Austin Fit Magazine March 2020: 11th Annual AFM's Fittest Dogs

MAR 2020

11TH ANNUAL

AUSTIN’S FITTEST DOGS ISSUE

20 Gravel Racing 46 Magnolia Howell 28 Canine Companions

TAKE YOUR LIFE

BACK!

Rudy

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MAKE YOUR

MARK

RUN A RACE WITH SOUL AND SUPPORT HAAM

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$

@Maudies Tex-Mex

@MaudiesTexMex

March 2020

THE GOOD STUFF

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AUSTIN’S FITTEST DOGS

2O GRAVEL RACING MARCH

46 MAGNOLIA HOWELL 6

2020

PHOTOGRAPHER

Exposure PHOTOGRAPHER CALEB KERR L O C AT I O N

Arctic Surfers Headquarters Reykjavík, Iceland

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Contents Digital Content 9 Editor’s Letter 10

HIGHLIGHTS

Exposure 12 Pet Guide 60

Events 78 Races 80

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CANINE COMPANIONS

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ART THERAPY

68

STRETCHES FOR POSTURE

NUTRITION

LIFESTYLE

WELLNESS

FITNESS

Recipe 14 Safe Foods for Pets 16

Pet Adoption 24

Fitness and Sleep 56 Wellness FAQ 58

Knee Injury Prevention 66 Workout Of The Month 74

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AUSTINFITMAGAZINE.COM We’re more than just a monthly publication. Join us online and on our social networks to see the additional awesomeness we’re up to. austinfitmagazine.com

HIKES TO TAKE WITH YOUR DOG

2020 SXSW

MENTAL HEALTH

Workouts

Column

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

From the Editor feedback I have received before, but also judging by the numerous submissions I received for our fittest dogs issue this year.

What I especially love about the 10 we selected this year is that each of them has their own unique health and fitness journey — just like people. For several, they had to overcome adversity and work really hard to reach the level of fitness they are at now. For others, it’s just in their nature to run several miles a day and want to swim for hours on end.

It’s always hard to only pick 10, but it makes it easier to know that dogs don’t need a spot in a magazine to give them validation. They all are the best!

While I could fill the whole magazine with dog content alone, I figured I needed to break it up a little. Our feature story this month is on Magnolia Howell, a professional track and field athlete who recently moved to Austin specifically to train for her third attempt in reaching the Olympics. She is clearly tenacious and hardworking, and I think it says so much about our city in terms of athletics and fitness when athletes are coming here to train. I also enjoy that, despite being an athlete, Howell doesn’t let that be the only part of her — she’s also an artist. It’s a creative outlet for her as well as therapeutic for her mind.

That also ties into another story we have this month on how expressing creativity and art is a critical part of keeping us healthy, especially mentally. Art can help reform broken connections after brain injuries, as well as help people overcome mental barriers. Creativity can keep our minds healthy, which in turn helps keep us healthy in physical ways as well. The story is really interesting and eye-opening. You can read about that on page 52.

But if you’re like me and are just here for the cute dog content, head straight to page 40. Enjoy!

I FOLLOW MORE DOG ACCOUNTS ON INSTAGRAM THAN HUMAN ACCOUNTS

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t’s true. Scroll through my Instagram feed, and you will see probably five dog posts in a row before you find a human account.

The majority of my popular page is photos and videos of dogs. In my opinion, it’s the best way to use social media.

Dogs bring so much joy to my life.

This issue is probably my favorite to work on — not only because I love dogs so much, but also because this specific theme is so unique to our publication. It perfectly ties in to the personality and culture of Austin. We are a city that LOVES both fitness and dogs. I’m confident in saying that this is also probably one of our readers’ favorite issues as well, not only from

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Keep Austin Fit,

Kat Barclay EDITOR

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2020

#KEEPAUSTINFIT CEO | LOU EARLE PUBLISHER | LYNNE EARLE

Follow us on Instagram: @ AU ST I N F I T Tag us or use the hashtag #keepAustinfit for your post to be featured.

