillet and cook until tomatoes start to soften and shrimp is cooked throughout. 4. Remove from the pan and add chopped cilantro. Nutrition: Calories 219 Protein 32 grams Carbohydrates 8 grams Fat 4 grams Sodium 692 milligrams Fiber 1 grams Serving Size: 1 cup

OCTOBER 2021

Did you know?

According to research by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, has shown amazing anti-cancer potential, stopping proliferation of several cancer cell types (including breast, lung and endometrial) in a variety of laboratory studies.

NUTRITION AUTHOR

Coach Kati Epps

UNDERSTANDING A NUTRITION LABEL n 12 pro tips from Kati Epps on how to best read and understand the complicated information on a food label.

earning how to read a food label is one of the best ways to ensure the food you are consuming meets the needs and goals of your body. You may have had nutrition experts and coaches encourage you to “read the label” when choosing foods, but that can be a confusing and misleading method for food choice. Why? The claims and labeling on a food item, though they may be true, do not tell the whole truth. Knowing what to look for, what to read and what to ignore will set you up on a path for successful eating for your body. Here are some pro tips for reading a food label:

sugar. Low-fat foods may not be low-calorie, as sugar tends to be the substitute when lowering fat. And whole grain just means there are whole grains in the ingredients, but you should still make sure that it is the first ingredient and unprocessed.

Read the ingredients list first. Are the ingredients listed ones you would expect the product to contain? Can you read and pronounce each item listed? Are there any items that you are not sure what they are included for? Preservatives, added sweetener, indigestible fiber or food coloring? If there is anything on the ingredients list you do not want in your body, this is the first way to identify and discard this food choice.

Be wary of what you read on the front of a label. Notices like gluten-free, no added sugars, low-fat or whole grain may be misleading or plain uninformative. For example, a container of applesauce that declares gluten-free isn’t informative, since gluten is a protein produced by wheat, and applesauce is (hopefully) just apples. A “no added sugars” label does not guarantee the item is low in

OCTOBER 2021

Look at the Nutrition Facts. Look at the serving size and calories associated with it. Is the serving size realistic, especially for the number of calories that are going to be consumed?

Check the number of servings per container. It is possible the label on a drink claims 180 calories per serving, but the bottle contains 2.5 servings. If the label goes unchecked, you may end up consuming 450 calories when you thought you were only consuming 180.

Understand how sodium is measured. Sodium is measured in grams and as the percentage of daily intake. That daily intake percentage is based on a government standard that may be higher than your health goals. As a rule, it would be ideal that the number of milligrams of sodium was less than the number of calories per serving. A daily goal may be to keep sodium under 1800 milligrams per day.

How much and what kind of fat? Fat is calculated at 9 calories per gram. Look at the total fat per serving and the types of fat that are present. The percentage of calories based on the fat content of a low-fat food should be around 2% or lower (think 2 grams of fat for every 100 calories). Saturated fats, unsaturated fats and trans fats are all different. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, and it is usually found from animal sources. Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and generally come from plant sources. Trans fat is a fat changed by hydrogenation to increase the shelf life of food. Trans fat can lead to increased cholesterol levels and should be avoided when possible.

Different types of carbohydrates. Carbs are an important part of a healthy nutrition plan, coming in at 4 calories per gram. Understanding the number of carbohydrates desired in a day as well as the type of carbohydrates can either keep you on track or derail your plan completely.

What kind of sugar? They come in two forms: sugars that occur naturally and sugars that are added. In many foods, naturally occurring sugars are to be expected, especially if there are fruits in the food. Added sugars add extra calories to the food and inches to your waistline.

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n NUTRITION

Know where the fiber is coming from. Fiber is found in grains and fruits but can also be chemically added to foods. Ideally, indigestible fibers help to keep the body fuller longer as well as assist with removing waste from the digestive tract. Chemically enhanced fiber can be marked as indigestible fiber, because technically they cannot be digested but do little to no help with waste removal.

Reading the food label is a great way to assist with keeping food intake in line with your goals. When in doubt, leave it out. With just a little understanding, the confusing and daunting label becomes your best friend when planning out your meals! afm

Have no fear of protein. Protein is the easiest and most straightforward macronutrient listed on the nutrition fact sheet. At 4 calories per gram, it is easy to calculate and keep track of protein consumption goals.

Coach Kati Epps is the founder of MyBody GX with a background in chemistry from Colorado State University and is an ACE-certified personal trainer, health coach and nutrition specialist.

What’s with all the (or lack of) vitamins? Vitamins and minerals are an important part of the foods we consume daily. Vitamins are organic and found naturally in plant and animal sources. Minerals are inorganic and found in soil and water which are absorbed by plants and animals. There are up to 14 vitamins and 14 minerals that can be listed. Some are naturally occurring from the ingredients, and others may be fortified to meet population deficiencies.

OCTOBER 2021

Trust your gut. If something doesn’t seem right or you just aren’t sure if that food fits into your goals, don’t consume it.

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Check out AFM’s latest stories and issues — all on our new app! Available now on iOS. Android coming soon.

NUTRITION AUTHOR

Aja Webber

KAVA: AN ANCIENT WAY TO UNWIND n The end of a hard day calls for some de-stressing. Instead of reaching for that glass of wine, try some kava root tea.

ith all the stressors that come with living in this busy world, it can be hard to find time just to relax. Whether it be a glass of wine, a CBD product or a sweaty workout, almost everyone has some way of dulling the anxiety from the day. There is, however, a lesserknown extract that some Austinites swear by: the kava root. Kava is a shrub that grows in the South Pacific, Hawaii, Micronesia, Vanuatu, Fiji, the Samoas and Tonga. Although the slow-growing plant takes about four to seven years to mature, its size and capabilities are intriguing once it is fully grown. The root grows to be just as big as the shrub itself, and that is where the relaxation extract comes from. The root from the kava plant is harvested, laid out in the sun to dry and then typically made into a tea. This tea has been known to have a range of benefits from reducing anxiety, helping with insomnia and some claiming an aid in seizure disorders. Tracy Pingel is the owner of SquareRüt Kava Bar in Austin, Texas. At the beginning of Pingel’s journey, her bar was serving kava out of buckets, but now the process runs much more smoothly.

OCTOBER 2021

After the kava root is dried out, it is crushed into a fine powder and sent over to Pingel’s bar where she then brews it into a variety of teas. “Once it comes to us, we actually squeeze our kava daily. It’s a 30- to 40-minute process for each batch,” Pingel says. “We developed a mechanical press to make it easier and more consistent.”

Although there is not much definitive science behind the benefits of kava root, it has been known to help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, drug withdrawal and muscle pain due to its numbing properties. “It is a really good muscle relaxer. We get a lot of athletes who come over after a hard workout,” Pingel says. “We have different kavas; some relax more of the mind, some more the body — we even have one that does both.” Although kava is great for reducing anxiety and depression, Pingel notes that it’s important to talk to your doctor when introducing kava into your daily routine. Never start taking kava in place of an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication. Pingel explains that many people suffering from alcoholism can benefit from kava root, as it gives a similar numbing and relaxation feeling. Kava also has a reverse-tolerance effect, which means the more you drink it, the less you’ll need over time to reach the desired effect. “The recommended dose is 12 ounces, but in the

beginning, a person may need more than that. Really pay attention to what your body is telling you,” says Pingel. “It can have the reverse effect sometimes. If you feel like your anxiety is worsening, don’t drink too much.” One of the possible negative side effects of kava is liver damage. Pingel explains that many of the studies that suggest kava being the cause of liver damage were done in the early 2000s, but current research shows that it may not be the direct cause. Either way, more research is needed before many positive and negative claims regarding the root can be scientifically backed. Pingel stresses the importance of moderation and listening to your own body. If you already have a weakened liver, consult your doctor before usage. Despite the possible side effects, kava root may be just what you need to get by unscathed from the pressure and stressors of everyday life. After all, it has been used for many decades in places around the world. “Kava has been consumed in the islands for over 3,000 years,” says Pingel. “They live longer than us and they’re so happy! It takes us back to the simple life.” afm

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NUTRITION AUTHOR

Alexie Rendon

DELICIOUS TO YOUR DOOR n You might feel that a personal chef or meal delivery service sounds a little too fancy. Our grandmothers probably thought the same thing about a dishwasher years ago.

s the summer months come to a close, calendars tend to fill up fast. An everyday task like cooking can quickly become quite the chore. Breakfast, lunch and dinner should be an enjoyable way to nourish your body, not another source of stress. Lucky for you, these Austin-based food delivery companies are one step ahead to offer you delicious food options so you can get back to the things that matter most.

OCTOBER 2021

L UC KY L I ME

Created by Rebecca Meeker, this meal delivery box has grand plans in its balanced portions. Meeker has worked in all kinds of restaurants, many even Michelin-starred. Once in Austin, she utilized her experience as a chef and in the hospitality industry plus her holistic coach training to bring Lucky Lime to life. Lucky Lime offers a seasonally driven, weekly rotating menu to give you everything you need to conquer your day — meant to be delivered to busy people at the office, at home or at a coffee shop. With each meal and menu item, Lucky Lime takes into account what will make you feel good inside and out. Healthy balances, light but fresh options and mouthwatering combos are all made ready to eat and brought straight to you.

G O O D A PPL E FOODS

Good Apple Foods brings customers the whole farm-totable experience. Each box is filled with fresh produce harvested from Austin-area farmers. In addition to farmfresh produce, customers can add other locally sourced items such as fresh-baked bread, coffee grounds and microgreens. Since the start of the pandemic, Good Apple Foods has partnered with Hope Food Pantry and the Austin Transportation Department to provide food to elderly Austinites and those with compromised immune systems. Since March 2020, Good Apple Foods has delivered over 30,000 boxes to families in need.

D I NNER EL F

The goal of Dinner Elf is to transform your kitchen into a magical, in-home meal experience. Whether it’s a family favorite meal or something totally new to your crew, your Elf has it under control. Your weekly Dinner Elf does all the shopping, cooking and cleaning needed to bring your family three delicious meals to enjoy. You might feel that a personal chef or meal delivery service sounds a little too fancy. Our grandmothers probably thought the same thing about a dishwasher years ago. Think of a Dinner Elf as a trusted member of your family who is always ready to prepare a home-cooked meal with ease.

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n NUTRITION

SPIR IT ED F OOD CO.

Spirited Food Co. was originally founded in 2008 to aid women undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Today, many families across the Austin area choose Spirited Food Co. to help them focus on individual wellness and to simplify nutrition. Spirited Food Co. brings meals to you focused around organics and local sourcing. Customers can choose from four weekly menu categories to fit their lifestyle and dietary needs with family style, autoimmune protocol (AIP), meditation and lean gourmet options.

