Austin Fit Magazine October 2022: The Mind + Body Issue

TIME TO VOTE!

Are you in the Austin area? Do you know of a great business or leader in the nutrition, fitness and wellness space? This year’s submissions for the Best Of 2022 Issue are open, so visit our AFM website for more information! The Best Of Issue will be released in December and will feature top places to go and people to invest in for all of your endeavors to Keep Austin Fit. Austinites are welcome to submit their top picks for the best yoga studio, farmers’ market, chiropractor, disc golf courses and more, and we will feature the winners. Happy voting!

From the Director

had any hot coals to walk over, but I remember many times when I was younger that I’d imagine the fullness I feel after eating a plate of spaghetti if I was getting hungry and I knew it’d be a while before dinnertime. Doing this, at least in my own belief, would hold me over until I could actually get my hands on a plate of spaghetti.

Whatever the case may be, we’re always looking for some way to motivate ourselves to overcome the physical challenges that our bodies face. And to some extent, that’s true — we need a proper mindset to propel our physical bodies to success. If we hate what we’re doing, our bodies will send that message, too, and it’ll be almost impossible to perform or achieve at the rate we expect or desire.

But the important distinction to make is that recognizing the mind-body connection isn’t to feed the mind only to manipulate the body, but more so to use that connection to do the best you can, both in the physical and mental space. We need both aspects to be truly fit and healthy people!

WHEN IT COMES TO FITNESS, DON’T JUST FOCUS ON THE BODY BUT THE MIND, TOO.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “mind over matter” billions of times. Most of the time, the phrase was probably uttered as an encouragement in a physically challenging situation (i.e. completing the final mile in a race). And maybe it worked, maybe it didn’t, but either way, understanding the message behind it is the first step in recognizing how no thought, feeling or action is an isolated experience, especially when it comes to movement and health.

The first time I heard that phrase, someone told me you could easily walk over hot coals with no issue, as long as you had the mindset that you could do it. Now, I never

Yes, the mind really does wonders for the body; but don’t forget it works just the same the other way around. In this issue, we’ll get to discuss the age-old question: Are the physical and mental spaces connected? And we’ll take a step further: How does this connection make us better athletes, coaches, trainers, meditators, eaters, and even lovers?

In this Mind + Body Issue, we’ll have tons of content highlighting how the mind and body are deeply connected. You’ll read about how a runner with multiple sclerosis pushes her physical limits using her mind, the science behind motivation, how to achieve mindfulness when it comes to eating and strength training, the connection between physical and mental pain, how sports photographers capture the mind and body connection, and more!

So take a step back and a deep breath, and recognize the ways your mind and body are partners, not competitors, in this journey of life and health!

Keep Austin Fit,

Landry Allred DIRECTOR OF CONTENT

October 2022

MOTIVATION, MIND & MATTER 44

NUTRITION

WELLNESS

THE MIND

FITNESS

LIFESTYLE

WELLNESS

# KEEPAUSTINFIT

CEO

LOU EARLE PUBLISHER

LYNNE EARLE

DREW TERRY

LANDRY ALLRED

BEN CHOMIAK

BRIAN FITZSIMMONS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Krista Large, Kim Eagle, Laura Williams, Kati Epps, Maria Luque, Isabel Meijering, Katerina Cotroneo, Sarah Leahy, Billy Bosco, Emma Aguirre, Monica Brant, Jason Bourgeois

INTERNS

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Austin Fit Magazine is the assumed name of its publisher, Louis M. Earle, who has no interest in the business of Denis Calabrese who operates an exercise program under the assumed name of Austin Fit, which trains individuals to improve their jogging or running skills to participate in marathons. The views, opinions and other representations published in Austin Fit Magazine are not those of Austin Fit or any of its directors, officers, employees or agents.

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RECIPE OF THE MONTH GREEK CHICKEN BOWLS

INGREDIENTS:

Greek Chicken & Marinade

2 pounds of fresh chicken breast sliced in half to make thinner

2 tbsp olive oil plus 1 tsp for cooking

3 tbsp lemon juice of one lemon

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp kosher salt (use half if not using kosher salt)

½ tsp black pepper

Greek Cucumber Salad & Rice

2 cups chopped cucumber, English cucumber or baby cucumbers

4 Roma tomatoes, flesh removed, chopped

29 kalamata olives sliced in half

¼ small red onion diced small (enhances the flavor but can be left out if you strongly dislike onion)

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp oregano, dried

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp dill weed, dried

1 tsp kosher salt *salt to taste if not using kosher salt

Pepper to taste

2 cups couscous, cooked salted and peppered to taste

PREPARATION:

Greek Chicken & Marinade:

1. In a large Ziplock bag, add raw chicken and all of the marinade ingredients above. Close bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken breasts. Place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for up to 8 hours or as little as 30 minutes. (The longer the better, but 30 minutes still works well!)

2. When the chicken is done marinating: Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the access marinade. Dab the chicken breasts with a paper towel to remove a little of the extra marinade but not all of it. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil into the skillet. Cook chicken for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and the internal temp reaches 165ºF. Remove chicken from the pan. Set aside and let it rest for about 8 to 10 minutes. Slice the chicken into strips after letting it rest.

To Make Greek Cucumber Salad:

1. Add all ingredients for the cucumber salad above into a bowl and mix together well.

To Make Greek Chicken Bowls:

1. If eating right away add ½ cup rice, ¾ cup cucumber salad and 4 ounces of diced chicken to each bowl.

If making this to eat throughout the week, combine the chicken and rice and place the cucumber salad into a separate container.

Suggested serving size: 1 bowl (½ cup rice, ¾ cup cucumber salad, 4 ounces chicken) 385 calories, 13g fat, 23g carbohydrates, 44g protein

AUTHOR Rebekah Smith

NUTRITION STARTS WITH THE MIND

n In a world that promotes multitasking, eating mindfully can feel like an abstract concept but there is a purpose to it.

Our society encourages eating dinner in front of the television, snacking on the go to meetings and devouring until we’re too full. However, people today may not know that the practice of mindlessly eating started with the invention of TV trays in the 1950s. Before then, eating mindfully was the primary way to eat.

Though mindful eating has become a popular topic within the last few decades, learning to do it can actually be quite difficult. We spoke with Austin-based Marissa Sommers, RDN to better understand mindful eating, why it’s important and how to practice it well.

Sommers spent around seven years in the health and fitness industry as a nutrition coach before opening her private practice in 2020. Today, she coaches women on how to fuel themselves properly to support their active lifestyles.

“In the health and fitness space, there’s a lot of pressure to eat a certain way and be as small as possible,” Sommers says. “There was only one way to do that — chronic dieting, eating as little as possible and exercising as much as possible.”

She explains that mindful eating consists of thinking about what you’re eating and connecting with your body. Though it sounds simple, mindful eating can be difficult when it comes to eliminating distractions during meal and snack times.

According to Sommers, two things can help you practice mindful eating. First, try to eliminate distractions. Although we may not always manage to do this, it’s the first step toward thinking about what you eat. Second, implement what Sommers calls the “pause skill,” which is taking five to 10 seconds to ask yourself questions before deciding to eat: How hungry am I? Do I need to eat right now, or can I wait? Do I need to eat preemptively? What sounds good right now? What’s going to make me feel good?

“The perfect juxtaposition of mindful eating is the intersection between what sounds good and what is going to make me feel good,” Sommers says.

However, building a new habit comes with failure. Sommers encourages those new to mindful eating to ask for support and never expect perfection.

“It’s not willpower that’s going to force you into a new habit; it’s practice,” Sommers says. “So even if the

habit falls off for a day or two, bring it back.”

Sommers also warns that thinking about food too much can cause unhealthy eating habits.

“(Practicing mindful eating) is not supposed to take up so much mental energy every day. It’s supposed to be a quick 5-second check-in,” Sommers says. “No one meal or snack is going to make or break you.”

She encourages people to avoid over-restriction as a result of “messing up” or “not being good enough.” Instead of over-restricting, which she says will backfire every time, Sommers says returning to your routine of mindfully eating is the best way to respond to negative self-perception around food and dieting. However, she also notes that general recommendations might not be for everyone, since people with disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders struggle with food in different ways.

Similar to the intuitive eating method, Sommers initiates with clients a “gentle nutrition” approach to eating and ensures they have all components on their plates — a protein, vegetable, starchy carbohydrate and some sort of fat for flavor. She also encourages clients to eat every 3 to 5 hours to stabilize blood sugar, balance hormone and energy levels as well as regulate appetite.

This “gentle nutrition” approach has been helpful for many of Sommers’ clients who struggle with cravings. By balancing their plates, they’re getting enough nutrients at consistent intervals during the day. Sommers even finds that a lot of those cravings eventually disappear!

Although Sommers pulls practices from the intuitive eating method, it’s important to recognize the difference between mindful and intuitive eating, even if they overlap. Sommers defines mindful eating as the act of being more conscious and connected with your food and body. It incorporates a mind-gut connection, which positively impacts digestion. Meanwhile, she describes intuitive eating as a nutrition philosophy, which consists of a 12-step approach to unlearn everything from diet culture.

Mindful eating is helpful if you want to better connect with your food, mind and body while still completing food journals and counting calories. It’s also a great tool to have when experiencing bingeeating, under-eating or emotionally eating.

“Our world is not conducive to mindful eating. Our default is to multitask, and mindful eating is the opposite of that,” Sommers says. “If you’re trying to practice it, make sure to give yourself grace and not expect perfection. Lower your expectations so you don’t set yourself up for failure.” afm

AUTHOR Caitlyn Meisner

RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE: A GUIDE TO ED TREATMENT

n Eating disorders may feel impossible to overcome, but treatment can be just the help you’re looking for.

Eating disorders are a complex mental health issue that presents differently in each case; the National Institute of Mental Health states that these disorders can affect not just mental health but can be life-threatening if not treated. People’s age, race, gender or body weight don’t determine if they’re more likely to have an eating disorder — anyone can develop one.