COO | ALEX ECENIA ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER | ALEX EARLE EDITOR | KAT BARCLAY ART DIRECTOR | CARLEY BEYER ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Heidi Gerber Caitlin Moore WRITERS Shelby Autrey, Jessica Clark, Diane Vives PROOFREADER Haylee Reed PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Fitzsimmons INTERNS Caroline Betik, Emily Effren, Monica Hand

GENERAL INQUIRIES info@austinfitmagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES aecenia@austinfitmagazine.com 512.407.8383 EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS kat@austinfitmagazine.com fitfocus@austinfitmagazine.com EVENT LISTINGS austinfitmagazine.com/events SUBSCRIPTIONS austinfitmagazine.com/subscribe 2609 S 3rd St. Austin, TX 78704 p 512.407.8383

Austin Fit Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements, in that the views expressed therein may not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or any magazine employee or contributor. This publication and all of its contents are copyrighted.

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.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

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WE LOVE OUR AFM STAFF DOGS

We can’t play favorites, but we also can’t leave out our own favorite dogs. Meet our staff member’s beloved fourlegged babies.

Cooper

Spanky Blue

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2020

Luna Dexter

Pablo

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

NUTRITION SPONSOR

Eldorado Cafe

PHOTOGRAPHY

Brian Fitzsimmons

MARCH 2020

Recipe Eldorado Cafe is a colorful cantina serving Mexican-inspired food favorites like guisos, enchiladas, carnitas and creative craft cocktails.

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he saying “Hecho en Tejas” all day, every day is the mission of this family-owned and operated neighborhood restaurant.

This month, Eldorado has shared how to make one of its dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen.

The Yellow Squash Soup is a very straightforward easy soup to make. Being on the healthy side of Mexican foods, this soup can easily be made vegan by subbing regular milk for a nut milk and taking out the shredded Jack cheese. You could dork out and call it Que Pasa Calabasa Soup, but Yellow Squash Soup is fine too.

Ma Fried’s Guac Avocado Toast Quesadilla is a vegan quesadilla and is based on the popular Avocado Toast.

The guacamole, pepitas and radish are common toppings for Avo Toast. The recipe comes from owner, Joel Fried’s

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mom and is the same recipe for the guacamole used in the restaurant. However, Fried always gets a kick out of sharing that his mom is not from Mexico but Ohio. Her use of lemon for this guac makes it more distinctive and gives it a sweeter burst compared to the bitter burst of lime.

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MA FRIED’S GUAC AVOCADO TOAST QUESADILLA WITH YELLOW SQUASH SOUP

Y E L LOW S Q UA S H S O U P Serves 4 Makes about ½ gallon

M A F R I E D ’ S G UAC A N D AVO C A D O “ TOA S T ” Q U E S A D I L L A For the Guac portion:

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Directions:

¼ cup butter or olive oil

3 small avocados

4 yellow quash, cut into half moons (8 cups)

¼ cup chopped onions

Cut the avocados in half and carefully remove the pits.

2 cups or one medium onion (chopped)

¼ cup chopped tomato

¼ cup chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno

1 ½ tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups of milk (can be subbed with plant-based milk) ½ cup jack cheese (optional garnish)

Directions: Heat oil or butter in med size pot over medium to heat Add the onion and saute until the onion becomes translucent and soft (about 3-5) minutes Add the squash, garlic and salt. Cover and sweat vegetables until very soft and the squash has released much of its liquid.

About 10-12 minutes. Stir frequently.

Mix in the onion, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro lemon and salt.

Mash in ingredients until guac-like consistency is reached.

2 cups of prepared veggie stock ¼ cup sliced green onion

Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon and place in a mixing bowl.

For the Quesadilla portion: Ingredients:

Directions:

4 tortillas

Spoon 1/4 cup of guac onto each tortilla.