G ATHER A N D FO RGE

Whether you are looking to host a holiday gathering, impress your date or learn some new skills in the kitchen, Gather and Forge has you taken care of. Offering a variety of services, Gather and Forge wants to elevate your mealtime experience. Personal chefs come to your home to prepare meals either for your family or for a large dinner party. If you need exclusive services, Gather and Forge will assign private chefs specifically to your family to take care of all your needs. Maybe you are looking to spice up your cooking skills — Gather and Forge can help with that, too. Sign up for a cooking class to learn things such as knife skills, seasoning techniques and even chef tricks-ofthe-trade. afm

OCTOBER 2021

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LIFESTYLE AUTHOR

Cindy Present

BE THE STARFISH THROWER n

Cindy Present reflects on what it means to make a difference and live fully in modern society.

An old man observed the boy throwing starfish back into the ocean. “What are you doing?” he asked. “I’m saving these starfish,” answered the boy without stopping. Surprised, the old man said, “But there are too many! And there’s only one of you. What difference can you make?” The boy picked up another starfish and tossed it into the ocean. “I made a difference for that one,” he replied.

OCTOBER 2021

his parable was originally adapted from “The Star Thrower” (or “starfish story”), an essay by Loren Eiseley published in 1969 in “The Unexpected Universe.” Its message is utilized frequently by many motivational speakers. Personally, it is one of my favorite mantras to live by: If it makes a difference to one person or being, then it is worth doing. One of my best friends even gave me a bracelet with a small starfish charm. It’s a talisman that is always a simple reminder that touching just one life makes anything worth the effort. In this global time of influencers, movers and shakers, I often find myself feeling as if I am not enough, not doing enough or not making enough of an impact. After all, it is a world of abundance, always striving for more reach, high-touch. I could always have more impact, more followers, more connections, more likes. I continually find myself with a mental struggle over this mindset. Society says reach and

broaden, but is it settling for less if I step back from that and embrace the starfish theory? I was recently in Colorado hiking at Mt. Evans, one of the local 14ers at 14,264 feet. My friend, Jen, was going crazy wanting to see a marmot. “There’s one!” I shouted. “Here’s another one,” another friend exclaimed. Our pursuit became continuous joyful shrieks of findings, one marmot discovered after another. Yet, Jen wasn’t seeing any of them. Instead, she saw amazing vistas, mountains, rock formations and ranges. Her vision was the big picture, awe-encompassing; ours was singular, focused and precise. Neither was wrong or incorrect, but each of us had our sights on different views. Our pursuit reminded me of the Highlights kids magazine picture-within-a-picture game. There was the big picture, but then the smaller image hidden within it. My dad used to tell me when we were in the

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n LIFESTYLE wilderness together looking for wildlife that “I couldn’t find the forest for the trees.” Just like this saying, my friend Jen was totally tuned into the larger scope and not the smaller details. When training for my second full Ironman, I sought out all that I could to find better success than my maiden voyage. That first time — a grueling course in St. George, Utah’s inaugural event — had been rough. The killer elevation and the beyond frigid waters surprisingly weren’t my demise as much as my unresolved nutrition protocol was. That imbalance left me in the most scenic porta-potties I’ve ever had the opportunity to camp out in for the duration of tummy trouble. Even after all of that, while I was hiking through Zion the day after the event, I vowed to enter another Ironman. I knew I could do better with a proper nutrition plan and thus have better finish line results. So I hired an amazing coach and mentor, Kelly Williamson, whom I not only admired but also knew had a similar work ethic, body mechanics and mindset as me. Kelly was fabulous; she gave me a great strategy on my running, cycling, swimming and nutrition training. Those were the individual puzzle pieces to make it all come together and happen. But it was her overall advice and mental awareness that wove it all together for me. To this day, my most favorite and highly utilized wisdom continues to be “Stay 3D,” meaning keep your sights three-dimensional. Don’t get so locked and focused on the task at hand, the road surface in front of you, your front bike tire for all 112 miles or your every step of 26.2. Don’t just see the big picture and bear down on the overall goal. But instead, take each moment in, see all of your surroundings, notice the details. You’re not racing for cash, and you’re not racing for a career. You’re racing for an experience and to do your best. Yes, you want to slay it, but a full Ironman is a long day. Once you slip into 2D, or gosh forbid, 1D, you’re typically in a zone that fogs out the smaller details of the journey. You’ll be missing the true experience. With all of the Ironman events I continued to compete in, aside from the discipline and training I prepped with, I made it just as important to race with mental “3D” discipline. Look the volunteers in the eyes. Tell them thank you. Smile at the spectators, friends and family. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Appreciate the trees, hills, mountains, oceans, flowers and environment. Most Ironman events take place in amazingly gorgeous locations. Take it all in. Stay threedimensional, visually and mentally.

OCTOBER 2021

Touching lives is very similar. With today’s technology, it is so easy to slip into a one-dimensional, global form of communication and connectivity. However, staying three-dimensional, looking outside the normal realms, looking between the gaps, within the bigger picture, is truly what exudes the human aspect of life. It is difficult to “think small” when the big picture of life is scrolling so fast, but, as another parable alludes to, “The gift can be in the details.” As with my friend on the lookout for marmots in the boulder fields of Colorado, it sometimes can be easier to see an entire forest and not just a single tree. Connection with individuals can often be the same. It can be simpler to find mass forms of communication versus taking the time to be intentional about touching individual lives. However, as with the starfish theory, to that one, it can matter. afm Cindy is a native Austinite with a lifelong pursuit of providing experiences to individuals that positively affect mind, body, and spiritual fitness. She is director of fitness and water sports at Lake Austin Spa Resort, co-founder of Operation Get Out and Get Out Girl, and an ambassador of Blue Mind Life. Cindy has a full resume of podium results in Ironman full and half distances, Xterra, marathons, paddleboarding, waterskiing, and adventure racing.

LIFESTYLE AUTHOR

Aja Webber

BLACK SHEEP BOXING: A PLACE TO CALL HOME n

Black Sheep Boxing’s new facility offers a sanctuary to those looking for a cathartic outlet and a supportive tribe.

alk therapy is great for some, but for others, punching and kicking can be the best way to work through problems. This idea of punching out emotions is exactly what Jeffrey Meadows and Sky Wood had in mind when creating Black Sheep Boxing. Jeffrey Meadows has had a rollercoaster of a life. From fighting alcoholism and addiction to incarceration to rehabilitation — Meadows has been through it all. Throughout his constant struggle, his best friend since the age of eight, Sky Wood, has been

OCTOBER 2021

all in for Meadows’ journey. “He was my best friend and became a brother to me, so he’s witnessed a lot,” Meadows says. “He’s been through the pits of hell with me.” Wood had an early start to the combat sports lifestyle as his parents owned their own martial arts studio which he then took over. When Meadows expressed his vision of starting his own boxing gym, Wood was all over it. Then, while Meadows was working in a rehabilitation treatment center, he became quick friends with another individual in recovery, Tony

Trevino. Since physical fitness was a big part in both of their personal recovery stories, they started dreaming about a gym that focused on addiction recovery. They began planning together and building up the vision long before they even had a name for the project. But with Meadows’ and Trevino’s vision and Wood’s previous knowledge of running a gym, their plan took off. However, Black Sheep Boxing didn’t immediately become what it is today. In fact, the journey began in Meadows’ friend’s garage as “Warrior Boy Boxing.” What was originally a

small group of people letting off steam soon grew into a full-blown boxing gym. The growth was so rapid that, before long, they were kicked out of the garage by the homeowners association (HOA) and started back from scratch. When the project finally transferred to Montopolis Recreation Center to appease the HOA, Meadows’ friend couldn’t keep up with the fast-paced life of owning a growing gym. It was then that Meadows took over the program and transitioned it into what is now Black Sheep Boxing.

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n LIFESTYLE

I WANTED REHABILITATION PATIENTS TO HAVE A PLACE TO LET THEIR FEELINGS OUT AND REBALANCE THE NEUROCHEMISTRY MAKEUP THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ALTERED THROUGH DRUG MISUSE. THROUGH BOXING, THEY ARE ABLE TO NATURALLY PRODUCE THOSE “FEEL GOOD” HORMONES THAT THE BRAIN NEEDS AND CRAVES.”

After moving to the recreation center, Meadows finally gained enough momentum to buy his own boxing ring in November of 2020. He didn’t want to open just any boxing gym, but a place like the one he had always dreamed of — a place where the stigma around mental health could dissipate. He wanted anyone who was willing to make a change to have a gym and a support system to help them through. “A lot of people ask, you know, ‘Why boxing?’” Meadows says. “Well, it’s the most natural way

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to ground yourself. As someone in recovery, I’m constantly worried about everything but the present. Boxing forces you to live in the present.” Meadows wanted rehabilitation patients to have a place to let their feelings out and rebalance the neurochemistry makeup that had previously been altered through drug misuse. He explains that, through boxing, they are able to naturally produce those “feel good” hormones that the brain needs and craves. “Instead of forcing [the chemicals] to come out

through drugs, sex, whatever it is, we can create that chemical balance and ground ourselves through boxing,” Meadows says. “These are the two things that people with mental health issues really struggle with.” Trevino initially started with Black Sheep not knowing much about boxing. He explained that the intimidation factor is what prevents a lot of people from starting combat sports. With Black Sheep, he was able to see that experience doesn’t matter when you have a supportive community. “For a lot of addicts, we have a problem with ego,” Trevino says. “At Black Sheep, it’s really calming to see that the biggest, baddest guy in the gym is the most supportive of a newcomer. It means the world to people who are just starting out — finding out that they’re not egomaniacs and they actually are really supportive and caring.” Although many gyms can be pretty expensive, Black Sheep is working to make it affordable and accessible

to all. Meadows explains that the goal is to help people who are willing to be helped, and they will do whatever it takes to make that happen. “It’s really simple — we’re in the business of helping people,” Meadows says. “We’ve never turned anyone down. We train first and talk about expenses after. We chase the purpose, we don’t chase the dollar.” In fact, Meadows and Wood have a donation fund that provides free shoes for kids who sign up. They work hard to make sure that anyone who wants to join can without any limitations. Even if you do not have mental health issues or aren’t in a recovery program, you can still find your tribe at Black Sheep. As Meadows says, they are in the business of helping and supporting people no matter what. “I honestly feel like I’m a better version of myself than I would be if I was still five and a half years sober but not participating in combat sports,” Trevino says. afm

If you are not in the Austin area, Meadows and Wood still have you covered. They are currently working on a documentary about boxing gyms around the world that have the same goal of service as they do. Episode one features a gym in Southampton, New York called Hill Street Boxing.