Veronica Rocha, the founder and director of the Austin Center for Eating Disorders, says there are different levels of treatment available to those struggling with eating disorders. The levels of treatment available include outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), residential and inpatient/hospitalization. Each level of care is more intense and is assessed based on the medical risks presented by each patient.

“We need our clients to step down through each individual level of care,” Rocha says. “So, if they start at inpatient, they need to step down to residential and ‘complete’ the program, because skipping through (levels of treatment) increases the risk significantly for lapses and relapse.”

Let’s dive into the different types of treatments and how they work.

Outpatient

Rocha is an outpatient therapist of her own practice; this means she runs the lowest level of treatment available for eating disorders. She oversees a team of three professionals, including two therapists and a registered dietician. The level of support for outpatient care varies on the person from weekly therapy sessions to daily meetings, but typically, the patient is living at home and can live their daily life while also receiving treatment.

Intensive Outpatient (IOP)

IOP treatment typically occurs in a specialized setting where patients attend programming including meetings with therapists, dieticians and doctors a couple of times a week for three hours at a time. Individuals aren’t living in this special setting but rather have the option to attend this treatment virtually or in person while still maintaining their daily schedule of work or school. Group therapy is a hallmark of IOP treatment to assist in the recovery process.

Partial Hospitalization

Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) are longer, more structured programs for individuals who require intensive programming. Each day typically lasts 6 to 8 hours a day, every day of the week, according to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders. While the amount of hours and days per week varies between recovery centers, it is usually streamlined for this level of care. The daily sessions include individual therapy, nutrition counseling, group therapy and supportive meals.

Residential

Residential treatment programs provide 24-hour care to individuals who are medically stable but need supervision to reduce or eliminate self-destructive eating behaviors, such as purging, restricting or binging, according to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders. Residential treatment has more involvement with group therapy, nutrition counseling and individual therapy, with the addition of supervised meals and snacks. Typically, residential treatment is held in a home-like setting.

Inpatient

Inpatient treatment is the most intensive program for individuals with eating disorders; this type of treatment is held in a hospital setting because individuals at this level are not medically stable, which means they might have a very low BMI, abnormal heart rate or even hypothermia, according to Eating Disorder Hope. Along with therapy and nutrition counseling, medical management and meetings with medical doctors are frequent. Individuals at this level require 24-hour supervision and are living within the hospital setting.

No matter the treatment, the first step is always to contact your doctor for advice on what to do next. The National Eating Disorder Association has plentiful resources, as well as a hotline, that can help you or a loved one receive the appropriate treatment.

Don’t forget that recovery is possible! afm

Krista Large

LOVING YOUR BODY, INTENTIONALLY

n It’s hard to know how to start pursuing body positivity, but there are some practicals to help your journey of loving yourself.

We hear the term “body positivity” all the time; it’s a beautiful concept, but what does it mean?

Body positivity is only an idea until we put it into action. If we break down the terms, “body” means your physical being, and “positivity” means the state or character of being positive. Here, we have two nouns that we can treat like verbs.

But where does someone start with treating their body positively? It starts with intention. Below are five ways you can begin to infuse positive intention into your day.

1 Through Exercise

Rather than focusing on what you don’t like about your body, can you focus on what your body is creating instead? With every rep, can you mentally say words of positive affirmation? Can

you focus on the strength you’re building? Can you use this time to connect your mind and body to encourage yourself to keep moving forward, one rep at a time?

2 Through Touch

Can you give yourself a massage, especially in the areas you have difficulty accepting? Can you use this as an opportunity to connect your fingers to places that have brought you shame and show them some TLC through touch?

3 With Food

We must eat because our body requires raw materials such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, etc., and most of these nutrients our body cannot make. We ideally get them from food or other sources. Eating a meal that nourishes your body down to the cellular level is a form of positively fueling your body to work correctly.

4 Through Meditation

Rarely today do we ever get a break from stimulation. We have social media, Slack, email, meetings, traffic, advertising, events and internet rabbit holes, and it never stops. Your brain is receiving so many messages at once. One of the best forms of love you can give to your brain is quiet time, oxygen and peace. Even one deep breath is enough to positively impact the brain and nervous system.

5 Through Affirmation

This affirmation can look different to every person. It can be in the form of an “I am” statement: “I am powerful, beautiful, strong, sexy, confident.” This can be a form of gratitude: “I love and appreciate all parts of myself.” This may feel a little cheesy at first, but the goal is to choose an affirmation that feels genuine to you. Only choose ones you can feel rather than say.

The idea is to infuse positive intention into any action you take to benefit your body. Even something as insignificant as wearing a retainer at night, you can say, “I love my straight teeth. They help me digest food, smile and brighten other people’s day.” You can infuse this into drinking water with every sip and think, “My body loves water. It allows me to think clearly, eliminate toxins and stay alive!”

You can do this even in ways you may not expect, like by saying no. Saying no to intense exercise if you know you shouldn’t push your limits is a form of doing something positive for your body. Creating boundaries around work or people is a way to show your body love, especially if you’re stressed.

You can bring positive intention into almost any action you do for your body that makes a positive impact on your life. Any vote toward health is a form of body positivity. Remember, our body’s job is to keep us alive. Our body wants to be healthy and fights for us daily to remain at homeostasis. Every time you do something positive toward health, you engage in body positivity.

How are you taking care of your permanent residence? I’m not talking about your house but your living, breathing body! afm

Krista Large is a nutritionist, habit coach and online fitness trainer. Her passion in life is teaching others to dream big and live large, which starts with health. Large is an Ole Miss Rebel and runs her own brand and business based here in Austin. You can learn more about her at livinglargewellness.com.

Kim Eagle

Flathouse

CAPTURING THE MIND & BODY

n Sports photographer Scott Flathouse uses his camera to capture the minds and bodies of athletes.

What feels almost as good as crossing the finish line?

Having a great photo of yourself to document your accomplishment!

Scott Flathouse has become one of the most well-known sports photographers in the Austin area, so much so that athletes even look out for his “Flathouse Zone” where he’s capturing photos at an event.

Flathouse, who now lives in Houston, grew up in Austin as a student-athlete. After college, he picked up running again, doing triathlons and running the Cap10K a couple of times. Around 2011, he was injured, making him unable to race, but he decided to take up sports photography to continue participating. Eventually, local events started hiring him for photos.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Flathouse to ask him about his photography strategy.

Kim Eagle: Do you look for moments to capture athletes’ bodies and their mental game?

Scott Flathouse: I absolutely try to get photos that reflect the emotion, exertion, exhilaration or anything else that reflects the mental state. One of the most powerful photos I’ve taken was a moment prior to the swim start of the Sylvan Beach Triathlon. My friend Linda Fox was guiding a sight-and-hearing-impaired athlete, Leti Sandoval. There was high wind, and the water was choppy. Even experienced triathletes were anxious about the swim conditions. I saw a moment where Linda had her hands on Leti’s face, sharing some words of encouragement, and I snapped

a few frames. After the race, I posted that shot to my Instagram and shortly afterward, Linda called and said a group was having lunch, looking at the photo and bawling. It’s rare that I can produce an image that evokes so much emotion, but it’s rewarding when it happens.

KE: Why is emotion important to capture in a photo of an athlete?

SF: Emotion is a key element of a truly great photograph. It’s difficult to capture that during a race and, of course, luck plays a big part. Another swim photograph comes to mind — the Ironman

Florida swim course is two loops around the pier with the athletes exiting the water after the first loop and running a short way along the beach to re-enter for the second loop. Last year, there was a challenging riptide that made the return leg of the swim very difficult. I had set up on the beach

to photograph athletes as they exited the water with the sun rising against the pier in the background. In one of the photographs, I captured professional triathletes Sarah Karpinski and Clarice Chastang where Sarah has turned back toward Clarice, throwing up her hands and saying, “WTF just happened?!” Clarice looked a bit shell-shocked as they recognized that they still had to do another lap.

KE: How do you capture the mind-body connection in a photo?

SF: One aspect of endurance sports that intrigues me is the point where your body wants to give up, but the mind pushes through. Sometimes the mind needs help: a flash of inspiration or some words of encouragement. I can see this mind-body connection in the face and, in particular, the eyes of an athlete when on the course. Last year at Ironman Texas, I was on

the run course early when I saw pro triathlete Elliot Bach, and he was not having a good day. I found out later that he was prepared to take a DNF at that point, but his girlfriend Jenny Dupre caught up with him. I got a few frames of

them walking and chatting. Jenny’s words were evidently enough to inspire Elliot to continue on to finish. It’s not a particularly exciting photograph, just two people walking, but the story is written on their faces.

KE: How can people find you on the course?

SF: When I first began photographing races, people would comment that they never saw me on the course. I began to wear goofy hats and, where possible, I would

bring a portable speaker to blast music. I usually try to pick out a spot on the course that is away from most of the spectators. If I can provide a brief distraction from the suffering, I’m happy to help! Now, we even have signs on the

course that say, “Get Flathoused” or “Flathouse Zone,” so athletes know I’m shooting ahead.

I do hope you all get Flathoused at your next race! And when you do, make sure you throw him a thumbs up, smile, shaka sign and even a thank you for all he is doing in the athletic community in capturing athletes’ minds and bodies. afm

Kim Eagle is one of Austin’s award-winning personal trainers. She trains clients online for fitness and nutrition. Her passion is helping people get in their best shape at any age in a healthy, sustainable way. Her Earn That Body Podcast offers fitness, nutrition and health information you can put into play right away.

BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS (& MUSCLES) IN THE GYM

n How finding romance in the gym can impact you and your relationships for the better.

Did you know one of the next best ways to find love may not be through dating apps but rather at the gym?

Of course, using the gym only for finding romance can be off-putting for gym members. But, if you’re truly looking for love, how can you take advantage of the spaces you’re already in without coming off as “creepy”?

Kristal DeSantis, LMFT is a marriage and family therapist at Austin STRONG: Relationship Building Center. She says creating organic friendships is necessary for long-term success.

“If you’re walking in, scoping people out and using (the gym) as your personal dating pool, you’re doing it wrong,” DeSantis says. “Are you contributing to an

environment that feels friendly? Or are you going in there trying to get a date?”