¼ cup pepitas roasted and no ¼ cup radish sliced ¼ cup olive oil

Add one tablespoon of pepitas and one Tbsp of radish to the tortilla.

Fold in half.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium to high heat. Working in batches of two, dip both sides of quesadilla in oil. Toast on both sides until golden brown.

Add the milk and veggie stock and bring to a boil Remove from heat and blend together until smooth.

Check seasoning and texture. Add more salt or milk if needed

Repeat with the other two quesadillas.

Serve onside with the soup.

Ladle into four bowls and garnish with jack cheese (optional) and sliced green onion.

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

NUTRITION AUTHOR

Emily Effren

FOODS YOU DIDN’T KNOW WERE DANGEROUS FOR YOUR DOG

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lthough we probably shouldn’t, it almost comes as second nature for us to sneak a little piece of food to our dogs underneath the dinner table. We get it — it can be all too tempting to give in to a pair of adorable puppy eyes and feed them just a tiny bit of human food. I mean, it couldn’t hurt…right?

We’ve got some bad news. It could be hurting your four-legged friend. It’s common knowledge that dogs are not to indulge in some human foods such as chocolate and grapes, but there are plenty more foods you may still be slipping under the table that could possibly be lethal for your dog.

Stay strong. Don’t give in to the puppy eyes.

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AVOCADO Yes, an avocado pit can be a choking hazard for your dog, but there is more within an avocado you should be aware of. Even though it can be found in other fruits, avocado has a significant amount of persin, which is a fungicidal toxin, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Persin can cause vomiting, diarrhea and even myocardial damage in dogs, so be careful with that avocado toast.

ONIONS They can make you cry, and they can be toxic for your dog. According to the American Kennel Club, “onions contain a toxic principle known as N-propyl disulfide. This compound causes a breakdown of red blood cells, leading to anemia in dogs.� It can even lead to fainting, vomiting, weakness and lethargy. Similar to onions, garlic and chives can also show some of the same symptoms and cause anemia in dogs.

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NUTRITION

TOO MUCH SALT It’s easy to spill some salt on the floor while cooking on occasion, but it is important to make sure it gets cleaned up before your dog finds it. According to Fetch by WebMD, an excess of salt can cause dogs to be overly thirsty and can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, seizures and even death. Next time your dog begs for a chip, give them a pet instead.

XYLITOL Even though it’s one of the latest and greatest sugar substitutes, it’s not as beneficial for your pup as it is for humans. When xylitol is absorbed into a dog’s bloodstream, it produces a significant amount of insulin which could cause hypoglycemia, according to VCA Hospitals. In dogs, this can lead to vomiting, tremors, weakness, seizures and even liver failure. The fix? Store those sugar substitutes on the highest shelf.

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2020

YEAST Although it is unlikely that a dog will find its way into yeast, it is a possibility. Yeast, used in baking to help bread rise, can expand in a dog’s stomach and cause major pain for the dog. In addition, “when the yeast ferments the dough to make it rise, it makes alcohol that can lead to alcohol poisoning,” according to Fetch by WebMD. Forewarning: the bloat created from the expanded yeast can even become lethal, so be careful when baking your bread!

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M A N T I S M A S S A G E .C O M

LIFESTYLE AUTHOR

Caroline Betik

PHOTOGRAPHY

Pam LeBlanc

A ROAD LESS TRAVELED Gravel riding is bringing a new dynamic to the cycling industry.

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C

2019 Castell Grind Gravel Bike Race

ycling down a gravel path in the dark of night in McDade, Texas, the only thing illuminating the road ahead is a small helmet lamp. Up ahead, cyclists buzz with excitement and laughter as they recall their encounter, reminding them they are not out for a typical night ride in the city. As the silhouette of an animal begins to appear, a shriek cries into the air as another group of cyclists cruise by.

The source: a stagnant goat standing off the road cheering on riders with a boisterous scream of encouragement.