AU S T I N F I T M AG A Z I N E

LIFESTYLE AUTHOR

Laura Bond Williams

AUSTIN’S FITNESS INSTRUCTOR SHORTAGE n Fitness studios and trainers across

town discuss the growing need for instructors and how they hope to meet the demand.

very day, in every way, Austinites are moving: high-intensity interval workouts, suspension training, kickboxing, spin, dance and barre, plus mind-body favorites like yoga and Pilates. With such a large population of workout-minded citizens, local studio owners say there’s a growing need for more welltrained teachers and plenty of opportunities. Just a quick Google search for “Pilates jobs Austin’’ will bring up dozens of listings for Pilates, yoga and barre teachers. Jobs are full-time, part-time and by contract; in-person and online; in both local studios and national brand gyms; at dance studios, K-12 schools and even healthcare offices. Some businesses are expanding their teacher training programs to meet the demand, preparing teachers to work in their own studios or others. Other businesses hire a stream of independent contractors, while some hire instructors as employees. Most studios hire teachers who are already certified, but others may have proprietary brand training.

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Clearly, would-be teachers have a range of choices for both training and employment. “I personally don’t think we have enough yoga teachers,” says Michelle Young, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500 and owner of My Vinyasa Practice. My Vinyasa Practice alone has 50 employees and 20 contractors working online, in studios and on location in diverse industries like healthcare and education. Young says that just because there are a lot of teacher training opportunities doesn’t mean there is an abundance of teachers. “We can have 20 people in training and only one or two will want to teach, and they only want to teach

one or two classes a week,” Young says. “I find it challenging to fill all of the openings at times. I am constantly referring teachers to organizations that share our mission to integrate yoga.” Pure Barre Southwest Austin owner Lisa O’Neill says her studio budgets for the cost of training when they hire someone new to Pure Barre. Would-be instructors submit a video audition and, after being hired, they complete a 100-hour training program that takes 8-10 weeks. “The job market [for hiring] is competitive,” says O’Neill, who plans to open her studio this fall with eight instructors. “I know I’m not the only Pure Barre

studio looking to hire in Austin.” B Pilates owner Beth Hernandez hires teachers as independent contractors who may work for several studios — and some that may not even be within the same three-mile area. “Sometimes it can be difficult to find an instructor who has room on their schedule and isn’t conflicted from teaching at your studio,” she says. “I feel blessed to have had two instructors at my studio for two years.” Pilates South Austin co-owner Kari Levassar says they’re always looking out for great teachers. She and co-owner Beth Dukleth are also master teachers for its Pilates teacher training program, which began in 2013.

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n LIFESTYLE Their studio usually has 8-10 part-time instructors on its schedule as independent contractors. “We can always create more space for somebody who is a strong teacher, plus has the hustle and drive to work in this industry,” Levassar says. “And there is a shortage of those people.” “Every studio I know is looking for instructors,” says Brooke Bowersock, owner of Align Pilates, which hires its teachers as employees. Bowersock has been a master instructor since 2014 and opened her second studio in East Austin during the pandemic. That location, Align East, is designed exclusively as a Pilates teacher training studio to meet the area’s growing demand for qualified instructors. Pilates and yoga teacher training programs are usually one-to-two-year commitments, and teachers in training might work a full-time job while preparing for their career change or side gig. Becoming an employee or contractor may mean teaching anywhere from 4 to 12 or more classes a week, plus private clients. Teachers may fill their private and group class

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schedules at two, maybe three studios as contractors, employees or both. Teachers who prefer a “side hustle” may stick to working at one studio close to home or work. Rebecca Rogers is a licensed vocational nurse who decided to teach Pilates on the side. She’s a part-time employee for Club Pilates and went through its teacher education program. She works as a contractor for two other studios and sees the growing demand. “Especially in Austin, we always have someone new in a class,” Rogers says. Full-time instructor Celeste Knickerbocker enjoys being an independent contractor. She focuses on “maxing out” her schedule at three studios in Central, West and South Austin, and sees new job opportunities every day on LinkedIn. She worked at Pilates studios in Beverly Hills and San Francisco before moving to Austin in 2017 and says being able to work anywhere allows for “a constant state of reinventing yourself.” “I feel fortunate that in all my jobs I have free license to teach the class I want to teach,” she says. Sometimes teacher training becomes the path to a new career. In 2014, Paradise Taylor was working in accounting when she began yoga teacher training with no plan to become a full-time teacher. By the end of the 10-month program, she saw how prepared she was to teach others — and she embraced it. “I’m a little shy. I got a little stage fright,” she says. “Then the impostor syndrome, too. Why would anyone come to me when you can go to someone who’s been teaching for 25 years? One message that came across to me is that there is a teacher for everyone. When you take your seat as a teacher, your students will find you.” Since then, Taylor has taught yoga in Austin,

Costa Rica and Iceland, in studios, doctor’s offices, government agencies and even private events like bachelorette parties, resorts, parks and parking lots. She says her work teaching nine classes a week plus planning yoga retreats means more than a 20-houra-week-job. “If you’re serious about [teaching], it’s something you really want to do, start with 200-hour [training] and you almost can’t stop doing it,” she says. Several teacher training programs in yoga and Pilates offer options for mentorship and apprenticeship. “We encourage teachers to teach as soon as they feel comfortable, even if they are still in training,” says Young, founder of My Vinyasa Practice. “We supervise and mentor, and this helps to develop confident teachers who are learning while doing.” Bowersock has 16 trainees in her Pilates mentorship program at Align East, where they get together six hours a week for specialized classes to earn hours that count for certification. “I don’t teach people to teach like me,” she says. “I teach to their strengths and guide them through the program.”

Pilates South Austin offers trainees apprenticeships by invitation. Since 2013, the studio has certified 60 teachers in Pilates, barre and Board 360 interval workouts, several of whom work in its studio. Levassar says the flexible appeal of the profession is also why more Pilates teacher training is needed. “Teachers can go to any city, all over the world, and as long as there’s a reformer in the studio, they can work anywhere, and that’s a beautiful thing.” afm A certified life coach and Pilates teacher, Laura Bond Williams inspires clients to discover new ways of moving through life. She loves a good Broadway dance class or “Thriller” flash mob and is happy to take the stage anywhere, from the Long Center to a parking lot.

AU S T I N F I T M AG A Z I N E

LIFESTYLE AUTHOR

Jackie Bocanegra

PARK RANGER SPOTLIGHT: LEANN ISHCOMER n Meet the park ranger program manager and hear all about the amazing programming Austin Parks and Rec has to offer to the community.

OCTOBER 2021

eAnn Ishcomer has been part of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department since 2009. As park ranger program manager, Ishcomer has helped the Austin Parks and Recreation Department create programs that encourage the community to spend more time in nature. “Before I was in my 20s, I didn’t know somebody could make money working outdoors,” Ishcomer says. “The first time I went camping, it was like a light bulb moment for me.” Ishcomer says that “light bulb” camping trip was at Green River Reservoir in Vermont, where she was overcome with the beauty of the state park. Seeing the park rangers working in that natural beauty, helping visitors stay safe and learn about the location, Ishcomer says that was when she knew this was the career for her. After that, Ishcomer applied to be an assistant park ranger and got her first job as a park ranger at Boulder Beach State Park. Then, Ishcomer went on to graduate school at the University of North Texas, earning her masters degree in educational leadership. She says she wanted to further her organizational development and curriculum strategies that could apply to her work with the Park Ranger unit. Fast forward to today, and Ishcomer has been a park ranger for over 12 years, utilizing her passion and her skill set to help citizens find access and connection to nature. As the program park

ranger, Ishcomer says she views her current position in two parts: program manager and park ranger. “The program manager is a facilitator for the rangers and the facilitator to the business process that needs to be done,” Ishcomer says. “The park ranger is something I deeply identify with. The role there is to protect folks in the park and protect the parks themselves.” As program manager, Ishcomer and her team create programs to attract all citizens to visit the parks. She works with her team to present activities for all members of the community to feel welcomed to spend time in nature. “In the past year and a half, the park rangers have been trying different initiatives, one being the junior park ranger booklet, which is actually in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Arabic,” Ishcomer says. Although the recommended age is 5-10 years old, Ishcomer encourages anyone who is interested in the parks to participate. Plus, when you send in your completion, you can earn the junior park ranger patch, which looks similar to the patches the rangers themselves wear. Not only are there activities that children can do to feel part of the community, but all of the dog lovers in Austin can join in on the fun that the local parks have to offer

through the Bark Ranger program. Designed to promote recreation with dogs, the program teaches how to be with your dog in the heat and on a trail. Ishcomer also says that her team feels it is important to designate a time for the community to come together, talk with the park rangers and learn more by being in the parks. One such educational and community event is the Coffee with a Ranger program that takes place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Ishcomer says it’s designed to answer any questions about the park, programs and preservation. “We have made all of these programs to be proactive with the community,” Ishcomer says. “We are all on the same team to conserve the parks with all its resources for you and the entire community, hopefully for years to come.” All efforts from the team are done to ensure that the parks are protected for years to come. Perhaps the best example of these efforts is the Leave No Trace program. While

this is actually a national effort to reduce the impact on natural spaces, the local park ranger teams are actively working to ensure that Austinites know and follow the principle through educational programming. “It’s not necessarily one piece of trash or one person who’s disrespectful to other people [or] one unpicked pile of dog waste — it’s when it’s repeated over and over, ‘’ Ishcomer says. “Those impacts are cumulative.” No matter what the program is, they all have this idea behind them. But Ishcomer says that perhaps the most important thing they do, besides preservation and conservation, is making the parks for all people — ensuring that all people, no matter their background, feel comfortable and welcomed in the natural spaces. “Parks and park rangers can create a sense of place, a sense of community and provide healing in a recreational opportunity as a time to wind down and have fun,” Ishcomer says. “We try to provide those opportunities to all citizens and visitors, not just a certain subset of people in Austin.” afm

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The Life,

Adventures and Activism of Joel Barish Meet the Deaf activist and world-traveler who is working to break down every barrier he can find. AUTHOR MONICA HAND

APRIL OCTOBER 2021

36 36

2020

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When you first meet Joel Barish, you are quickly overtaken by his genuine smile. He’s quick to sign a joke, making you feel comfortable and welcomed — it doesn’t take long before you feel like old pals, like you could share your whole life story with him. That radiant and contagious energy makes sense, considering Barish has spent his life and career traveling the world meeting and connecting with people from all walks of life. Barish meets hundreds of people each year through producing DeafNation shows and expos, traveling the world, competing in cycling events

Early Life

Barish grew up in California in a Deaf family. His mother and father were both role models for him, encouraging him and his brother to pursue physical activity and the things that excited them. “My Deaf father grew up in New York City. He’d been doing softball, running, racquetball [and] golf from his teen years to 82 years old,” Barish says. “My Deaf mother grew up in Utah. She loved travel and outdoor activities. She always encouraged me to travel, meet people, leadership and much more.” Barish’s mother even sent him, at the young age of 13,

and supporting the local community through activism.