DeSantis says the elements of any healthy relationship can be expressed through the acronym STRONG, which stands for safety, trust, respect, openness, nurturing and generosity. With safety being the foundation, DeSantis says people should express friendliness over forcefulness at the gym and avoid being friendly only to those they find attractive.

But these concepts aren’t all just talk; real people live them out, too.

Austin-based couple Landon and Adrien Adams met at Cedar Park 24-Hour Fitness where Adrien was Landon’s client before they ended their client-trainer relationship to begin dating. They’ve been together for 16 years and have been coaching partners for 12. Today, they co-own CrossFit Round Rock.

The Adamses agree that creating space for relationships to organically grow, especially in a gym environment, is an important step in finding love. Both Adamses recommend joining group fitness classes, such as CrossFit, cycling or boot camps, as they’re more natural ways to build relationships.

“(A romantic relationship) has a better chance to make it if it’s organic — if it’s a slow play, not forced and happens casually over X amount of time,” Landon says.

According to DeSantis, the other STRONG elements can also reflect relationships cultivated in the gym. For instance, trust can be expressed by allowing your partner to spot you on a lift.

Moreover, having respect for someone and their boundaries can include giving your partner space to exercise independently. For the Adamses, respecting each other’s boundaries meant that though Adrien is a coach at heart, she

learned to adapt to Landon’s need for a cheerleader when he trained for CrossFit competitions.

“I knew how bad he wanted to compete,” Adrien says. “So if I would see a movement or something I could help with, I would try to help and it just did not go well.”

Openness is also necessary to care for others. DeSantis says checking each other’s form, teaching each other fitness tactics and challenging each other in the gym helps people form deep bonds.

Additionally, expressing nurture by physically and verbally caring

for your partner provides you an opportunity to understand their needs. Landon encourages potential and current gym couples to learn how to communicate with each other, avoid triggers, encourage each other and learn their partner’s love language to better care for them inside and outside of the gym.

Finally, DeSantis says generosity is important for ensuring you’re both getting what you need out of the relationship.

“Start with self-love and give yourself the gift of community,” DeSantis says. “Having a healthy

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LANDON AND ADRIEN ADAMS

relationship with your body will lead to healthy relationships with other people.”

As the Adamses’ lives have changed with now having a 4-yearold daughter, Landon and Adrien’s needs have also changed. For example, Adrien prefers alone time with her daughter, while Landon enjoys spending time with friends every once in a while. Because the couple already supports each other in their work and fitness goals, they can better provide support and space for self-care and family.

If you’re building your relationship in the gym, you’re already a step ahead. Landon says a major benefit of dating another gym-lover is the accountability it creates.

“You already have a major lifestyle characteristic in common,” Landon says. “You’ve got two people fighting the same battle.”

By already being someone who regularly attends the gym, DeSantis says this communicates that you’re a stable person. The Adamses agree that meeting in the gym and working out together is one of the most solid foundations for a long-term relationship and healthy life. Each person in the relationship understands how important their own fitness goals are.

“As you get older, there are so many things that pull you away from all the things you do for yourself,” Adrien says. “When a relationship starts on the foundation of putting your health and wellness first, the odds of the relationship being pretty solid is higher.” afm

AUTHOR Caitlyn Meisner

GET YOUR CBD FIX IN AUSTIN

The legalization of industrial hemp products in 2018 has led the CBD business to boom in just four years; the industry has surpassed billions of dollars in revenue due to its various healing properties and the fact that CBD acts as an alternative to opioids in the U.S., as studies have shown. There are many hemp products on the market, but CBD is the only legal one in Texas. Marijuana, CBD and delta-8 are all different products that vary in their levels of THC, which is the psychoactive compound that makes people feel “high.” CBD has the lowest level of THC (0.3% or less) — the legal amount in Texas for hemp products sold. CBD products have been studied to determine their benefits for health conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, epilepsy, glaucoma and others. While research is still in its infancy for many conditions, CBD has been shown to treat forms of epilepsy that are difficult to control with other medicines and help people suffering from chronic pain. Whether you struggle with a health condition and want alternative treatments or are curious about the booming industry, Austin has many local shops to find the best product for you.

 RESTART CBD

RESTART CBD is an Austin-based CBD shop owned by the Torabi sisters, who are born and raised Austinites. They have multiple locations, including a retail spot on Rutland Drive and a pick-up location in Cedar Park. RESTART also offers nationwide shipping and has a plethora of products available, including edibles, oils, topicals and vapes. If you’re unsure which products are right for you, RESTART provides a quiz to determine your personal CBD routine. Their main pillars, as stated on their website, include honest research, quality, health and wellness, and education. RESTART is committed to making the experience of buying and using its CBD products enjoyable, trustworthy and healthy for both its customers and the environment. If you have more questions or want to visit the store, check out their website for more information!

n These Austin-based CBD shops might have exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to your wellness endeavors.

COURTESY

True Hemp Science 

True Hemp Science is a CBD production and research company in Austin that’s dedicated to providing only the highest quality CBD products for its customers. The founder of True Hemp, Christopher Lynch, has over 25 years of experience in the hemp industry; Lynch has built a network of suppliers, organic farmers and partners in the U.S. and Europe. Their shopping section of the website is helpful for both experts and newcomers; customers can book a consultation with an expert at the shop or you can simply filter the products to your needs and preferences, whether that is stress relief, focus or pet care. These products come in the form of oils, edibles or topicals, and True Hemp has a comprehensive product guide available as well. Make sure to contact the shop with more questions or to speak with an expert!

 Tribe CBD + Cannabinoids

Tribe CBD + Cannabinoids is a women-owned CBD company dedicated to providing high-quality products. Reena Kaven, CEO and certified CBD coach, says Tribe provides products through an approach centered around education and consultation. The company is committed to staying up-to-date on its products and research, as well as creating a safe and comfortable environment for customers to ask questions. The shop has a wide variety of products available; customers can filter Tribe’s products by mood, sleep, pets and more. There is also the option to filter the product line by method, including concentrate, topical, capsule or beverage. More information regarding their hours, location and contact information is available on their contact page!

COURTESY OF TRUE HEMP SCIENCE

COURTESY

TRIBE

CBD + CANNABINOIDS

MARYJAE® 

MARYJAE® is an LGBTQ, BIPOC and women-owned CBD shop in downtown Austin. Jae, the owner, started her CBD journey when her father was suffering from cancer and cirrhosis; they decided to try cannabis together to relieve his pain. Everyone at MARYJAE® is committed to creating a safe and inclusive space for those who don’t feel comfortable in typical cannabis spaces like Jae did when she was starting. All of their products are curated by their own research, and there are vegan and vegetarian options as well. MARYJAE®’s shop page shows every product in their line, and customers can sort them based on popularity and price. On their homepage, customers can search for specific products based on the flower type, feel or need. Head to their contact page to call or find their hours and address to visit the shop!

 Greenbelt Botanicals

Greenbelt Botanicals is a South Austin-based CBD shop founded by cannabis-loving friends. Greenbelt has a unique smoke lounge vibe, and they manufacture clean and affordable products within multiple locations including Westgate, South Lamar and Bee Cave. Greenbelt prides itself on focusing on local sourcing and curating each shop to best serve each neighborhood. Greenbelt has a wide variety of products in their shop, and customers are able to filter the selection from their catalog. Go to their website for addresses and hours for each location or their contact information!

Austin has several places where Austinites can get their CBD fix. Make sure you check out each store to find the best fit for you! afm

COURTESY OF MARYJAE®

COURTESY OF GREENBELT

BOTANICALS

PUSHING THE

THE LIMITS: MIND & BODY

Two years ago, Regan Zuege signed up to run about seven marathons in seven days. The problem? The longest she had ever run at the time was four miles.

Zuege is an Austinite, wife, mother of two and runner living with multiple sclerosis. In 2021, she participated in MS Run the US, running 178 miles in seven days, and raised over $27,000 for the organization. The nonprofit is devoted to raising awareness and funds to support those living with MS.

Her journey started in January 2015 when Zuege suddenly started having strange sensations, including double vision while exercising and tingling throughout her body. Zuege’s mother-in-law encouraged her to visit a neurologist who eventually diagnosed her with MS. This came as a surprise to Zuege, who was living in Denver at the time, as she was living a fairly active lifestyle.

“I never thought (MS) would be a part of my story,” Zuege says. “You just think nothing like that is ever going to happen to you(...) You feel invincible until you’re not.”

However, MS wasn’t new to Zuege — her grandmother had MS and Zuege worked at the National MS Society. But her prior exposure to MS impacted her expectations of how the disease would affect her. Growing up, Zuege’s grandmother, who was diagnosed

later in life, had a severe case of MS in which her health deteriorated until she was unable to walk when she passed away. Zuege wasn’t sure if the same would happen to her.

Luckily, Zuege was able to get immediate treatment and started doing monthly infusions, which alleviated most of her symptoms. Today, she still struggles with some tingling in her hands and legs while working out.

“It took me a while to realize this is my normal,” Zuege says.

Zuege continued to exercise, viewing fitness more so as a privilege than an obligation. She started looking at MS as fuel rather than a limitation.

“The game changer for me (was) thinking of people like my grandmother and people from the MS Society who were never going to walk another day in their life,” Zuege says. “At that point, I had to stop thinking of training as a burden and start thinking of it as a gift.”

I NEVER THOUGHT (MS) WOULD BE A PART OF MY STORY. YOU JUST THINK NOTHING LIKE THAT IS EVER GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU(...) YOU FEEL INVINCIBLE UNTIL YOU’RE NOT.”

THE RUN

About a year after her diagnosis, Zuege and her husband moved to Austin, and in 2017 and 2019, they had two kids. After her second child, she decided to start getting back into shape, doing a little bit of everything — hiking, kickboxing, indoor cycling, HIIT, weightlifting. But the one thing she refused to do was run.

“I still have horrible memories of going on a beach vacation, seeing all the people running on the beach and thinking that must be so nice,” Zuege says. “And one time I set out to do it, and I literally almost passed out.”