For some, gravel riding is a serious competition, but for most, it is an experience. Breaking the norms of most cycling events, gravel riding can be whatever the rider wants it to be. Typically held in remote, rural towns, cyclists travel miles away in order to ride on unpaved roads, reconnect with nature and find a safer place to cycle than the city.

While most cycling events are associated with a racing component, Brett Kinsey, owner of Capital City Racing Texas, says what makes gravel riding different is its underlying tone of enjoying the experience.

Kinsey described the diversity of gravel riding and its community in a unique way.

“I like to call us the #Texasgravelmullet,” Kinsey says. “All the people who are all about winning — they are the business out in front. Then, everybody that’s having a good time is having a party in the back. It is a really great community of people.”

Gravel riding has grown exponentially since the rise in interest in the mid 2000s. Viewed as a safer and more adventurous way to ride, it has sparked the attention of many who are tired of the zipping traffic and monotonous predictability of paved roads.

Mike Drost, co-race director of the Castell Grind, discovered gravel riding after purchasing bikes to go bikepacking. Looking for roads to ride, he came across

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LIFESTYLE

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“It’s really the safety of getting off busy roads but still seeking adventure. It is that fun middle ground of road and mountain biking, and the risk/reward is a lot better.”

Castell, Texas, a town with a population of less than 100 just northwest of Austin.

Drost says while he has seen gravel riding gain interest, he has heard it is a passing trend, but he believes it is more of an evolution of the biking industry.

“It’s really the safety of getting off busy roads but still seeking adventure,” says Drost. “It is that fun middle ground of road and mountain biking, and the risk/

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reward is a lot better.”

Amanda Mayes, member of the cycling group Mafia Racing South, is turning to gravel riding as a way to continue her passion for cycling after being hit by a truck riding down Burnet.

On September 7, 2018, she was cycling one of her common biking routes when a truck hit her. The truck was estimated to be going 40-50 mph, causing Mayes to suffer from internal bleeding and 13 fractures.

She was cleared to begin riding at the end of the summer.

Mayes says the biggest thing she took away from her accident was that it doesn’t matter how much you try to prevent one, because it could happen to anyone at any time.

“It is a huge win for me to be able to cycle again,” Mayes says.

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“I don’t think I will ever road ride again, and that was 15 years of my life. It is a big victory though — the accident took a lot away from me, but it didn’t take cycling.”

Even though gravel roads are not busy, the calm serenity also comes with a challenge.

Stephanie Martinez, Bicycle Sport Shop volunteer, started gravel riding in 2017. She says, because the roads are remote, it has taught her to be self-supported.

“It is not like you can go stop somewhere to use a restroom or grab a snack. You have to be prepared,” Martinez says. “It definitely gives me more confidence every time I finish an event.”

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Like Martinez, Colin Strickland, a professional, multidisciplinary cycler, says gravel racing has given him a lot of confidence as a professional cyclist.

Strickland began road race training on gravel roads because of the stressful nature of riding on roads next to cars traveling 60 mph.

Seeking to find something a little safer, he discovered some gravel roads southeast of Austin toward Lockhart that were less busy and a more peaceful option. He competed in some of his first local gravel events in 2017 including the Castell Grind and Texas Chainring Massacre.

“Being able to push yourself to a point you never thought possible shows your ability to stretch personal limits, and you have power over your mind and body,” Strickland says. “I also love the challenge of constantly changing surfaces that keeps you engaged and finding the best ways to go.”

As Strickland attended races, he says he witnessed how gravel cycling was more of a community than a hypercompetitiveness.

“I noticed there were all these cyclists who I’d never really seen before,” he says.

“It is like a completely different group of people racing road bikes.”

Drost and Kinsey say they enjoy that aspect of gravel riding and described the sport as a melting pot of cyclists, drawing in a myriad of different people of all levels and backgrounds.

“It’s interesting, because a lot of pro riders are coming to gravel now,” Drost says. “Gravel allows regular guys like Brett and me to line up next to guys like Colin Strickland. It is just everyone kind of rubbing shoulders — which you don’t have the opportunity to do in many other sports.”