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to a leadership conference far from home — a 16-hour trip he traveled alone. He says that that trip was the first time he encountered people of different cultures, signing styles and backgrounds, all of which solidified him as a leader and curious explorer. That leadership and love of travel continued from there throughout high school and university. After he graduated from Gallaudet University, Barish wanted to find a career that would allow him to continue these loves of meeting people, leadership and seeing new parts of the world. “And at that time, you know, there was no internet, there was no iPhone. This was 1992 — opportunities

were limited,” Barish says. “So, I decided to set up my own business and travel the world.” In the true entrepreneurial spirit, he started his own travel agency and opened a coffee shop. He jokes the shop was no Starbucks, but he enjoyed the few years there before he eventually went on to a job at a larger travel agency. Not long after that switch, he was approached by his brother, Jed, with ideas for new business ventures, and Barish jumped at the opportunity for change. At first, they worked a few jobs here and there while also co-founding the DeafNation newspaper. But this was only the beginning.

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WE ALL HAVE COMPASSION. WE ALL HAVE HOPES AND DREAMS AND FEARS. WE ALL HAVE ONE HEART THAT BLEEDS RED. AND THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS AT THE END OF THE DAY.”

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DeafNation World Expo & Conference

“In 2003, we started to shift our focus from the newspaper,” Barish says. “We wanted to create events for the Deaf community to allow for actual connection, so we started working on the DeafNation Expo.” The DeafNation Expos are one-day events held all over the country designed by and for the Deaf community. Companies and professionals in the Deaf and hearing communities meet to connect and network, showcasing all kinds of businesses, skills and products. “It has always been open to the public and has no admission fee,” Barish says. “We want people to come to experience and learn the language, needs, information and everything of the Deaf community.” Then, in 2010, the brothers wanted to expand those one-day events and create something that would have an even broader reach. Hence, the subsequent multiday DeafNation World Expo & Conference event. This event still has all the business and networking opportunities as the more frequent expos, but on a much grander scale and accompanied by speakers, sessions, social events and more.

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Barish summarizes the overall mission of DeafNation as “no barriers,” the idea of breaking down ideas and limitations that are formed by the hearing community not understanding the needs of the Deaf community, as well as the Deaf community being unaware of the outlets they have. “A big one is you want Deaf children to see Deaf people owning businesses, having leadership roles, all the amazing things that Deaf people do,” Barish says. “It raises the expectations and ideas of what they can do as well and for their parents to understand all of their potential.” Although the DeafNation World Expo & Conference happens every four years, the next one had to be moved to 2022 due to the COVID-19 outbreaks. As always, it is open to the public and will showcase inspiring people from around the world.

No Barriers with Joel

Cycling & Local Activism

Taking it back to Barish’s love of travel, the first country he ever visited was Mexico in 1999, when he attended the Deaf Olympics. Barish describes the experience as difficult, having to rely on his pager and finding ways to communicate with the hearing community or with those who didn’t use American Sign Language. “So many times, I got lost — so many times. But that was part of the journey,” Barish says. “I had to learn how to not depend on any other person, and to be able to get through any situation on my own.” A lot has changed for Barish since the 1999 Deaf Olympics in Mexico. But the skills he learned on that first trip became solidified and provided the foundation for the acclaimed show No Barriers. When No Barriers started in 2003, the idea was, as with all things related to the Barishes or DeafNation, to break down the stigmas and provide lasting connections between people from all kinds of backgrounds. In the show, Barish brings the audience along as he travels to meet the Deaf community of every nation or culture. From Havana, Cuba to Sri Lanka to Norway, he’s made it to 89 countries and can’t wait to grow the list. Each country is a unique experience, Barish says, and the people he meets and the adventures he takes on are always enlightening. One of his favorite expeditions was when he traveled to a small Intuit village of about 170 people, only around 700 miles from the North Pole. “I thought, ‘Where are all of the trees? Where is the water?’” Barish says. “But seeing these people and meeting the Deaf individual there, it made me realize that the human experience is really a beautiful thing.” Barish says showing that Deaf individuals exist and thrive in a diverse set of environments has been an amazing aspect of the show, revealing not only human nature but also that Deaf communities and individuals are in all four corners of the earth. Now Barish has another show, Coffee with Joel, where he sits down with Deaf people from all over the world and discusses all kinds of topics. These conversations reveal the differences in how other cultures sign while still finding those connections and similarities in experience — again reinforcing the idea that humans are humans, no matter how they communicate.

Of course, his activism doesn’t stop with DeafNation. Locally, Barish works in both Deaf access activism and safe cycling options. The cycling came some years ago after he could no longer run due to his knees. He quickly found his way to Bike Austin, where he works to help promote safe transportations options in the city. When he’s not working on a show or competing (and placing) at a cycling race, he still doesn’t let anything stop him from continuing this practice of breaking down barriers for the Deaf community in Austin. He works hard to encourage businesses and companies to implement practices that are inclusive to the local Deaf community. “As Austin begins to really boom, the Deaf community that was once very to themselves is starting to speak out,” Barish says. “Any business should have some kind of option to better serve the growing Deaf community.” Barish points out that his realm of activism requires a lot of patience and persistence. Though awareness is growing, there is a lack of outlets for reliable communication for the Deaf community in everything from shopping at the grocery store to receiving information during emergencies like throughout the devastating snowstorm in February 2021. Still, even with delays and slow progress, Barish believes that, through it, all people will understand that even through varied backgrounds, humans are all the same. “We all have compassion. We all have hopes and dreams and fears,” Barish says. “We all have one heart that bleeds red. And that is all that matters at the end of the day.” afm

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Skateboard like a Girl AFM’s Q&A with skateboarder, fashion enthusiast and the coolest girl around: Brighton Zeuner. AUTHOR MONICA HAND

OCTOBER 2021

righton Zeuner is just like any other 17-year-old girl, minus the fact that she’s also a professional skateboarder. Some notable accolades ( just to mention a few, and trust us, there’s more): She was the youngest X Games competitor, having competed at age 11 in 2016, and now she already has two X Games gold medals — one of which she won when she was 13, crowning her the then youngest champion in the X Games, and the second crowning her the youngest

back-to-back gold medalist. She has long been a frequent participant and champion in skateboarding competitions all over the world and even competed in the Tokyo Olympics this past summer — a part of the historical, inaugural team of skateboarders in the Olympic games. So, it’s easy to see she’s the real deal, even though talking with her, you’re struck by her humble and authentic love for the sport and those around her.

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Though skateboarding has been a big part of her life, she says the training and devotion hasn’t stopped her from experiencing some of the “normal” teenage life. In her free time, she says she spends it hanging out with friends and family, thrift shopping and playing music — and dealing with the nerves that come with being a pro skater. Originally from Arizona, now living in both California and Austin, Texas, Zeuner caught up with AFM after she got back from the Olympics to chat about her life, career and goals for the future. After I mentioned I wanted to get into skating, too, I just came home after school one day and my mom had a skateboard waiting for me — she had even made the grip tape all cool for me. Then, once I started skating the mini ramp we had in our backyard, that’s when I fell in love with it.

AFM: You started skateboarding when you were pretty young, how did you first get into it all? BZ: Well, my dad was a skate nerd growing up, so

we were always around it. And so, when my brother wanted a skateboard, our dad naturally just became a skate dad.

AFM: It sounds like your family is super supportive! What is it like to have such a strong support system backing you up?

So, really, I started skateboarding because I would just get dragged to our local skatepark, and my brother would be skating, and eventually, I got really bored of just playing in the dirt. Of course, I had ridden one before, around the house or just messing around on one, but I didn’t get my first real skateboard until I was like seven.

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BZ: My dad is always there for me with skating stuff,

and he really helps me get through the pre-competition anxieties and even just reminds me to eat food when I’m nervous to eat.

It was really hard not having them there when I was in Tokyo, because athletes weren’t allowed to bring family. I was so frustrated by that, because they are a big part of my support and working through the nerves. I was even dreading the whole thing at first because of the nerves, and I was worried about being in enough shape and putting all this pressure on myself, since it’s the first Olympic skateboarding event and the Olympics is the biggest platform. I didn’t think I could do it or would want to do it without my dad there to help me.

went to this cool skate shop I heard about called No Comply and I met this girl named Stevie — she works there — and she was just so great. Everyone is really nice, and I met a ton of people — pretty much everyone that works there — and Stevie took me skating. She took me to all these DIY ditches, which is cool because that takes a lot of upkeep, but they are super taken care of. There’s just a lot of creativity there, and the people are so welcoming. There’s a lot of funky skaters down there but every one is so nice. In California, sometimes you have skaters with big egos and they aren’t very into new people, but that just hasn’t been my experience in Austin. I’ve had to be in California for a lot of my training before the Olympics, so I’m excited to get back down there and see Stevie and all the other guys at No Comply.

But my dad, he again just worked through those worries with me, and he said to me, “You’re going to miss the Olympics when it’s all over.” And he was right. AFM: What was that like, being there without your main support system? BZ: It wasn’t as bad as I had worked it up to be. It was

AFM: What’s next for you? Do you have any big plans in the works that you’re excited about outside of the world of competitive skateboarding?

hard obviously and I still wished he was there, but, you know, the women’s skating world is pretty close — a lot of us had known each other for years, and I even got to room with one of my best friends, Bryce Wettstein. And you know, we were all in the same boat — we were all there without our families and had to work through anxiety and everything together.

BZ: Yeah, I want to go to college for fashion design,

actually. I think one of my goals is to work with a brand or have a clothing brand or something that I can have a little bit of freedom to create stuff that is designed with the woman skater in mind. That’s been my goal in my collabs with brands like Vans, and I’ve really loved it. I want to make clothes that are actually comfortable for women to skate in — something that’s a stretchy material and nice to skate in, but it’s also really cool and makes you feel confident. afm

I think it really made us all even closer, and it made me become more independent — but I still called home every chance I got, of course! AFM: Tell us about what it meant to you to be able to see the sport of skateboarding make it to the Olympic level finally, and to be a part of the inaugural competition. BZ: Yeah, when we found out that

it was going to be in the Olympics, everyone got so excited. Especially for women’s skateboarding — it has changed the game in terms of how serious girl’s or women’s competitions are. I am so excited, too, because I think this is really going to open the door to skateboarding to younger girls. They’ve seen it in the Olympics, and it’s now seen as a much more professional option — you could make a career out of it. It feels really cool to be a part of that. AFM: Your family goes back and forth between Austin and the coast. How would you describe Austin’s skate scene compared with California’s? BZ: When I was first in Austin, I

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WELLNESS AUTHOR

Mike de Lota M.D.