Zuege hated running so much that she admits she used any excuse to deliberately avoid the running portion of her fitness classes. But when COVID-19 hit, she could no longer go to the gym for exercise, and running seemed to be the only option.

So she started out slow, switching between oneminute intervals of running and walking. Eventually, Zuege gradually built up to running her first mile — only a year and a half before she ran 178 miles for the relay. Around this time, it clicked in her mind how running can be enjoyable, as she felt a strong sense of accomplishment after running.

“Being able to celebrate the small things makes you more proud of yourself as you’re doing it,” Zuege says.

Over time, she built up to run four miles and decided to look for 5Ks to run for MS. While browsing online, she came across MS Run the US, a 19-person relay that spans the United States, covering 3,260 miles total. Every year, the relay starts in April in Santa Monica and ends in August in New York City. Each runner who signs up commits to fundraising at least $10,000 over a 10-month period and running about 160 miles for six consecutive days during their assigned segment of the relay.

As expected, many of the runners are ultramarathoners, unlike Zuege. She immediately exited the web page, believing she’d never be able to complete a race like that. But even after the race left her browser, it never left her mind.

“I felt this strong pull to it,” Zuege says. “I just kept feeling like there’s a reason I can’t forget about this.”

Finally, something clicked in her mind, and she realized she could do the race. As Zuege was reading online about other runners with MS who have done the race, she gained confidence in herself which solidified her belief that she could do it.

“The only thing limiting myself is me and my concept that I don’t think I’m able to do this,” Zuege says. “If I can shift that mentality and believe body, mind and soul that I can do this, I genuinely think I can.”

So Zuege reached out to the relay’s founder, Ashley Schneider, and convinced her to let her do the run. The process for selecting runners for the relay is fairly selective, and Zuege believes that because she had confidence in her ability to run the relay, she was able to talk Schneider into letting her apply. Zuege was eventually selected, and she started her journey of training.

In January 2021, Zuege ran her first half-marathon. From there, she used that as a foundation to build her training on over the next five months with her relay segment being in June. She trained diligently with a run coach, knowing that being a newer runner makes her more prone to injuries.

During her peak training season, Zuege spent 12 hours a week running. She estimates that she ran approximately 1,000 miles total, averaging 9- to 10-minute miles. Zuege says she never skipped a day of training — even in the midst of the winter storm — because she knew that would only make it easier for her to continue to skip.

“(Skipping is) how people fall out of routines,” Zuege says. “So I never let myself think any part of training was optional.”

THE ONLY THING LIMITING MYSELF IS ME AND MY CONCEPT THAT I DON’T THINK I’M ABLE TO DO THIS. IF I CAN SHIFT THAT MENTALITY AND BELIEVE BODY, MIND AND SOUL THAT I CAN DO THIS, I GENUINELY THINK I CAN.”

THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE (MS), BUT YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE MS LOOK AND SEEM VERY NORMAL.”

THE RELAY

By June, Zuege was race ready. Her segment was in Eastern Colorado, which had a much flatter terrain than the western segment. Each runner has access to the relay road crew that travels in an SUV along their route as well as an RV that stops at each campsite along the way. Every few miles, she would stop with the SUV to rest, eat and recharge before continuing her trek across Colorado.

Each day, Zuege ran for about six hours, starting before sunrise and ending by 12:30 p.m. to rest and recover for the remainder of the day. She spent most of the time running, but a good portion — probably around a fourth of the relay — was spent walking. By the end of the relay, she was averaging 12-minute miles.

One of the hardest parts of the run wasn’t necessarily the actual running, Zuege says, but rather the sunburns, sun rash and blisters that came with running for long periods of time directly facing the sunrise. However, at the end of the day, Zuege got the chance to spend time with her family as they stayed along the route. She also got to do an ice bath in a unicorn pool, a memory she’ll forever cherish.

During the race, Zuege also got the opportunity to meet a lot of new people, including the road crew and the runner of the previous segment. Since the race, she’s even been able to connect with other MS runners.

“Before going into this, I didn’t know a lot of people my age who were fit, passionate about staying healthy and active, and had MS,” Zuege says. “There are millions of people who have it, but you would never know because most people who have MS look and seem very normal.”

THE REFLECTION

Looking back on the race, Zuege still claims she would do it all over again. By the end of her segment, she was ready physically, emotionally and mentally to cross that finish line.

“There was never I moment that I wondered, ‘Am I really going to finish this? Am I totally crazy for doing this?’” Zuege says. “It was just this solidified belief.”

Even most of her community was extremely supportive when Zuege first told them about the race. In the same way that they believed in her, she believed in herself, which helped propel her throughout her journey of training and running the relay. She says having a positive attitude and choosing joy can make a huge difference in the way you perceive unforeseen circumstances, whether it be an unfortunate medical diagnosis or an injury to your body.

“I won’t say you can overcome anything because that’s naive to think that,” Zuege says. “But a lot of times, we limit ourselves with the way we perceive certain situations.”

Zuege says it’s tempting to have a negative mindset when you experience something you weren’t expecting. However, she says maintaining a positive attitude and acknowledging the difference between your expectations and reality can help you have a more open mindset when faced with adversity.

“(The solution) might not look like a cure, (but) if you hold onto positive, you can find light even in dark places,” Zuege says. “Even in the darkest moments, I held onto the little bit of light I carried with me and

IT REALLY IS PRETTY AMAZING WHAT THE BODY’S CAPABLE OF. YOUR BODY IS SO MUCH MORE CAPABLE THAN YOUR MIND WILL EVEN ALLOW YOU TO BELIEVE.”

allowed those moments to sharply contrast with the highs.”

Although Zuege admits she may not know what her health will look like years from now, she maintains a hopeful mindset in every situation and doesn’t let it hold her back from seeing what her body is capable of. Today, she even continues running regularly and though it’s not ultra-marathons every day, she still sets goals to work toward, including running a marathon.

Looking back, Zuege believes that having limited running experience before the relay enhanced her experience, as she was able to start from nothing and push her limits physically and mentally.

“It really is pretty amazing what the body’s capable of,” Zuege says. “(...) Your body is so much more capable than your mind will even allow you to believe.” afm

Motivation, Mind & Matter

When it comes to fitness and motivation, our thoughts and feelings have a huge impact on our actions.

AUTHOR LAURA BOND WILLIAMS

I’ve practiced nearly 2,000 hours of Pilates since 2012, and I started teaching in 2014. Becoming a teacher trained my eyes and ears in a new way. Observing a wide range of clients’ moods, thought patterns and responses made me more creative in preparing and teaching clients of all ages and fitness levels.

During this time, I became more curious — what’s going on in our heads when it comes to moving our bodies? Does it matter what we think? What mental skills do we need to get what we want from our workout?

Personal trainer Alan Chasen, the owner of Chasen Fitness, began his 35-year career in 1987 while studying kinesiology at The University of Texas at Austin. While working out in Gregory Gymnasium, buildings around it were being re-roofed with asphalt and tar, sending fumes through the windows of the then-unairconditioned building. So he went a few blocks north of campus to Hyde Park Gym where he met then-owner Mike Graham.

Chasen credits Graham with helping him develop in two meaningful ways — first, to question everything about fitness trends, and second, to train the person, not just the body.

“Where people are personally coming from is more important than what they are doing in the gym,” Chasen says. “What I do every day with everybody is watch and read their body language. What energy are they bringing? I don’t necessarily want to match their temperature. I may want to be a little above it or below.”

Knowledge about exercise and what’s good for us doesn’t change our behavior, Chasen says, but what we believe about our abilities and goals will.

“When someone believes (that) what they do in the gym will help them, it adds to the foundation we are creating,” Chasen says.

The more I hear about clients’ mind-body connections, the more questions I have. Do we exercise and then feel better? Or do we feel better about ourselves and then exercise?

What We Think and Feel Determine What We Do — Or Don’t Do

How does our brain change our body? With our thoughts.

Hillary Cauthen, CMPC is an Austin-based clinical sports psychologist, and her clients range from youth athletes to The University of Texas women’s softball team to Austin FC. Cauthen says our brain sets the tone for how our bodies respond to movement and exercise and answering two questions reveals the source of our motivation and resistance.

“Why do I want to move my body? Why do I want to start moving my body?” Cauthen says. “That taps into the motivation source, (which) affects how we show up, (are) engaged and do our workout.”

Our motivation to exercise is usually intrinsic or extrinsic, or a combination. Intrinsic motivation grows from our desire to pursue an activity for pure enjoyment; extrinsic motivation grows from our desire to achieve an external goal or validation from another source. When we’re extrinsically motivated, we seek the feeling that we believe the goal will bring.

“When we solely rely on extrinsic motivation, we risk having negative thoughts about our workout and don’t find enjoyment,” Cauthen says.

ALAN CHASEN

Our extrinsic motivation may tango with our internal resistance. That may be why we buy a new membership, start a new activity or class, go for a month and stop. If the motivation is solely extrinsic, staying with a new activity demands more mental effort to generate motivation and the feelings we need to drive our behavior.

“Our thoughts always lead to our feelings, our desire and what we do,” Cauthen says.

Even when we overcome resistance and work out, we want to notice the thoughts and feelings we bring to the movement we do.

“We hold tension in our body when we feel doubt,” Cauthen explains. “When we are tense in our bodies, we don’t get the movement we want.”

So, then what? Cauthen coaches her clients through three phases of their training with an overarching question: What emotional state should I be in to have my best workout? It varies from each person, depending on their “individual zone of optimal functioning,” a model sports psychologists use that presumes the relationship between emotions and optimal performance.

“I’m a huge proponent for feeling your feelings,” Cauthen says. “It’s one of the catchiest taglines. We have to feel our feelings and then make meaning of our thoughts. So even though the thought comes first, we identify feelings because they are far more powerful.”

When we know the feelings that motivate us, then we can create self-talk to keep us in our zone. Self-talk is either informational or motivational.

“Motivational self-talk fuels the emotional output,” Cauthen explains. “That allows your body to be more relaxed in that energy zone for performance.”