Despite gravel’s growing popularity, Kinsey is worried about the integrity of the sport for the future.

“Anytime something becomes popular, folks who just want to make money off something are going to appear,” Kinsey says. “I want gravel riding to be something I would want to share with my friends. To me, it is way more about quality versus quantity.” afm

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

LIFESTYLE AUTHOR

Emily Effren

PHOTOGRAPHY

Austin Pets Alive

FINDING A FOREVER HOME How adopting your next pet will save more lives than just one.

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eing an outdoorsy city, Austin is one of the most dogfriendly and doghappy places in the world. Running around Town Lake? Bring your dog.

Exploring through downtown? Bring your dog. Spending the afternoon at Zilker? It would be weird if you didn’t bring your dog.

However, the journey from justborn puppy to human companion isn’t always smooth and turbulentfree. Many dogs don’t have the luxury of being born into a loving home, and under varying circumstances, some become strays and never get to

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find a home — or “forever home,” as Katera Berent, the public relations and events manager for Austin Pets Alive!, calls it.

“You’re saving lives,” Berent says.

“Dogs and cats in shelters — they are given a second chance by being in the shelter from whatever situation they were in before, and by someone rescuing or adopting an animal, they’re saving that animal’s life.”

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, even though there are fewer euthanizations than there were in 2011, there are still 1.5 million shelter animals that are euthanized in the United States

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each year.

As Travis and Williamson county are no-kill counties (animals are not at risk for euthanasia), by adopting an animal from an animal shelter, someone has the opportunity to save not just one, but two lives, since doing so frees up more kennel space for another animal that is at risk to be euthanized somewhere else, Berent says.

However, only 23 percent of dogs are acquired from an animal shelter or humane society, while 34 percent of dogs are purchased from breeders, according to the American Pet Products Association. The remaining percentages included acquiring

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the animals through family, as a stray or other circumstances.

“Rescuing allows you to save a life, but it also allows you to give a dog or cat a second chance and give them the deserving home —the loving home — that they deserve and that they need,” Berent says.

Many people choose to buy breeded animals instead of rescuing because of common beliefs about animal histories and certain behavioral traits, Berent says. For example, some dogs, bigger dogs especially, are thought to have aggressive tendencies, when

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WE KNOW HOW THEY DO ON LEASH, WE KNOW WHAT WALKING EQUIPMENT THEY NEED, AND WE KNOW HOW BEST TO SERVE THEM AND WHAT HOMES THEY WILL THRIVE IN.” in fact, most are good-natured with unique personalities.

“It’s a common misconception that when you adopt an animal, you know nothing about it — that’s

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simply not the case,” Berent says.

Working with the animals in the shelter every day, Berent says that even though the Austin Pets Alive! staff and volunteers may not know all of their animal’s past experiences, they truly get to know each animals personality so they can pair them with the best future family.

“We know what they like, what they don’t like, what their favorite toys are, [what] their favorite treats are,” Berent says. “We know how they do on leash, we know what walking equipment they need, and we know how best to serve them and what homes they will thrive in.”

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In addition, Berent says that this common misunderstanding causes big dogs in shelters to get adopted at a lower rate because of these false ideas or stigmas surrounding certain breeds like pit bulls and German shepherds.

“So there’s, you know, rumblings that you hear or have heard in the past attached to pit bull-type dogs when, in reality, they’re just dogs who are eager to learn and know people and know love, just like any other dog,” Berent says.

Berent’s not wrong. The dogs most commonly found in animal shelters include big dog breeds such as German shepherds, labradors, Staffordshire terriers, boxers

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to know them and love them, but seeing them find their forever home — there’s not really a comparable feeling to that,” she says. afm

and bulldogs. In addition, topping that list and considered to be the most common dog breed found in shelters or humane societies is the American pit bull terrier, according to barkpost.com.