LOOK HOW FAR WE’VE COME n Dr. de Lota takes a deep dive into the advances in and uses of modern wellness technology.

was recently at my parents’ house helping them clean storage bins from the garage when I found an old Jack LaLanne VHS (what’s that?) exercise video. My parents surprisingly still had a working VCR, and I watched as “The Godfather of Modern Fitness” went through a circuit of jumping jacks, tricep dips and his signature one-handed pushup. I laughed to myself thinking these exercises seemed basic and antiquated, but he ended the workout by telling his audience, “It’s not what you do some of the time that counts — it’s what you do all of the time that counts.” Although he was likely referring to regular exercise, proper nutrition and sleep, his words speak to a truism that the world of fitness and

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fitness technology is built on today. Technological advancements in wearable biofeedback devices have allowed the everyday consumer to live that truism and start tracking what we do “all of the time.”

Applications in Fitness Wearable biofeedback devices comprise a multibillion-dollar industry and range from wristworn devices to those strapped onto the torso, arms and legs to “smart clothing” with electrodes woven into the clothing fabric. These devices can help optimize training by allowing the wearer to find the perfect balance between suboptimal exercise load (leading to stagnation and “plateaus” in performance) and exercise loads that overtrain (leading to muscle

fatigue and injury). For example, the Apple Watch Series 6 uses infrared and nearinfrared technology as well as photoplethysmography — aka PPG, a method of measuring heart rate using a light source and a photodetector on the skin surface — to measure heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate recovery (HRR). Heart rate variability is the length of time between heartbeats controlled by the body’s autonomic nervous system. This system regulates our fight-or-flight and relaxation responses. So, if a person is in a fight-or-flight mode, the variation between heartbeats tends to be low while the variation between subsequent beats is high if the body is in a more relaxed state. In other words, the higher the

HRV, the more the body is able to “switch gears,” showing an increased resilience to stress. Recent research has shown that low HRV may be linked with worsening depression or anxiety and may even be associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, heart rate recovery is the decrease in heart rate at one minute after stopping exercise. The faster the heart recovers to baseline after exercise, the healthier one’s heart is thought to be. Research has shown that the longer the HRR, the higher the risk of all-cause mortality and death associated with coronary artery disease. Another wearable device that helps optimize training is the Athos Shorts. These compression shorts and leggings have built-in

sensors which allow the wearer to track effort (how hard the muscles are working), balance, form (are you using the right muscles for the desired exercise?) and active time versus rest time (let’s face it, we all take Instagram and TikTok breaks at the gym). The sensors use electromyography (EMG) technology similar to what is used in a neurologist’s office. This technology can sense a muscle’s activity in response to an electrical signal (i.e. from a nerve). Yet another device aimed at optimizing training is the Whoop Strap. You may have seen your favorite baseball or football players sporting one of these on the field as it is currently the only wearable wrist fitness tracker allowed by the MLB, and it is the official recovery device of the NFL.

The Whoop Strap uses its accelerometer, three-axis gyroscope and PPG to measure resting heart rate, HRV and HRR. It then compiles this data and, through a complex algorithm, generates a metric called “strain” to quantify how much cardiovascular stress your body is in during workouts. This is, in part, determined by your maximum heart rate and how much time you spend at, above and below your maximum heart rate as well as your optimal heart rate for cardiovascular activity. The more time you spend at or near your maximum heart rate, the greater the strain. It also takes this data and, coupled with data from your respiratory rate and sleep, will calculate your “recovery” or readiness for exercise. This can

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n WELLNESS be a great tool to allow your body adequate rest and minimize those times when you get to the gym but just can’t seem to give that extra effort.

Not Just for Athletes Looking beyond athletic training optimization, wearable biofeedback devices also offer practical, everyday uses. It is standard for today’s smartwatches and odometers, for example, to offer users the ability to track steps taken or distances traveled and translate that to calories burned. This is done through GPS, local wifi signals and built-in altimeters to determine the wearer’s physical location. Most smartwatches today also have gyroscopic technology to measure arm/body movements and body positioning. These devices are also useful for everyday mindfulness training. For example, the Apple Watch reminds the wearer to stand in order to avoid prolonged sedentary periods (a leading, global risk factor for disability and mortality). Devices like the Fitbit Sense, Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 and Apple Watch Series 6 can remind the wearer to breathe when they pick up on stress cues like rapidly increasing heart rate through their use of infrared technology. Another area of daily use is sleep tracking. The Fitbit Charge 4 and Whoop Strap use heart rate, HRV and body movements to determine how much time you spend in wakefulness, restlessness and sleep. These can then estimate your sleep latency (how long it took you to fall asleep) and how much time you spent in the light stages, deep stages and REM sleep. Perhaps one of the most advanced uses of fitness trackers today is the measurement of heart

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rhythm. The Apple Watch Series 6 has an electrocardiogram (ECG) feature measuring electrical signals across the heart and can help determine if the contractions of the upper and lower chambers of the heart are out of sync. A recent study by Stanford University showed that the ECG feature of the Apple Watch had a 71% positive predictive value (i.e. when a positive finding is deemed to be truly positive and not a false positive). In those instances, 84% of the participants who received irregular pulse notifications were found to be in atrial fibrillation at the time they received the notification — truly life-saving technology!

How Accurate Are They? Despite the leaps and bounds that wearable biofeedback devices have made over the years, many of the devices studied in the medical literature have not been independently verified. Some companies, like Apple, partnered with academic institutions to further validate their technology.

Athos contracted studies of its wearable smart clothing line which found that the Athos surface EMG (sEMG) devices yielded very similar findings to research-grade EMGs found in medical offices or academic institutions. In addition to the need for further validation, another shortcoming of fitness trackers is the potential for user error. For example, for heart rate monitors, pulse oximeters and ECG devices dependent on infrared, nearinfrared and PPG technology, motion, tightness of fit, skin pigment and high BMI can all affect the readings and yield inaccurate results. For devices that estimate sleep stages and measure sleep quality, having inconsistent data can impact the findings. For devices using GPS location and wifi dependence, remote locations or those underground will cause an interruption of accurate measurement as well. Another factor to consider is the need to properly interpret the data. I have had several patients visit me in the office worried about their heart rate rising in response

to stress. When we discuss the natural transient rise in heart rate which can occur in response to stress, physical activity, caffeine intake, nicotine and tobacco use and pain, they gain a better understanding of their own bodies and how to interpret the data from their devices. Trying to understand complex metrics like HRV, HRR and the sEMG findings from wearable devices can be a difficult task without the proper background or information.

Is it Worth It?

Ultimately, we have come a long way in advancing and

incorporating technology to optimize training, push our bodies to new limits and gain new knowledge and insight about our day-to-day health. Wearable fitness trackers have allowed consumers access to personal health metrics once reserved only for research and clinical purposes or for professional athletes. Despite this, we still have a long way to go in order to validate what these devices promise, minimize user error and misinterpretation of data, but I think the future is bright. I often wonder, 30 years from now when my children are

helping me clean storage bins from my garage, what kind of technology will they have that they laugh at the smartwatch I had in 2021? afm Dr. de Lota is a Family Medicine physician working at Austin Regional Clinic. He enjoys treating people of all ages and has a passion for preventative care, evidence-based medicine and patient education.

AU S T I N F I T M AG A Z I N E

WELLNESS AUTHOR

Jessica Tranchina, PT, DPT

5 MASSAGE MYTHS DEBUNKED n Think you know your massage facts? You might be surprised.

anual therapies are considered some of the oldest wellness practices — the use of one’s hands as the medical or wellness tool dates back to as early as 400 B.C. in Europe. By definition, a manual therapy treatment is one that utilizes systematic manipulation of the soft tissues of the body. Massage therapy is just one form of this practice, specifically using a technique of fixed or variable pressure on muscles and body tissues using the hands and fingers. In a more direct definition, massage therapy is the manipulation of skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments by a licensed therapist to promote wellness, range of motion and many other

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health benefits. However, there are many myths surrounding the science of applied massage therapy, so it is important to educate yourself and get to know this therapy better and how it can improve your body and your life.

Massage Therapy Only Affects the Muscles

Massage therapy generally involves the muscles, so it’s easy for someone to arrive at this conclusion. However, science has proven that the treatment can do much more for the body than just simple muscle manipulation. Here are the different ways in which massage therapy can affect certain parts of the body:

• Stimulates lymph nodes • Improves posture • Reduces emotional or physical stress • Promotes feelings of well-being • Reduces muscle tension and stiffness • Relieves muscle spasms • Increases joint and muscle flexibility • Promotes deeper and easier breathing • Enhances blood circulation and lymph movement • Relieves tension-related headaches and eyestrain • Allows soft tissue injuries to heal faster • Reduces the chances of scar tissue from forming • Promotes healthy skin

an accident. Trigger point massage or ART (active release technique) – This type of massage focuses on tight muscle fibers that develop from an injury or overuse of the muscles. It can release scar tissue to help the muscle, tendon or ligament regain function and relieve pain.

The Effects Don’t Last Long

Massage is Only for Pampering Yourself

Skeptics would say that the benefits of massage therapy are minimal or don’t last long, especially for pain relief. The fact is that an expert massage therapist can “train” the muscles to be stronger and more flexible. This reduces the amount of pain and stress it receives in the future. The effects last and can be further prolonged with regular massage sessions. This is the reason why some professional athletes are able to push their muscles way beyond normal levels.

A Massage is a Massage No Matter Where You Go

The idea that all massages and massage therapists are the same is a common misconception among people, or at least those who have never tried a massage before. The truth: The type of treatment you receive depends on you, your condition, the practitioner and the facility. Different types of massages are designed to address specific muscle conditions and ailments. Here are some examples of the different massages and their benefits: Swedish massage – This is a gentle form of massage that uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration and tapping to help relax and energize

you. Swedish is for those who wish to relax and relieve stress, and it may also improve circulation and lower blood pressure. Deep tissue massage – This type of massage uses slower, deeper strokes to target the underlying layers of muscle and connective tissue. It also commonly helps with muscle damage from injuries and improves range of motion. Sports massage – This type of massage has been specifically developed for athletes or people who regularly do sports. It helps prevent or treat injuries and can be used to prepare and invigorate the body before an activity. Orthopedic massage – This massage is designed for rehabilitation and helps people recover from injuries sustained in

Only if you consider taking care of the only body you have as a luxury, then no! Massage therapy has many benefits and is well worth the added self-care. • Massage can reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and can even help relieve symptoms of insomnia. • Massage can help the body heal from injury, improve or even speed up rehabilitation. • Massage is a great way to maintain wellness and fitness even when you are not in pain. • Some massage techniques can relieve headaches. • Studies have also proven that massage can help lower blood pressure through long-term and consistent use.

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n WELLNESS

THE FACT IS THAT AN EXPERT MASSAGE THERAPIST CAN ‘TRAIN’ THE MUSCLES TO BE STRONGER AND MORE FLEXIBLE.”