Our self-talk also affects how we feel emotionally and physically after our workout.

“We rationalize our thoughts post-workout,” Cauthen says. “If we’re positive going in, we have a much more positive reflection.”

Self-Coaching Skills for All

You don’t need to be an elite athlete to benefit from self-coaching. To improve performance, we can practice a few simple skills:

1. Know your reasons for working out

2. Observe and feel your feelings

3. Reflect on what you did

Allowing five or 10 minutes for self-coaching can make a difference in how you feel going into your workout and evaluate your efforts afterward. Self-coaching tools help create awareness and understanding of our thoughts and emotional state as well as the consequences of our behavior and its effects on us. The practice may look like this:

Circumstance: Your workout (HIIT class, 30-mile road ride, Barre class)

Thought: What’s your dominant thought about your workout today?

Feeling: How does your body feel when you think about your workout?

Action: What do you do when you feel that way? What are you not doing when you feel that way?

Result: What’s the result of your thought, feeling and action?

Feeling unmotivated is a common feeling when it comes to working out. In this case, we can use this model to ask ourselves what we’re thinking that might be creating the feeling of “unmotivated?” Then, we can practice a skill that gives equal attention to the opposite thought. Coaches call this “equal airtime.” If we’re going to believe that we don’t want to go, can we take a minute to consider the opposite? The truth is, “feeling motivated” may not be what’s necessary to get to our workout. We may simply need to generate something else — curiosity, optimism, determination or possibility.

Cauthen says feelings are the foundation of our thoughts and behavior. When we pay attention to how we feel when we think about our sport, workout or other activities, then we create a valuable skill to improve our performance.

“Starting is the hardest process, but if we start, reflect and then do it again, eventually, we find what feels best for us,” Cauthen says. “It doesn’t have to be the hardest fitness class or training for a marathon. It just has to be moving your body and enjoying that, because healthy hearts and healthy minds are what we aspire to have.” afm

Laura Bond Williams is a certified Pilates teacher and professional life coach helping clients discover new ways of moving through life with ease and awareness. 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.

HILLARY CAUTHEN

AUTHOR Isabel Meijering, DACM, L.Ac

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PHYSICAL & MENTAL PAIN

In the world of Chinese medicine, physical and mental pain exist together.

In fact, it’s difficult to completely separate the two.

The organs of the body are split between the yin and yang organs, which work closely together. Each of these pairs is also categorized by the Chinese medicine elements, which have an attached emotion that manifests in the organs if not processed fully. If any emotion stays stagnant for too long, it manifests physically as well as emotionally.

Here are some elements and common emotions and symptomology associated with them.

Metal // Grief

The organs associated are the lung (yin) and large intestine (yang). If you’ve experienced grief, have you noticed how it impacts your breathing? And even further, those who have a hard time letting things go may see symptomology in their large intestines including irregular bowel movements/ constipation or pain. Many people experience chest pain or heaviness when grief is unprocessed. The body wants you to process grief. Grief and/or a metal element out of balance may also manifest as skin rashes or issues.

Water // Fear

The organs here are the yin kidneys and the yang bladder. Have you ever been so afraid you peed yourself a little bit? Fear has the capability to keep us in fight or flight and can tax our adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys. When a lot of fear is present or hasn’t been processed over a period of time, many people report back pain and weakness around the lumbar or sacral spine and back of the bladder and kidneys. People who have adrenal fatigue or a long-standing water element out of balance may also experience hair loss.

n When it comes to experiencing physical and mental pain, are they separate?

Wood // Anger or Frustration

This element houses the yin liver and the yang gall bladder organs. When people have too much alcohol, a substance directly affecting the liver, anger is the most common emotion that comes out. Many people with unprocessed anger are drawn toward substances like alcohol because it moves liver qi (energy). The problem is that people indulge too much and behavior gets out of hand. There are many other ways to move liver qi including exercising, herbal medicine and eating liver-soothing foods like green vegetables, dandelion, bamboo, fennel and goji

berries. Over time, unprocessed anger can wreak havoc on a person. The emotion of being so hot and bothered leads to headaches, vision problems, liver pathologies and a chronically over-activated nervous system, which taxes your health in numerous ways including slowing down natural healing processes, digestive upset (un-digestible anger), jaw pain (un-chewable anger at the energetic level), and sleep disorders.

Fire // Joy or Anxiety

The two main organs are the yin heart and the yang small intestine. Unbalanced fire energy manifests as mania or anxiety, or both. Many people who experience anxiety have racing thoughts, heart palpitations and loose stools. Have you ever been so anxious you had diarrhea? Since the small intestine is the yin/ yang pair of the heart, the heart asks for help when it has too much energy and is out of balance. So, if you’re anxious while eating, there’s a good chance your food won’t be digested well and it’ll go right through you. Your body doesn’t have the bandwidth to digest food — it’s focusing on the heart! If you have long-standing anxiety, your chest may feel constricted and your digestion may develop into a chronic issue. These are typical presentations for people with their fire element out of balance. You’ll want to be careful about long-term effects and strain on the heart. Stuttering also manifests from the fire elements as well as inappropriate sweating.

Earth // Worry

The earth organs are the yin spleen and the yang stomach. Worrying affects your digestion. The earth element is in the core of your body and when the core isn’t taken care of over time, it leads to many imbalances. If you’re chronically worried, your body cannot properly nourish your muscles, leading to feeling chronically fatigued both physically and mentally.

This is only a fragment of how your body communicates both physically and energetically. There are many other modalities that add to this concept and help you start seeing your body as a whole instead of separate systems. Everything is connected and sending you messages. Know that there isn’t one way to look at the body, and if you experience symptomology, there’s an explanation, even if it’s not through a “traditional” lens. Cheers to you processing your emotions and balancing the elements!

Dr. Isabel Meijering is an acupuncturist in Austin and is the owner of Admiring You Wellness. She has her doctorate in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine and specializes in cupping therapy, pain management, psycho-emotional support, menstruation support and allergies. She also has a B.S. in biomedical sciences with a minor in psychology and has a deep love for both Eastern and Western medicine.

IF ANY EMOTION STAYS STAGNANT FOR TOO LONG, IT MANIFESTS PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS EMOTIONALLY.”

AUTHOR Maria Luque

KEEPING THE MIND HEALTHY IN MENOPAUSE

n Menopause is a huge transition during life, so here are some ways to be mindful of this season.

There is no arguing about the benefit and importance of exercise for any stage of life, but during the menopausal transition, it can become even more important.

Research indicates that participating in regular exercise can help women manage menopause symptoms. Unfortunately, when we talk about exercise, the discussion gets limited to physical components such as resistance training and cardiovascular activities. The mindfulness aspect of exercise is often overlooked.

Practicing mindfulness can positively impact the physical, mental, emotional and overall quality of life experience of menopausal women. You can work out every day, but if you’re feeling depressed or stressed, which is much more common during the menopausal transition, you’re more likely to have a lower quality of life, which is something no one wants.

There is a lot of research highlighting that mindfulness training such as yoga, tai chi, breathing and meditation can be beneficial in alleviating and managing menopause symptoms and increasing menopause-specific quality of life.

If you’re first thought after reading this last sentence is “I don’t have time to add one more thing to my plate,” I have good news for you — you don’t have to sign up for an hour-long yoga session to get the benefit. Adding mindfulness in small intervals can have big effects. Even five minutes at a time done regularly can be transformative. Research indicates that practicing mindfulness in smaller intervals but more regularly is more beneficial than occasionally doing an hourlong session. In Dr. Jenn Wolkin’s book, “Quick Calm,” she emphasizes this benefit by saying, “The thing about five minutes is, it’s more than zero minutes. Mindfulness—even in small doses—adds up, especially when it’s practiced every day.”

Here are a few tips on how to include mindfulness in your everyday life.

Learn How to Breathe

This may sound silly because we breathe all day. Still, there’s a big difference between breathing to survive and breathing for therapeutic reasons. When you truly know how to take a deep breath, you’ll feel its benefits. The best way to get a full deep breath is to use

diaphragmatic breathing. You can also use it in times of high stress or when you feel overwhelmed.

Practice Mindful Eating

Resist the temptation of doing other things while eating (I’m guilty of it, often taking my food in front of my computer to continue working while eating). Focus on your food, the experience of eating, the taste of it and how you feel.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This technique reduces stress by alternately tensing and relaxing the muscles. You can do this anywhere without any equipment. Just find a space to stand, sit or lay down, and focus on tensing a specific muscle and relaxing it. Focus on how it feels. This technique makes you check in with your body.

Meditate

Just like mindful eating, the main goal is to be present in the moment instead of having your thoughts everywhere. Guided meditation tends to be the easiest way to incorporate it into your routine because of

the prompts and guidance provided by a third party. No wonder the meditation app market has grown so much over the last few years. But if you’re not into downloading another app onto your phone or want to disconnect from your devices, here are a few tips on how to meditate:

• Find a place that is quiet. You can sit or lie down. Whatever feels most comfortable and relaxing to you.

• Set a time limit. There’s no rule on how long your meditation should be, but aiming for 5 to 10 minutes for a beginner might be a good start. Once you get comfortable with it, you may want to extend it to whatever time frame benefits you.

• Notice your breath. Allow your breath to be effortless and smooth.

• Let your thoughts come and go. The mind will inevitably wander, but rather than obsessing over “emptying” your mind, be kind to yourself and let your thoughts come and go. Don’t hold on to them. Try to focus your attention on your breath to bring your wandering mind back.

• Finish slowly. When you’re ready, take a moment to notice your surroundings and how your mind and body feel.

Bottom Line

Including mindfulness in your life can make a big difference in how you experience menopause and the challenges it can bring. It can be a critical tool to improve your stress level and overall quality of life. So why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose and so much to gain. There is no right or wrong way to include mindfulness in your life. The point is to find ways that let you check in with yourself. This could be done via yoga, tai chi, breathing, stretching, meditation or any other way that lets you take a moment for yourself. afm

Maria Luque, PhD is a fitness expert, health science professor and menopause researcher with over 20 years of experience. She’s the creator of Fitness in Menopause, a company dedicated to helping women navigate the challenges and rewards of menopause. She holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in health sciences and teaches at the College of Health and Human Services at TUI. Certifications include ACE-CPT, ACE-FNS and CHES.