Every dog has a unique personality and is individual from the historical discrimination their breed has faced, Berent says.

In the past, Austin Pets Alive! had a “resident piglet,” whom Berent referred to as “Mercedes.”

Mercedes was a pit-mix who had been getting looked over for years, until finally, in 2019, she was adopted to a loving family.

Another staff favorite and bigger dog was Spot, who was also a pit bull-mix and had unfortunately been looked over, similar to Mercedes.

Even though Spot made the news, a celebrity’s Instagram and looked as if he had a permanent smile on his face, Spot kept getting looked over until this past autumn when he finally got adopted, Berent says.

Even though some adoptions take more time than others, Berent says that one of her favorite parts about working in an animal shelter is seeing animals become part of a new family.

“It’s a bit bittersweet of course, because you get

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LIFESTYLE AUTHOR

Emily Effren

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MORE THAN A CANINE COMPANION Chelsey Price navigates her life with her Canine Companion, Pablo.

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en years ago, after a rafting trip with her friends to the Comal River in Central Texas, Chelsey Price felt sick. A few days later, when she didn’t show up to work, someone went to her home to check on her — they found her unconscious.

“I spent about three months in the hospital,” Price says. “My heart had shut down, so my blood flow had stopped circulating. My hands and feet turned black.”

Circulation eventually returned to her hands, but this wasn’t the

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case for her lower body.

“They amputated below the feet,” Price says. Now, Price wears prosthetics for both of her feet. A bacterial infection she had caught from her rafting trip is what caused her heart to shut down, she says.

Laying down obediently next to Price’s feet is a 7-year-old yellow Labrador and golden retriever mix — her Canine Companion, Pablo.

Accompanying his blue, sequin bow tie is a blue vest with yellow stitching that reads “Canine Companions for Independence.”

After doing some online research, Price says she found herself drawn to Canine

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

LIFESTYLE

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DURING TEAM TRAINING, YOU DO A LOT OF BONDING AND YOU DON’T REALIZE HOW MUCH MORE YOUR BOND CAN GROW AFTER YOU LEAVE.”

and Price became part of their first graduating class. The two-week training consisted of bonding activities and learning specific commands for “graduates” who were to receive a Canine Companion upon their graduation.

“Part of being a graduate is you learn how to incorporate the dog

into your life,” Price says.

During the CCI training, graduates will learn certain commands such as how to get the dogs to tug, shove and pick up objects.

“They put me with Pablo,” Price says. “Now we go to work every day.

He helps me with household chores, he helps me do laundry, he helps me

Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance dogs to children, adults and veterans. Price says CCI stuck out to her specifically because of their graduate followup program and the fact that they are completely free of charge.

After interviewing at CCI in California and being accepted on the waitlist, a south central region of CCI opened in Irving, Texas,

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bring in groceries — a bunch of stuff.”

Having a service dog that is able to complete simple tasks has enhanced her day-to-day life since she had received Pablo five years ago, Price says.

“I don’t wear my legs [at home] the whole time. So, when you get in bed, you have to remember to turn on your bedside lamp, or you have to navigate in the dark from the switch to your bed. But with Pablo, I can get in bed and then tell him to go turn off the light,” Price says.

Price says she originally wanted a dog that was more outgoing, so she wasn’t drawn to Pablo at first.

“After a team training, they say it takes about six months to really bond with your dog. But during team training, you do a lot of bonding and you don’t realize how much more your bond can grow after you leave,” Price says.

However, before the dogs are ready to go through training with their

future companion, they are raised with puppy raisers, which can range from volunteers to students to people in prisons.

“Pablo was actually raised in a prison in Oregon. So, I’ve never met his puppy raisers, but the prison program manager — we still keep in contact, and Pablo still knows her,” Price says. “I’ve seen her twice since graduation, and both times Pablo goes ballistic — he loves her.”

A student and CCI volunteer puppy raiser, Viktoria Haynes, is currently raising a 6-monthold golden retriever and yellow Labrador mix named Lionel.