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Massage is Too Expensive

Most sessions are 60 to 90 minutes long and can range in price quite tremendously. Therapeutic body work will be more expensive but is designed to relieve pain, scar tissue, tension, align posture and improve quality of life. If you think massage can help you feel better, try making a massage budget for the month or ask your therapist about discounts for massage packs or memberships to save money. Some establishments have monthly massages included in their fitness or recovery memberships that you can take advantage of that decrease the cost of the massage quite drastically.

Massage therapy should be done by a licensed massage therapist at a licensed facility. Before you book your appointment, make sure you’re doing so with a reputable establishment. afm Jessica Tranchina, PT, DPT, is a co-founder of Generator Athlete Lab and has been an athlete her whole life. As the creator of the Generator Method, Tranchina works to help guide others to better performance and recovery. She is passionate about bringing the active community of Austin together from all fitness levels and athletic backgrounds. NASM-CPT, ART Certified Provider, CKTP.

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WELLNESS AUTHOR

Allison Wojtowecz

HOW TO VET YOUR HEALTH INFLUENCERS n Should you listen to that TikTok influencer? Here’s how to know who to trust in the online health and wellness community.

ho do you look to for health advice? Over the last 10 years or so, the answer to this question has changed dramatically. Think about your own behaviors: Are you calling your doctor to get information on what to do for your health or self-care decisions? More than likely, you’re not. Today, the biggest source of health information comes from what many people now call “Dr. Google.” And that trend of turning to the internet for information has created

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a new phenomenon in the world: influencers. Whatever it is you’re searching for, there’s probably an influencer talking about it — and the health world is no exception. But how do you know if the person you’re listening to really knows what they’re talking about? There are a few things to pay attention to when it comes to understanding if an influencer’s information is sound or not. As someone who has been a health influencer before, I can tell you that there are plenty of people with large followings who don’t really know how to spot quality advice.

But just because someone isn’t a doctor doesn’t mean they are wrong, either. So, how can you tell if they’re right or at least on the right track?

They are an accredited health practitioner.

This first one comes with a caveat. Just because someone is a certified personal trainer does not mean they know what they’re talking about with just anything health-related. But if the person you’re following has accreditations like: • Certified personal trainer • Certified group coach

• Yoga/Pilates/other movement practice certified • Certified nutritionist • Bachelor’s of Science, especially in kinesiology or nutrition • Registered dietitian • Medical doctor (M.D.) • Doctor of any science (Ph.D.), especially related to the human body or mind Then, at least you know they’ve put in work to be educated in the way the body works. The major drawback with someone who has any official accreditation is that, sometimes, they don’t dive back into newer research as it comes out once they’ve got their certification. That is by no means the case with everyone, but it is something to pay attention to. If the person you’re following hasn’t changed their opinion on much over the years, or especially since they’ve been in school, that could be a red flag that they’re not staying up-to-date with all of the newest information that’s coming out.

They cite legitimate sources for claims they make.

scientific article or data. So, this is where more problems can pop up. No one who believes themselves to be an authority on health is trying to misinform anyone. But unless the author of the information you’re reading can point directly to peer-reviewed, well-structured studies with strong data to support a claim, your influencer might not be as valid as you’d like. But you don’t need to have a science degree or any sort of health certification to pull up these studies. So, influencers without an accreditation can still make valid arguments with solid evidence. Katey Yurko (AKA “The Violet Fog”) is a great example of this. She is someone who doesn’t have a science background and she’s not a certified personal trainer or nutritionist. However, everything she posts is backed up by scientific articles with strong evidence to support her claims. On top of that, she’s dealt with so many of her own health issues that she taught herself how to understand these things and in turn helps her followers do the same. She shares her

own blood work, teaches her audience what she’s learned from practitioners like Nurse Doza at MSW Lounge and is very open with her own journey to optimal health. And while “taking charge of your own health” isn’t an official certification, this type of influencer is very powerful because they’ve been there. They know what you’re going through. But whenever you’re reading something, especially if it’s from an “influencer,” make sure to check their sources. If you’re not seeing at least some claims backed up by NCBI or PubMed studies, you might want to look for other people to turn to.

They are featured or respected by other accredited sources.

We all know that “clout” isn’t everything. But when it comes to figuring out who to follow and who to pay attention to, it’s useful to see who some of the more established online practitioners or health influencers are promoting. It’s fairly common for a younger influencer with fewer years of professional experience to “break

This might be the most important thing to look for. The number of times you read something without actual scientific sources to back it up might just astonish you. Next time you’re reading an article — possibly even on a mainstream health resource created by many people — you might notice that the “evidence” links often just point to other blog posts. And while those other blog posts might hold sound advice, it could take several click-throughs on various websites before you find one that links back to an actual

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n WELLNESS into” the circle of influencers that are already established. If you notice that several of your favorite resources are all putting the same new person on their podcasts, videos, websites, social media, whatever — it’s a good sign that they’re sharing solid advice. And on that note, just because someone is “new” to an influencer circle does not mean they’re new to science. Sometimes it just takes a while for a really good message to break into the mainstream. So if you see someone new on your feed, give them a chance. Especially if some of your other favorite health influencers all have good things to say about them.

Finding your people

At the end of the day, your health is your decision. There are a lot of people out there preaching all ends

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of the spectrum when it comes to advice, too. You can find someone who says veganism is the only way, while someone else is promoting the carnivore diet at the same time. What it all boils down to is this: who is accredited? Who is citing valid sources? And who is wellrespected for their work by other health practitioners? These three things are great barometers to start with. And after that, you need to take any and all advice through the lens of what works best for YOU. If you are feeling great and your blood work reflects that, you can begin to decide for yourself which pieces of advice to take and which to leave. Once you start understanding this level of autonomy, you’ll know what it’s really like to experience the best health outcomes of your life. afm

Allison Wojtowecz is the founder of Flabs to Fitness, Inc., a company that provides personal training and nutrition to private clients as well as various digital marketing services for other health professionals. She has worked with MSW Lounge since 2017 and absolutely loves the community and message they have created. Allison is also a stand up comedian, and her podcast, DeTalks with Allison, is shot at the How Do You Health? studio while she and her funny guests get vitamin IVs. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts!

ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN MEDICINE, NUTRITION, FITNESS OR OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS? ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE WITH OTHERS? DO YOU LOVE TO WRITE?

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! AFM is in search of regular expert contributors for our monthly issue. If interested, please contact editorial@austinfitmagazine.com to further collaborate.

FITNESS AUTHOR

Shelby Autrey

YOGA POSES TO BOOST IMMUNITY n Add this flow to your practice to reduce stress and boost your defenses.

e all come to yoga for similar benefits. We strive for a freedom from daily stress, an ease for emotions, strength in our bodies, a release of physical tension, a boost in optimal health. And ultimately, we all strive for optimal health and to know ourselves more fully. Daily yoga practice is a full-spectrum remedy for vitality. We begin with gratitude, intention setting, activated breath, physical movement and concentration of our mind which connects us to the deeper layers of our life force. These practices downregulate our nervous system to make the body a place where change can happen and create a flow of energy that connects mind, body and spirit. When these aspects of our living are in union, we have a free flow of energy making an equanimous vessel for radiant life. Here are six poses that, activated by your breath, work to reduce stress, stoke a strong immune system and maintain a constant flow of life force or prana. Yoga postures married with breath create a natural filtration that moves energy and blood and promotes organ function. Do these poses for two to three minutes with long, deep breaths for full, energetic flow and release. Each breath cycle is four counts. Inhale, pause at the top, four counts exhale, pause at the bottom.

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1. Child’s Pose with sidebody stretch

Deep hip flexion compresses the lymph located at your inner thighs. When you create a compression and then release, you flush fresh circulation through which helps to cleanse any congestion in the area. Side-body stretching opens the muscles between your ribs so the ribcage can expand and contract more fully as you breathe, creating a bigger container for oxygen to move through you.

2. Saddle Pose

Opening the front of your hips after the compression of the first pose allows a rush of circulation to move down your front body. Your torso and quads harbor the stomach meridian, a channel directly coordinated with digestion.

3. Sphinx Pose

This is a belly-down, upper backbend that helps reduce anxiety and depression. Putting a gentle bend in your upper back creates energy and an uplifted nature. It helps the forward and downward energy of sitting to move in the opposite direction, creating a channel for your spine to become long and move cranial fluid from your brain and sacrum.

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n FITNESS 4. Eagle Pose

This balancing pose squeezes all the major pressure points around the stations of lymph in your body. This compression creates a jolt of immunity-boosting fluid to move through you. This pose also builds strength in standing balance and focuses your mind.

5. Reclined Twist

Unwind your outer hips and spine while drawing back to the center. Not only does this relieve back tension, but it restores balance for your body to bear equal crossbody weight which strengthens your proprioception.

6. Seated meditation with breath

Return to hOMe, bringing everything together in your upright seat. The hips are open for sitting with ease. The spine is long to flow cranial fluid from head to hips. Shoulders are open to create a lift in your heart. Long, deep, slow breaths (four counts in, pause at the top, four counts out, pause at the bottom) settle you. Then, return to natural breath, easy and soft. In the complete stillness of your physical body, become aware of the dynamic movement of your energetic body. Thank you, body. Good body, wise body. Robust immune system, healthy heart, open mind. afm

Shelby is the owner and founder of BFREE YOGA Austin. She has over 15 years of experience in the study and practice of yoga. Shelby is a nationally certified therapeutic massage and bodywork specialist and has worked in sports injury rehabilitation since 2003. She created the 200-hour Yoga Alliance-certified school of yoga, b*free(ology), which trains yoga instructors in alignment-based creative movement. Shelby has a history of teaching live music and yoga events. She has led classes for the Obama administration, Yoga Journal Magazine at three national conferences, Wanderlust Yoga Festivals in Colorado and California and has worked with Austin’s very own C3 Presents.

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heart & stroke walk 2021

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FITNESS AUTHOR

Mia Barnes

SHAKE UP THAT FITNESS ROUTINE! n Activate new muscles and work on total mobility by changing up your usual workout routine.

aybe you’re a dedicated gym rat who never misses leg day, or maybe you’re a newbie just now finding your momentum. No matter where you are in your fitness journey, you might need to shake things up a bit, especially if you don’t want to hit a plateau and lose motivation. Luckily, you don’t have to abandon your daily routine — simply enhance it with new activities to work new muscles. This change of pace can even help work your brain that might be used to going into autopilot when at the gym. Here are some workout tips and ideas to help you get creative and beat that burnout.