AUTHOR Katerina Cotroneo

GUT & BRAIN: NOT FAR FROM THE SAME

n Naturopathic physician Amy Nelson of Peoples RX shares the connection between gut and brain health.

Since 2005, you could say this has been Amy Nelson’s focus — the connection between one’s gut and brain. In a past life, Nelson was a nuclear chemist who wanted to change careers and morph into something that helps people directly. So, from a nuclear power plant in her twenties straight into medical school, she went. Today, she works as a naturopathic physician at Peoples RX. Ironically, our bodies are somewhat like the plant she once worked at. She says if one thing was off at a nuclear power plant, it would obviously affect everything! The same goes for your gut and brain.

“More serotonin is made in the digestive system than anywhere else,” Nelson says. “There are more nerve endings in the digestive system too.”

Let me guess, GI doctors are telling you everything looks fine, and test after test shows “normal results,” right? Or do they put you on medications that cover up your symptoms? Well, that does you just as much good as taking the batteries out of a smoke detector during a fire, Nelson says. If you’re having stomach and digestion issues, that’s your body signaling that something is wrong, and covering up symptoms doesn’t take away from the deeper-rooted problem; it simply prolongs it.

“You need to start on the ground floor here,” Nelson says. “Think of yourself as a newborn baby, and start re-introducing foods to your body to see what works and what doesn’t.”

It’s simple — eat the foods nature intended and avoid processed foods. Nelson encourages people to step out of their comfort zone when it comes to nutrition. Test your body and see what it can and can’t handle!

Nelson says alcohol and smoking are no longer the biggest fear anymore; it’s actually fructose. High fructose corn syrup is now the number one reason for fatty liver disease, Nelson says. Obviously, you’ve heard this a thousand times but by eating healthy 95% of the time, you’ll see a difference. The 5% accounts for those times out with friends and special occasions when you may have to take an enzyme even when modifying the meal, because you can’t control everything all of the time, and that’s OK! This journey shouldn’t be overwhelming. However, the goal here is not orthorexia. Nelson makes it clear that your body needs variety; it’s like any other ecosystem — it needs diversity to survive.

As I’m someone who struggles with brain issues, Nelson shared with me that eating clean is crucial to my recovery. She says avoiding neurotoxic foods is an obvious must as well as incorporating a lot of fatty acids into the diet of anybody who may be recovering from a brain injury or may need to give their noggin a little extra love! If you eat inflammatory foods, sugary, processed, fried, etc., you’ll get brain fog and headaches, inevitably.

Our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems determine your fight or flight response and calmness. According to Nelson, what you feed your body calorie-wise and carb-wise quite literally affects your entire existence. Nelson says it’s necessary to “rest and digest” as you may not effectively be digesting, which can lead to malnourishment (meaning you’re lacking key nutrients). This can result in not creating dopamine, serotonin, etc… it’s all connected!

Taking care of your gut helps your brain and vice versa. If you’re struggling with gut or brain issues, try a clean diet and test out differentiating food if you haven’t already, and/or meet with someone like Nelson who can do a panel on you and see what’s going on internally. It’s of the utmost importance to take care of your body! But particularly, if you’re struggling in one of these two areas, it’s something you don’t want to let linger. After all, we all want the same thing, don’t we?

To live long healthy pain-free lives!

afm

Katerina Cotroneo is an author and professional photographer who uses her marketing background and talent behind the camera and has been published in Austin Fit Magazine, Authentic Texas, Waterways Magazine, Tribeza, etc. Katerina captures idiosyncratic stories through her lens and portrays diverse perspectives in her writing.

AMY

AFM

AUTHOR Sarah Leahy, CPT

MINDFULNESS IN STRENGTH TRAINING

n Strength training isn’t all about muscle

gains; it’s about brains, too.

Strength training is a pretty straightforward modality — you lift challenging weights while focusing on progressive overload over time to make your body stronger. There is a science to programming and there are a few different approaches you can take, but the basics are the same. If you’re finding yourself in a rut, going through the motions at the gym week after week or getting a little bored with your routine, start focusing on mindfulness as you strength train.

Mindfulness practices are often thought of as an important part of yoga and pilates where you are focusing on connecting with your breath, breathing through the movement and emphasizing your alignment and body patterns. For many, these fluid, lower-impact sessions are where people really focus on mindfulness and think of weight training as hard work without the thoughtfulness of other practices. If you are an avid lifter — be it bodybuilding, powerlifting or general strength

training for health and fitness — understanding and using the mind/ muscle connection as you strength train will bring more focus and better results to your sessions.

As a trainer, the clients I’ve seen who have intermediate and advanced training in yoga and pilates tend to do better at executing strength training movements, because they’ve been practicing their body awareness and connecting their movement to their breath. When you’re practicing mindfulness, you understand how your posture impacts the movement and how important control is as you move your body. Using these techniques for strength training will get those same results and get you stronger.

For most strength training

movements, breathwork is a great place to start connecting with your body and learn how to use your breath to help brace your core and stabilize your trunk muscles. Think about setting your posture for the movement, taking a deep inhale, pulling your belly button back toward your spine to brace your abdominal muscles, and then exhaling on the work, whether it be a push or pull movement. Maintain that breath pattern for your entire set, inhaling on your set up and exhaling on your working movement.

Powerlifters understand the importance of breath for bracing, and a lot can be learned from the breathing patterns and setup before a big squat, deadlift or bench press. These can even be

carried over to smaller dumbbells, cable and kettlebell movements.

Many heavy lifters close their eyes and take a deep breath before approaching the barbell, visualizing the successful lift before they begin. From there, they approach the bar with confidence, set their grip and posture (weight mid-foot, lats packed down and back, tension taken out of the bar), and take a deep inhale, bracing the abs before the lift. They hold that tension through their core on the primary pull or push of the lift, exhaling at the top of the movement. This allows the bracing from your breath to be used for power in the lift, keeping your abdominal and trunk muscles tight and braced throughout your movement, so the lifter doesn’t lose

tightness in the back.

That same posture setting and bracing through your breath can and should be carried over to accessory work. It’s easy to rush through your movements, bouncing at the bottom of a dumbbell row, overextending or thrusting your hips on bicep curls, but you’ll get better results (and use the muscles you’re actually trying to work) by mindfully setting up your movement and slowing down your reps. For example, on your dumbbell rows, drop your arms straight down from your sides, heels under your hips, then actively roll your shoulders down and back (this is called lat packing). From there, hinge forward from the hips with soft knees, maintaining that tightness through the back, take

a big inhale to brace the abs, and exhale as you pull the weights. Inhale on the return back down to a straight arm, taking a slight pause at the bottom before you pull up again as you exhale. Repeating this pattern mindfully, focusing on maintaining the posture you started with, will ensure that each rep hits the lats and rear delts as intended and that your trunk muscles are braced and strong.

Another big benefit of mindfully connecting to your movement as you strength train is the calm and focus it brings to your brain. With strong posture and breath work alongside the process of thoughtfully moving your body, and maintaining your bracing while slowing down your reps, you create a sort of zen, similar to meditation or yoga. For many, that short time at the gym is already an escape from the hustle of the day, a little “me” time carved out in a busy schedule. Approaching it as a pleasant, thoughtful experience will help you get even more out of your session and you’ll feel calmer, focused and more refreshed afterward, even when working hard at strength training. afm

Sarah Leahy is a Minneapolis transplant in East Austin, certified personal trainer, award-winning interior designer and former gym owner. She offers in-person and online training with an emphasis on strength training and building confidence in and out of the gym. Leahy’s passion for strength extends to your business, with a full offering of gym design and business consulting services.

Billy Bosco

I RAN A MARATHON WITHOUT TRAINING

n AFM ambassador

Billy Bosco shares his experience running a marathon without training.

Y

es, I really did run a full marathon without any training. I bet you’re thinking I had a pretty compelling reason to do this… right? Wrong. I’m just your local personal trainer who thought he was immortal.

I knew I was in relatively good shape, had above-average cardiovascular endurance and was stubborn — or naive — enough to think I could do anything. So I figured, why not challenge myself and find my limits? Needless to say, I’m still alive and survived the race, but it was the hardest I’ve ever been pushed and the most pain I’ve ever been in. Here’s what I did last minute to prepare the best I could, and see if this is something you think you could do.

How I Prepared

I was going to run this race without a single day of training. The next best thing I could do was prepare my body. As a trainer, I knew the muscles that would be most active. Accessories would be my first line of defense. I bought socks that would prevent blisters from forming on my feet. I bought leggings with compression tape that would firmly grasp around my quads and hopefully prevent excessively stretching out the muscle. Most importantly, I had an anti-chafing deodorant stick. Deep down, I knew nothing would help more than actual training, but these accessories would have to do.

The next variable I was in control of was my diet. Thanks to my background in health, I knew I could increase my glycogen levels, aka storing more carbs in your body. There are a lot of scientific approaches to doing this, but to me,

the nuances aren’t as important. I just ate high-carb foods such as pasta, banana bread and oatmeal a couple of days before the race. Your body will naturally store the carbs as glycogen in your muscles so it’s readily available. The morning of the race, I devoured half a loaf of banana bread and chugged half a gallon of Pedialyte. I was ready.

Running The Race

When you start running, your body switches between energy systems. This is why they say there’s a “runner’s high.” For the first 3 to 5 minutes, you’re essentially running without using oxygen to supply your muscles. For me, the first three miles never feel good. I’m waking up, adjusting to the weather and dealing with my body not wanting to run.

Thankfully, I cruised through the first 13 miles of the race. I was under two hours, which is about a 9-minute mile pace. I was feeling on top of the world!

Despite the initial success, I knew what was coming. Everyone talks about the wall you hit around mile 18. As mile 16 approached, cramps started slowly creeping in. I slowed down when needed, hydrated with electrolytes and massaged the muscles that were acting up. Then, something started hurting that I had not prepared for — the sole of my foot started to burn. Of all my years of casually running, this has never happened.

In hindsight, I have size 12 feet on a 5-foot 9-inch frame. My feet are essentially flippers, and it should’ve been obvious that they were at risk of injury. At mile 18, they were inflamed and the longest eight miles of my life began. If you haven’t experienced plantar

fasciitis, I hope you never do, but every step sends a sharp pain that travels halfway up your body.

The cramps also came into full effect. Each step sent a sharp pain through my body, then my muscles shook or stiffened uncontrollably. My body failed me, but one foot slowly kept getting placed in front of the other. This was what I signed up for, after all, and I didn’t want or expect it to be a cakewalk. It was supposed to push me to my breaking point so I could see how I’d respond mentally and physically.

Suddenly, everything in the world ceased to exist. All that mattered was putting one foot in front of the other and finishing what I started. My pace per mile dropped from 9 minutes to 15 minutes. Every couple of minutes

of running, I stopped to massage my muscles, stretch the arch of my foot and catch my breath. The worst part is my heart rate was under control, and my breathing was calm. My lungs could manage, but my body had no idea what or why it was being put through so much for. Eventually, I limped my way through the finish line with a final time of 4:50. I just survived a marathon with absolutely no training. The only thing I wanted to do was collapse into a hot tub and never run again.

Can You Run A Marathon With No Training?

Yes, it’s definitely a possibility. The risks outweigh any benefit you could gain, though. The arches of my feet could have torn, and that ligament takes a long time to

recover. Any other muscle could have torn and taken me out for months. Thankfully, my body was in good enough condition to sustain the 26 miles. I would never wish this pain on anyone, but I do feel a sense of pride in knowing what I accomplished. afm

AFM ambassador Billy Bosco is an Austinbased personal trainer who sells his own fitness supplements.

The world is full of deceptive marketing and fast-track approaches to health. It’s his mission to cut through this and help everyone become realistically fit.

COURTESY OF BILLY BOSCO

FEATURED Pet

MEET OUR FEATURED PET OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER… DUSTIN!

Meet this month’s featured pet, Dustin — the most recent Austin FC Honorary Mascot! Dustin met so many FC fans a few weeks ago and would be the perfect running or workout buddy for anyone in Austin! Dustin is 3½ years old and currently lives in a kennel at Austin Pets Alive! He is smart and sweet, and he always gives so many kisses to all the Austin FC fans at the match!

Here is Dustin’s bio if you want to learn more about him: www.austinpetsalive.org/adopt/ dogs/apa-a-91615.

Additionally, APA’s No-Kill Anniversary event is coming up on Oct. 11. You can find out more information on the event here: https://donate. austinpetsalive.org/campaign/ no-kill-anniversary/c428507.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF APA

Want to know more about Dustin?

Visit austinpetsalive.org today!

AUTHOR Emma Aguirre

WORKING THE MIND TO GROW THE MUSCLE

n The mind and muscle have a deeper connection than we give them credit for, but how do we use that to our advantage?

How many times have you gone to the gym just to check the box?

You know you need to get it done, you know the routine is in place, you understand the benefits and love the gains, but some days it just feels like you’re going through the motions. The

same moves, the same weights. The fact is, some workouts are just … meh.

If more and more of your time spent in the gym feels like that and you notice that results have slowed, you could be missing an often overlooked piece of the puzzle. Motivation could be zapped and momentum stalled, but it could be

the mindful connection with the muscle that’s really non-existent.

The Body & The Brain

Studies have long since linked the value of a strong and consistent daily mindset practice to overall health. While we can’t think ourselves thin, we can shift the focus to a powerful psychological aspect of training called the mindmuscle connection, beyond lifting the weight and simply showing up.

Biologically, here’s what that looks like: When you do a biceps curl, for example, you communicate to the brain which then releases acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. This neurotransmitter, then, binds to muscle fiber receptors, which

causes muscle contraction and you lift the weight.

Just like every other aspect of training, the more you do it, the better you get at it. The greater the level of communication between the brain and the muscle, the better it will perform. Through this mindmuscle connection, you’re teaching the brain to pay attention to the task at hand

— a safe, controlled, effective movement pattern — every single time.

Get Connected

There are a few strategies to put into place to deepen the mind-muscle connection.

FOCUS. It sounds simple, but distractions are everywhere in the gym. A bad day at work, the wrong playlist, uncomfortable clothes, a busy gym floor, traffic, what’s for dinner… the list is endless.

Focusing on each and every movement you’re trying to achieve rather than what weight you’re lifting, that concentric movement from point A to point B, is where the real magic happens.

KNOW WHAT MUSCLE YOU’RE TARGETING. When you understand the “why” behind the exercise, you’ll do it better. Single-joint exercises may be more beneficial as opposed to a compound movement for this kind of concentrated work so you can truly isolate the muscle you want to work.

MOVE AWAY FROM MIRRORS.

You may spend more time making sure you look good as opposed to actually working out without even really knowing it. Use the mirrors to check your form once, and move away if you can. Try to execute a full range of motion.

PICK UP A SLIGHTLY LIGHTER WEIGHT. You might know you can bench press 200 pounds. But how much of the work is being done by the triceps and deltoids, as well as the pecs, to offset some of that load? Lowering the weight and connecting to the muscle you want to work on brings the focus back to where it needs to be.

MOVE SLOWLY. Tempo training is a great way to sharpen the mindmuscle connection, and choosing the right movement is key. We can’t slow down much during a burpee, but we can perform a seated leg extension as slowly as we like. This will create a longer time under tension and you’ll be able to truly connect with each rep rather than simply powering through. It’s less about how much weight you can

lift and more about how your body moves and if you’re feeling it where you’re supposed to.

ADD VARIETY TO YOUR WORKOUTS AND ALWAYS WARM UP. Adding in a workout that challenges the body in a different way, such as yoga, Pilates or even a barre class, will bring the connection back to the breath, the body and ultimately that mindfulness. When you do the same movement pattern repeatedly, the body will simply stop changing and working as hard. Variety and variability are key.

So instead of adding in another set or upping the weight, slow down and tune in. It’s the next level of training that could be exactly what your workouts need. afm

Emma Aguirre’s training career began with spinning almost 20 years ago in a small womenonly gym in South Texas.

After a career in journalism, Emma switched to fitness full time, certifying in Practical Pilates, TRX and Jillian Micheals BodyShred program. She is also qualified as an AFAA Group Fitness professional and holds several personal trainer certificates, as well as Precision Nutrition’s Level 1 certification. She is currently certifying as an International Sports Sciences Association master trainer and spends her days coaching clients online as a Personal Health Advisor at Austin’s Wellthy Soul.

Monica Brant

KICK MO’S BUTT

n Monica Brant tries out FIT4MOM for this month’s edition of Kick Mo’s Butt.

Are you like me — always trying to fit 25 items in your day when, realistically, you can only do five?

Well, this happens for me when I head to Austin. Previously, I lived in Austin for six years and worked with Austin Fit Magazine doing Kick Mo’s Butt for three of them. In 2012, I married my high school crush and moved to San Antonio, and that was it for KMB features… until the end of 2020 when AFM asked me if we could start KMB features again, and here we are two years later.

I drive from San Antonio for each of these opportunities to get my bootie kicked by some awesome instructors. While planning my KMB sessions, I work in other appointments such as one of my favorite med spas (Skin Envy Austin — you may remember June’s Prep Mo for Summer). Plus, I run errands I can only do in Austin and visit friends and family when time permits. So, my trips become full and I time everything to make the most of my drive up.

That being said, my session with FIT4MOM Cedar Park was scheduled at 7 p.m., so you know I had a full day prior. Plus, I had to deliver my sidekick Camy the Doxie to my mom who was going to watch her while I traveled over the next couple of weeks. My sisterin-law joined my mom and me at the park, and the two of them walked Camy at Brushy Creek Sports Park while I was getting my bootie kicked by Kaitlyn Harmon, the supermom and coach for the evening’s session.

Thankfully, the address for the park brings you directly to the parking lot, so mom and I could meet up perfectly. We parked and brought Camy out in her super cute, pink doggie stroller and headed to release our hydration. I was about 20 minutes early so plenty of time before the KMB session.

As 7 p.m. rolled around, I saw a group of women gathering in the shade by the ladies’ room and figured that had to be my F4M group. Our coach for the session, Kaitlyn, was energetic, smiling and ready to rumble while we 10 ladies waited for instruction for this Body Boost® session, which is F4M’s mother-only, 60-minute, resultsbased workout.

It’s designed to help one reach their full potential and reconnect to inner strength. The session is structured around HIIT cycles

through cardio, strength and core work, and concludes with a relaxing meditation to help recharge before heading back to the family.

The five HIIT stations were assembled with four exercises per station so averaging 5 to 6 minutes per station with move time and a small amount of rest. Each exercise was performed for one minute and, depending on the exercise, it felt longer or shorter! Isn’t it funny how the exercises we enjoy and feel strong in seem to go by so fast and the ones that are more challenging seem to take five minutes?

Here’s how the stations were set up:

• High knees, wall ball slams, single-leg deadlifts, partner situps and ball toss (this is the one I started with)

• BOSU® toe taps, uneven BOSU® pushups, raised glute bridge

• High-five squat hops, squat up and downs, thrusters, flutter kicks with dumbbell hold

• Shuffle “races,” curtsy lunge to lateral leg raise, V-sit twist

• Hop over the bar burpees, Romanian deadlift, barbell row, plank hold with optional shoulder taps

It was fun to work within a group setting again; it’s been a while for me, and all the ladies pushed hard but still saved room for laughter and some heckling (mostly at Kaitlyn when it appeared she was going over the minute — when it starts to burn and you think she isn’t paying attention, but she is)!

Overall, this was a terrific way to end my long day, and I felt

refreshed and tired all at the same time. What a great opportunity for moms of all sizes and abilities to have access to. I loved the fact that one could go at their own pace on each exercise and make it suit their personal needs.