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1. Revamp your rest days

Hopefully, you don’t perform the same exercises every single day. Doing so can put you at risk for injury. Your muscles need rest days to heal the microscopic tears in your muscle fibers that occur during exertion. Only time can work the magic that results in a stronger, healthier you. Performing the same activities each day can also lead to overuse injuries. For example, people who play tennis daily might develop lateral epicondylitis, aka tennis elbow, an inflammation of the protuberance lining the bones that make up the elbow. Rest days are important to avoid injuries of overuse for any sport or activity. However, taking rest days doesn’t necessarily mean resigning yourself to nonstop Netflix binges.

Use this time instead to take on gentler activities that move your body in different ways. Stretching, meditating or exploring an idea from the list below.

2. Enjoy the aquatic life

Heading to the water opens up a whole new world of exercise possibilities. Swimming laps is far from your only option. You can do nearly any land-based workout while submerged, taking the stress off your joints and making movement more comfortable if you have a chronic pain condition like arthritis or fibromyalgia. For example, yoga on a paddleboard will challenge your core balance muscles in ways you never encounter on land. If you adore dancing, the graceful movements of water ballet are an ideal way to spice up your typical workout. Even simple activities like walking and jogging work your muscles differently when you do them submerged. Pool walking might reduce your speed by a third to a half, meaning you’ll cover fewer miles in the same 30-minute workout. However, you’ll add an element of resistance to your routine, giving you a strength bonus you don’t get on land.

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n FITNESS 3. Mix up your mode of transportation

Are you one of those parents who idles in the pickup line every day? Do you circle the parking lot at work or the store looking for a spot? Sometimes, distance and time restraints make it necessary. However, why not consider walking or biking your child to school or yourself to work if you live reasonably close? Cycling is excellent crosstraining if you typically run or hit the weight room. It can become your primary form of cardiovascular training and strengthen your bond with the outdoors and with your body.

4. Dance like nobody’s watching

Dance is a fantastic form of exercise that encourages you to engage new parts of your body and free your creativity. Research shows this activity ranks best when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s disease. The combination of physical movement while following the steps encourages neuroplasticity. The best part is that you can get started for free. Signing up for ballroom dancing lessons with your partner is one idea if you have the extra cash. However, you can also tune in to YouTube on your smart device and follow the steps in your living room.

5. Form new pretzel shapes

Flexibility and mobility are often overlooked components of total fitness. However, you could save yourself from future frustrations and injuries by working now to elongate your muscles and connective tissues. Why not shake up your fitness routine by adding yoga? If you’re a diehard athlete, challenging forms like Ashtanga push your body to new limits. Gentle, relaxing yoga practices such as Yin can soothe your muscles after tough workouts and make the ideal rest day activities. Performing the same movements day after day leaves you plateaued at best and injured at worst. Get those creative juices flowing and give the typical parts of your body a break while stretching and strengthening the rest. afm Mia is a health and wellness writer and the editor-in-chief at Body+Mind. She specifically enjoys writing about women’s fitness as well as mental health-related topics. When she’s not writing, Mia can usually be found reading poetry, taking a dance or cardio class or hiking.

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WE’RE BACK, BABY!

CELEBRATING

45 YEARS

BENEFITING

4.10.22 ƕ CAP10K.COM

THRU OCTOBER 14TH

FITNESS AUTHOR

AFM Team

CAP10K IS BACK n Sitting down with race director Jeffery Simecek about past years’ bad luck and the future of the iconic race.

n 2019, the Statesman Cap10K had to call off its event due to inclement weather. Then, in 2020, COVID-19 forced the event to once again call off the in-person event and go virtual — then again in 2021. Now, after three years of bad luck, the Cap10K is planning to celebrate the 45th anniversary with an in-person event designed to get Austinites moving together again. To hear more about the history of the race and what to expect in 2022’s race, AFM sat down with Jeffery Simecek, who has been the race director for the past five years.

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AFM: Forty-five years of races is a long time. How has the event changed over the years?

AFM: How excited are you for the 45th anniversary?

JS: The race has evolved a lot over

special about our Cap10K running community and the support they give to each other and to us. Our team is grateful for that feedback and it challenges us to make sure each and every thing we do is thought-out and well intentioned. The entire team is 300% focused on success.

the past 45 years. Each year we try to tackle something that makes the entire event better. A huge focus for us is making sure each runner knows they are part of a larger Cap10K community. Our goal is simple: put on a great race and post-race festival so that each Cap10K runner, sponsor and partner goes home ready to register for the next year. Little tweaks since I’ve joined include women’s shirts, finisher medals, more race sponsors and partnerships. For 2022, a new version of our Race Ambassador program managed by Chris Thibert, the Cap10K events manager. The Cap10K is really a community-driven event, and we want to make sure we grow it responsibly. AFM: What is it about the Cap10K that makes it so iconic in Austin? JS: The Cap10K is unique to Austin

in that it’s a true community event, a race for everyone — and that includes our elite runners and those who choose to walk. As Austin grows and changes, our focus is to keep the race as local as possible, and I believe that’s a part of its charm. Our mascot has been an armadillo for the past 45 years — what’s more local than that?

On race day, there’s high energy, lots of positivity and, most importantly, competitive fun. Whether a runner’s goal is to win the race, beat a personal best, compete with a team or just cross the finish line, our Cap10K team is there to cheer you on all the way. We’re as proud of the last finisher as we are the race winner.

JS: Beyond! There’s something very

AFM: What changes or differences from past events can people expect for this coming race? JS: We launched registration on

Cap10K.com on October 1st just like in past years. We know our runners are ready to come back and we’re ready to put on a great race and finish line festival. We hope that on April 10, 2022, we’ll all be in a different place regarding the pandemic. But we’re also planning scenarios and work-around solutions to make sure we keep our runners as safe as possible. And of course that means a safety plan that we’ll submit to the City of Austin that outlines our safety plans and protocol. We’re in the process now of planning and focusing on the details for 2022 including the race and field layout of the finish line festival. We’re excited for 2022; it’s the first time in the race’s history that we will offer a prize purse for the top three winners in the men’s and women’s category. That also includes a new Winner’s Circle area where all runners can celebrate their finish.

AFM: What are some events leading up to the race to get the runners excited? JS: Watch for new training and

social runs to be announced this fall, including our popular Cap10K Coffee House series. Our Race Ambassadors are going to help socialize the race in Central Texas. They are all local runners and have a passion for helping others succeed. They’ve committed to making sure the Cap10K retains its largest 10K in Texas rank. AFM: Tell us about the philanthropy aspect! JS: The Austin American-

Statesman believes in giving back to the community and that is a fundamental core belief we practice each day. The Statesman Cap10K is no different. We believe in supporting local efforts to improve the quality of life for all of us who live here. The Cap10K team is incredibly proud to name The Mike & Sherry Project as the 2022 race beneficiary. The good work they do to support workers in the restaurant, beverage and hospitality industry will strengthen the physical and mental health and wellness of our community. We’re privileged to do our part to help make a difference. afm

AU S T I N F I T M AG A Z I N E

FITNESS AUTHOR

Monica Brant

KICK MO’S BUTT

Shape Method

n Monica Brant connects the mind to every muscle group through Pilates in this month’s KMB.

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or me, Kick Mo’s Butt shoots always start off with a good preworkout. That way, when I arrive at these workout/photoshoots, I am ready to go — both physically and mentally. Which is the perfect state to be in before a tough workout like this one. My GPS brought me directly to the building where Shape Method resides, and I parked in an easy-tofind parking garage within about 50 yards of the studio. With the AFM and Shape Method teams ready to go once I got there, we got started right away. Although the studio is small, it is well equipped with all the needed tools for a blaster of a workout. Plus, the space is well laid out and feels spacious even so. The manager, Sophie, and the owner/ founder, Jennifer, were full of energy and ready to kick my butt with a Pilates session.

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n FITNESS

IN MY EXPERIENCE, FINDING WAYS TO CONNECT YOUR MUSCLES TO MIND IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE, ESPECIALLY AS WE AGE.” Without too much delay, Jennifer set me up on the Pilates chair and we got busy! Jennifer led the session with terrific energy and consistent, supportive coaching for the ultimate experience. Meanwhile, Sophie hopped in the session and trained right by me so that I was able to follow along easily and translate the cues to the body. By the way, Sophie is an excellent Pilates model/athlete, and I thought it was immensely helpful (and fun) to have her there! I have done Pilates in the past but not recently, so I was interested to find out how my body would relate and flow with the experience. The intense session moved swiftly from the chair to the reformer, and it wasn’t long before I was feeling my muscles engage all over. I am a fan of lifting your own bodyweight and learning how to control your own amount of mass gracefully, and I can admit this session caused me to search for a Pilates studio near me. Due to the rapid pace and number of exercises, I cannot

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exactly recall the grouping of exercises. But it was a full-body workout and a terrific session hosted by deeply passionate experts that love sharing what they do with others such as myself. My favorite part of the session was … everything! I loved how I was not only physically challenged to do each exercise, but also mentally

challenged to connect mind and muscle. This allowed me to feel all of the muscle groups and ask the body to engage as one solid unit. The staff and product at Shape Method was on point, and I highly recommend making your way to see them if Pilates is on your mind. In my experience, finding ways to connect your muscles to mind is

of the utmost importance, especially as we age. If you are new to this type of exercise, I know they will take excellent care of you and coach you for your level. As always, stay fit and love life! afm

Monica Brant | IFBB Fitness Olympia & International Fitness Cover Model To contact Monica Brant, find her on the following social media platforms: FB: @MonicaBrantFanPage | IG: @OfficialMonicaBrant Official site: www.monicabrant.com (currently under construction)/www.themonicabrantshow.com

AU S T I N F I T M AG A Z I N E

AMBASSADOR’S CORNER AUTHOR

Jason Bourgeois

AMBASSADOR’S Corner REGYMEN FITNESS RECAP n October’s fitness rundown with AFM Ambassador Jason Bourgeois.

ood day, AFM! We are back again, highlighting Austin’s mecca for fitness enthusiasts. This month’s tour brought us to REGYMEN Fitness, a studio that is sure to disrupt any boredom in your training routine by offering a variety of classes and premier equipment to test your mettle. Below we’ll share all the reasons why it’s time to get in where you fit in at REGYMEN. Also, the holidays are near, and Ambassador’s Corner is continuing efforts to support the Central Texas Food Bank in combating the ongoing presence of food insecurity in Austin. Thank you for your generosity throughout this year which is aiding in the work of keeping Austin fed, and every donation counts as we work to increase food access to families in need.

equipment — just enough to warrant “oohs and ahhs.” Shout out to REGYMEN because the workout room is fancy, but don’t be fooled by the bells and whistles, there’s a method behind the madness that ensures a gritty experience. Also, know that your coach and classmates at REGYMEN are in your corner the whole way through — they want to see you fly! THE RUNDOWN: I arrived at the REGYMEN Fitness Arbor Walk location for the noon workout. I was warmly greeted and completed my participant waiver. Then, I was given a quick tour of the bathrooms, showers, cubbies and, of course, the studio. As mentioned earlier, the facility is impressive, wellcurated and the perfect shell to disguise the hardest workout in town. Also, the noon class is star studded with coaches, athletes and 9 to 5 hustlers who all have the need for an efficient workout, and coach Aaron is all about precision. I received my heart rate monitor — an elastic band that rested over my forearm during the workout — and then our attention was directed to the video screens that displayed the workout for our BUILD

The Workout: My 45-minute REGYMEN Experience

Imagine walking into a Hollywood production studio perfectly outfitted with premium sound, professional lighting and just the right amount of workout

OCTOBER 2021

PRO TIP:

They can accommodate any scheduling or pricing limitation. Plus, with the three different locations, the offerings are abundant!