Though this class was for moms only, the website offers many other classes including, Stroller Barre®, Run Club+, FIT4BABY®, and even a Body Well® transformation class.

Did I get my butt kicked? Well, I am happy to say I DID! Of course, as I mentioned above, any mom participating can push as hard as they want or keep it light if they’re just getting started, so I worked to push the minutes and had a great partner that did too.

FIT4MOM was super fun and easy to find with a great group of moms and a terrific coach! There was also plenty of equipment! All you must do is show up with some exercise clothing on, water and a towel. There is almost nothing better than improving your health and fitness along with other likeminded people.

For more information be sure to visit https://cedarpark.fit4mom. com/. They also host classes in North Austin as well as Leander (which will open on Oct. 17). Discover which class is for you, and tell them Mo sent ya and that you want YOUR butt kicked too!

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

AUTHOR Jason Bourgeois

Corner AMBASSADOR’S

SOLA CROSSFIT

n Check out this month’s edition of our Ambassador’s Corner with AFM ambassador Jason Bourgeois at SoLa CrossFit.

functional layout that offers the ability to safely and efficiently train a large class of up to 20 persons. I greatly appreciated the instruction during my workout, and I felt the coaches executed a seamless workout and recovery plan where the warmup, training and cooldown were interconnected.

Hello AFM! This month, our showcase of Austin’s mecca of fitness brought us to SoLa CrossFit, where you have a home for group fitness, personal training, and nutrition and recovery. This CrossFit gym encourages all ages and abilities to safely break a sweat every day while having fun and is located at the heart of the fitness community in South Austin.

This Ambassador’s Corner is continuing efforts to support the Central Texas Food Bank. Thank you for your continued participation in the work to keep Austin fed. School is back in session, and every donation counts as we work to increase food access to families in need.

Now, let’s get to the review!

WHAT I LIKED: The facility layout resembled a spacious warehouse that fabricated the right amount of well-maintained exercise machines and weights to test your mettle. Also, it was complete with outdoor seating, which is a nice touch. Most importantly, it’s a

Our warmup consisted of a tempo row or bike performed at about 70 to 80% effort for a work-to-rest ratio of 45 seconds of work with 15 seconds of recovery. After about five minutes in this set, we switched to our movement preparation and completed it. Three sets of three repetitions of three kip swings, three push press, three thrusters, and three world’s greatest stretch…

Let’s go!

Coach Dave Appel and his team were great at keeping eyes on everyone in the class, offering coaching cues specific to safely executing the movements.

I was most impressed with their ability to scale the workout before it began and offer cues to scale it midworkout to maximize safety and efficiency.

Jackie Pro was our workout.

JACKIE PRO: Rx: 100-meter row (m 3:30)(w 4:00) –50 thrusters (95/65 pounds) – 30 bar muscle-ups or 60 chest-to-bar pullups

JASON’S CHOSEN NONPROFIT: Central Texas Food

complete my thrusters at the fitness level of 55 pounds. This timely tweak allowed me to lean into the workout and safely push my limits.

WHAT I FOUND MOST

CHALLENGING: The barbell thrusters were the most challenging in my workout. A barbell thruster is one continuous combination movement of a front squat into an overhead press.

Next time, I’m hoping I can come back and join one of the monthly challenges. The monthly challenges seem to be a driving factor for this community, and the responses from the members toward the monthly challenges indicate they are engaged, getting stronger and having fun, while building community through monthly challenges — well done, SoLa CrossFit!

I started a scaled version, which required completing 50 barbell thrusters at 75 pounds, and this is where I started. However, I finished completing the remainder of my barbell thrusters at 55 pounds.

Thrusters have a way of changing your perspective due to receiving instant feedback from your body about your mobility all throughout your body. Thrusters test your mobility through your ankles, hips, core, chest and shoulders with each repetition. I love that we prepped these areas in our warmup before beginning this workout and diving into this full-body exercise. My shoulders were screaming and the muscles in my legs gave off the sensation they are going to rip through my skin — it is real and intense; just give it go!

That said, Coach Dave was spot-on in recognizing at the right moment when I needed to decrease my weights to maintain the integrity of the movement and

Wrapping up, I hope SoLa CrossFit can be your community to grow together in fitness by safely pushing the limits of your health and wellness. Hopefully, it can be a place for taking on monthly fitness and nutritional challenges that are welcoming to all ability levels and that you have a supportive tribe of coaches and members who know how to have fun while putting in work. Do yourself a favor and hydrate, get a good night’s rest and get over to SoLa CrossFit — jump into one of those monthly challenges and let it take you! We hope to see you out there! afm

Events

BOO AT THE ZOO NIGHTS

Austin, TX

OCTOBER 14-15, 21-22 & 28-29

OCTOBER 7-9 & 14-16

Austin City Limits Music Festival

Another year, another music festival. ACL is back! For two weekends, Zilker Park will be filled with music festival goers waiting, listening, dancing and jamming to their favorite performers.

This year’s lineup includes P!nk, Lil Nas X, Wallows, Death Cab for Cutie, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Kacy Musgraves, Paramore and others! One-day or fullweekend tickets are available online.

OCTOBER 8

O.Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships

Who doesn’t love a good pun?

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Mexican American Cultural Art Center will host the O.Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships. This live event, which started informally in 1977, will have two contests — Punniest of Show and PunSlingers in which 32 contestants will compete in each contest. Free and open to the public, this event celebrates O.Henry’s puns used in his short stories, and all donations collected will go toward the Brush Square Museums Foundation. More information can be found on their website.

OCTOBER 8

Austin Oktoberfest

October means Oktoberfest, a famous German tradition that Austin has celebrated since 1812. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Oktoberfest will be held at the heart of the Red River Cultural District at the German Free School. Tickets are $15 per person and funds raised will go toward the newly launched German International School of Texas at Austin Pre-K. Come to enjoy some Gemütlichkeit, aka belonging, warmth and friendliness! Information can be found online.

OCTOBER 8 Quesoff 2022

If you know anything about Texans, it’s that we LOVE queso! This year’s Quesoff is going to be a hit — come ready to celebrate melted cheese from 12 to 3 p.m. at The Mohawk. Food fanatics across Austin will go head-tohead in four categories: meaty, spicy, veggie and wild card. Tickets are $20 and this event will benefit Central Texas Food Bank. More information can be found on their Eventbrite page.

OCTOBER 14-15

UTOPiAfest

A little outside of Austin, this year’s UTOPiAfest will take place in Burnet on Reveille Peak Ranch. This music festival is focused on cultivating positive energy as the event is surrounded by a natural environment. Popular performers include Sir Woman, Shovels & Rope and more! Guests also have the opportunity to camp, go horseback riding, do yoga, disc golf, hike and bike, do silent disco, and more! Tickets can be purchased online.

OCTOBER 14-15, 21-22 & 28-29

Boo at the Zoo Nights

Each year, the Austin Zoo has Boo at the Zoo, a way kids can experience the zoo in the dark. Parents are encouraged to bring their kids in full Halloween costumes for a night of fun! The zoo will be lit up and decorated for Halloween, and kids will have the opportunity to explore the Haunted house as well as ride the Haunted Train.

OCTOBER 21-23

Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix

Are you into racing? The Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix will return this October at the Circuit of the Americas for a weekend you’ll never forget! Along with watching the world’s fastest drivers, visitors will also be able to enjoy musical performances, amusement rides and local cuisine. Tickets can be purchased on their website.

OCTOBER 23

Halloween Children’s Concert

’Tis the spooky season, and the Austin Symphony Orchestra is ready to roll!

This year, at the Long Center’s Dell Hall, the children of Austin will haunt the stage for the annual Halloween Children’s Concert. The entire family is encouraged to show up with their favorite costume to enjoy some “bootiful” music. Tickets can be purchased online.

OCTOBER 27-30

LEVITATION

What was once founded in 2008 as Austin Psych Fest, LEVITATION has now become a celebration of Austin’s psychedelic music scene. This year’s festival will be held at multiple venues across Austin’s Red River Cultural District and East Side. Some featured musical performances include The Jesus and Mary Chain, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizzard and The Black Angels. More information and tickets can be found online.

OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER 3

Austin Film Festival & Conference

This year marks the 29th annual Austin Film Festival & Conference, a celebration of all things film! During this 8-day event, guests will be able to learn about storytelling, listen to panels and connect with other film fanatics. Get ready to dive into the world of storytelling through great movies, television and theater! Badges and film passes can be purchased online.

Rides & Races

OCTOBER 8

Battle of Hillotes

Helotes, TX

OCTOBER 8

Galveston Island Brewing Co.

5K Beer Run

Galveston, TX

OCTOBER 8

Cleftstrong 5K San Antonio, TX

OCTOBER 8

Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K San Antonio, TX

OCTOBER 8

Oktoberfest Trail Run Farmersville, TX

OCTOBER 8

Corkscrew Wine Run Bullard, TX

OCTOBER 15

Superhero Run Houston, TX

OCTOBER 16

Oktoberfest Half Marathon & 10K College Station, TX

OCTOBER 16

Toughest 10K Galveston Galveston, TX

OCTOBER 16-22

Trans-Pecos Ultra Presidio, TX

OCTOBER 18-20

Hess Houston Corporate 5K Houston, TX

OCTOBER 21-22

Ragnar Trail Texas Comfort, TX

OCTOBER 22

12th Annual Dia de Los Muertos Night Run

San Antonio, TX

OCTOBER 22

The Colony Half Marathon and Green Dragon 5 Miler

The Colony, TX

OCTOBER 22

Marathon 2 Marathon Marathon, TX

OCTOBER 22-23

Dallas Spartan Event Weekend Granbury, TX

OCTOBER 23

ARC Daisy Dash Sunset Valley, TX

OCTOBER 27

Karbach Brewing Monster Mash Run Houston, TX

OCTOBER 29

Boo Dash 5K & Kids Fun Run Houston, TX

OCTOBER 29

The Daily News Press Run Galveston, TX

OCTOBER 30

Houston Half Marathon & 10K Houston, TX

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

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

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