GREAT THINGS COME FROM NEW DOORS OPENING. COME IN WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS AND LET THE COACHES GUIDE YOU. YOU WILL FEEL LIKE YOU’VE FOUND YOUR NEW FAMILY! THE MEMBERS, STAFF, AND COACHES TRULY WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED. FIND YOUR RHYTHM AND LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. EVENTUALLY, THE FLOW WILL COME NATURALLY TO YOU AND YOU CAN START TO PUSH THOSE LIMITS.”

Jason’s Chosen Nonprofit: Central Texas Food Bank Click here to donate!

– THE REGYMEN TEAM

class. Our session was continuous and divided into two circuits. During the first part of class I was given 15 minutes to work my way through exercises for Circuit A. The next 15 minutes I worked my way through Circuit B, and the remainder of the training session we all worked through the finisher set.

WHAT I FOUND MOST CHALLENGING: The ski erg. I chose to start at that station because I knew I would not want to be there for the second half of the session, and even coming into it fresh, it was most challenging for me. The TRX muscle-ups were a real treat, and I appreciated the inverted row modification. Next time I’ll work the technique out on those muscle-ups!

WHAT I LIKED: Coach Aaron had the flow of the class on point. Each circuit combined cardio with weighttraining and was scaled appropriately for the time allotted. The layout of the room is another contributor to the flow. The spacing and intentional placement of each station offers ease of moving around and built-in efficiencies. Also, I appreciated the workout that allows you the ability to work through your circuit at your pace and fitness level. Surprisingly, the accountability of the leaderboard and real-time feedback of your effort worked well as a bit of external motivation to give a little extra, or as coach Aaron would say, “Make it look fun!” The class camaraderie was a huge plus in my experience, especially so during the finisher.

Final Points

1. VARIETY. REGYMEN is all about ending workout boredom. Providing a space for you to look forward to your workouts and finally disrupt your routine. You’ll never see the same workout twice, and the variety of equipment/classes is what keeps our bodies and minds from plateauing. Class formats range from BURN, BOX or BUILD, and even YOGA is offered at the Round Rock location. 2. COACHES. All of the REGYMEN coaches are nationally accredited. Most were college athletes, coaches or personal trainers before finding REGYMEN, so they definitely have the experience and knowledge that is hard to find. afm

AU S T I N F I T M AG A Z I N E

CALENDAR OCTOBER 2021

Submit your event online at austinfitmagazine.com

Events AUSTIN RESTAURANT WEEKS Austin, TX

OC TOB ER 1 –1 0

*Dates and times are subject to changes or cancellation. Check event websites for more information.

AL L MONTH LON G

Pumpkin Nights

Grab your friends or family and head out to this amazing, walk-through Halloween experience! Highlights include, but aren’t limited to, 10-foot tall jack-o’-lanterns, a life-size pumpkin pirate ship, a flying, 40-foot dragon and so much more — all created by a team of artists using over 3,000 hand-carved real and synthetic pumpkins. OCTOBER 1

National Escape Room Day Presented by The Escape Game Austin

Kick off October by celebrating National Escape Room Day with The Escape Game Ausin! This 60-minute adventure takes you and your team through a unique, immersive challenge of your choice. Experiences to choose from include all sorts of wild rides, from

OCTOBER 2021

planning a prison break to stealing back art from a museum. No matter what you choose, you and your friends will have a great time! OC TO BE R 1- 3

Austin City Limits Music Festival

The iconic music festival is back in-person this year with artists like the Black Pumas, FINNEAS, Megan Thee Stallion and George Strait. No matter your music preferences, if you love music, you’ll love ACL. If you can’t make this first weekend, look out for tickets for weekend two October 8-10. OC TO BE R 1- 10

Austin Restaurant Weeks

After a brief hiatus due to the pandemic, Austin Restaurant Weeks is back! Presented by Tito’s, the event works to raise money to provide meals

to those in need in Central Texas. Throughout the event, participating local restaurants will be offering meal and drink specials with set proceeds going to the Central Texas Food Bank. The last ARW raised enough to provide 893,000 meals — here’s to another great fundraising year! O C TO BE R 2

TLC Oyster Festival

Join TLC for a festival all about those juicy oysters we know and love! Oysters from all of the coasts — east, west and the gulf. Take on a challenge and enter the oyster shucking or eating competitions for a chance to win cash pot prizes, or just bask in the drink specials, live music and the many raw, grilled and fried oysters.

O CTOBER 3

“Creepshow” at Doc’s Drive In Theater

The spooky season is here, so why not start it off right with one of the Halloween movie classics? Doc’s Drive In Theatre plays movies seven days a week, so even if “Creepshow” isn’t quite your scene, there are plenty of shows you and your friends or family will be sure to enjoy.

SUMMER SPECIALS

O CTOBER 21-28

6 Months for $399

Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference

The 2021 conference will be hosted in-person and will be synchronously recorded for others to watch from home. With writing and networking sessions throughout the week, there is more than enough to keep any film writer busy and immersed in the industry. From a fundraising party to the famous pitch competition to the awards, there is so much to experience for any level of writer or interest. O CTOBER 22-24

CATERING@MAUDIES.COM

WWW.MAUDIES.COM

Intro-to-Rowing Program (6 classes) Unlimited Rowing, Kayaking, Canoeing Unlimited Stand Up Paddling Gift Certificates Available Experienced Coxswains row FREE!

NORTH SHORE OF TOWN LAKE ON HIKE & BIKE TRAIL BEHIND AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL

512.467.7799

www.texasrowingcenter.com info@texasrowingcenter.com

EXPERIENCE TASTES GOOD 512-771-2220

CATERING@MAUDIES.COM

WWW.MAUDIES.COM

EXPERIENCE TASTES GOOD 512-771-2220

APP

CATERING@MAUDIES.COM

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EXCLUSIVE CONTENT!

O CTOBER 25-31

2021 Texas Book Festival

512-771-2220

12 Months for $599 • • • • •

Gem Capers 2021

If you like rocks or gemstones, this is the event for you. The three days are full of learning experiences and exciting opportunities like demos on wire wrapping and faceting, a touch table full of rocks, gems and fossils, hourly door prizes and more! The theme this year is Quartz, and Friday will be the Youth Education Day sponsored by Silicon Labs.

EXPERIENCE TASTES GOOD

For every book lover and writer, the Texas Book Festival is a yearly favorite. This year, the hybrid event will start on October 23 with virtual sessions throughout the week leading up to a few in-person events — all in-person events will have a limited capacity due to COVID-19. With plenty of events for all ages, this year is sure to be great fun!

Download AFM’s brand new app for exclusive content on all things 512-771-2220 CATERING@MAUDIES.COM WWW.MAUDIES.COM health, wellness, fitness and Austin. 512-771-2220 CATERING@MAUDIES.

EXPERIENCE TASTES GOOD EXPERIENCE TA

EXPERIENCE TASTES G

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CALENDAR O C TO B E R 2021

Submit your event online at austinfitmagazine.com

Rides & Races

BIKE AROUND THE BAY 2021 OCTOBER O C TO B E R 2

Bubble RUN Houston Houston, TX

O C TO B E R 2

Waco Wild West 100 Bicycle Tour Waco, TX

O C TO B E R 2

Disco 5K, 10K & Half Marathon Run Fort Worth, TX

OC TOB ER 23 & 24

O C TO B E R 9

Mission Tejas Trail Run Grapeland, TX

*Dates and times are subject to changes or cancellation. Check event websites for more information.

O C TO B E R 9

Daily News Press Run Galveston, TX O C TO B E R 9

MK5K Killeen Killeen, TX

O C TO B E R 1 1 - 1 7

LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin Austin, TX

OCTOBER 2021

Baytown, TX

Due to COVID-19, some of these rides and races have limited space.

O C TO B E R 1 6

NOVEMBER 13

Paint the Parkway Pink

Tour de Camps

O C TO B E R 2 3

NOVEMBER 13

Palo Duro Trail Run

Tyler Trail Run at Lindsey Park

O C TO B E R 2 3 & 2 4

NOVEMBER 14

Bike Around the Bay 2021

Toyota Music Factory Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

San Antonio, TX

Canyon, TX

Baytown, TX

O C TO B E R 3 0

Zero Prostate Cancer Run/Walk Austin, TX

O C TO B E R 3 0

Bike to the Beach

New Braunfels, TX

Tyler, TX

Irving, TX

NOVEMBER 21

Running of the Bulls 5K Run/Walk Houston, TX

NOVEMBER 25

Houston to Galveston, TX

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER 25

NOVEMBER 6

Austin Rattler MTB

FIND YOUR NEW NORMAL.

Austin, TX

Plano Turkey Trot Plano, TX

Burnet, TX

NOVEMBER 7

Gazelle Foundation Run for the Water Austin, TX

Join us on Lady Bird Lake. Learn to Row classes for Adults and Youth. Kayak & SUP rentals for all ages. www.austinrowing.org info@austinrowing.org

ZERO PROSTATE CANCER RUN/WALK Austin, TX | OCTOBER 30

AU S T I N F I T M AG A Z I N E

INTRODUCING

The Fit Wire AFM’s daily coverage of health and fitness in the Austin community

#keepaustinfit

KEEP AUSTIN FIT

Austin Fit Magazine October 2021: The Movers & Shakers Issue

Articles inside

Ambassador's Corner: REGYMEN Fitness Recap

Kick Mo's Butt: Shape Method

Cap10K is Back

Shake Up That Fitness Routine!

Yoga Poses to Boost Immunity

How to Vet Your Health Influencers

5 Massage Myths Debunked

Look How Far We've Come

Skateboard like a Girl

The Life, Adventures and Activism of Joel Barish

Park Ranger Spotlight: LeAnn Ishcomer

Austin's Fitness Instructor Shortage

Black Sheep Boxing: A Place to Call Home

Be the Starfish Thrower

Delicious to Your Door

Kava: An Ancient Way to Unwind

Understanding a Nutrition Label

Recipe of the Month: Jalapeño Orange Salad

Letter From the Director