“We have the dogs for around 18 months, and then we turn them in to the center,” Haynes says. “That’s where they’ll go through training, anywhere from six to nine months, depending on what their specialty is.”

After joining CCI in May of 2019, Haynes finally received Lionel in

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September of 2019. Before they turn in the dogs they are raising, Haynes says the puppy raisers must teach the dogs (beginning at around eight weeks old) around 30 basic commands and work on getting them used to different situations by bringing them to theaters, grocery stores, class, parks and other places that could be stimulating to train their puppy to adapt to certain environments.

“Your day does change,” Haynes says.

“You have to be willing to wake up and take the dog out, and then, you know, you gotta make sure that you have time set aside to feed them and set the time aside to train them.” “[It’s] Kind of like having a baby, especially in the beginning when they wake up, like, three times during the night,” Haynes laughs, “but once you get started [puppy raising], it’s really hard to stop.”

Haynes says a service dog may not be the right fit for everyone. Even though getting a service dog will change how someone lives their life, their life will be changed for the better, she says.

CCI does a significant amount of research on their graduates before they are given (or matched) with a service dog, says Julie Wilson, a puppy raiser and Price’s friend.

“One time I asked Chelsey, ‘Have you always been so spunky?’ — she’s got a really spunky personality — and she goes, ‘Yes, but I lost myself for a long time after my accident. It wasn’t until I got Pablo that I began to get out more.’”

Even though Pablo wasn’t Price’s initial choice, she says she now understands the reasoning behind CCI matching her with him, which she hadn’t realized before.

“The dogs give the graduates the confidence and the ability to get back — to get attitude back,” Price says.

Even after Pablo passes, Price says she will still continue to live her life with a Canine Companion through CCI. “I can’t imagine life without one now,” Price says. afm

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FRANKLIN (VISLA) Try to beat Franklin in a race and you’re sure to be eating his dust.

Not just a sprinter, Franklin runs about 50-60 miles each week, and he even won the Sunshine Run 5K with a time of just over 16 minutes. Not only is he fast, but he’s also agile and sly — and maybe not always for his own good. He once escaped his parents’ downtown condo to take a solo run to The Loop Running Supply and has been forbidden from Austin Dogtown for fear of jumping the 6-foot fence.

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PETER (MIX) When Peter, or “sweet Pete,” was first adopted from New Hope Animal Rescue, he was heartworm-ridden and unable to do anything that increased his heart rate. But since being cleared for heartworms, in 10 months, Peter has quickly gone from sick to fit. Starting with short walks that eventually became runs with his mom, Peter is now her training partner — he even ran his first race with November Project last August.

Truly embracing the Austin fitness community, Pete joins in for runs with the Morning Jo’s Run Club and workouts with the November Project, and he tags along with his mom to Knockout Kickboxing, where she is an instructor.

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RILEY (BLACK LAB) Riley does what her breed does best: she loves the water. Whether it’s going for a paddleboard tour or just a regular old swim, you can usually find her near the lake. She also loves to take advantage of all the hiking trails Austin has to offer. And when Riley is not busy swimming or hiking, she is off making the residents smile at Belmont Village Senior Living where she visits as a therapy dog.

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APOLLO (GREAT DANE) Don’t mistake Apollo as a miniature horse — we are certain he is 100 percent canine. Regardless, Apollo truly understands the importance of overall health. After being diagnosed with largecell lymphoma at only 4-years-old, his parents vowed to do their best to keep Apollo healthy and active for as long as possible.

Apollo is an outdoor lover. He goes for weekly hikes and loves running through sandy beaches or snow-dusted hills during his many traveling adventures. And like any true Austinite, he also loves getting on the water for a SUPing session (yep, even at 150 pounds) and visiting local breweries. When he can’t get out around town, he loves to run laps in his yard.

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HUXLEY (YELLOW LAB) Huxley is no stranger to overcoming adversity.

He was born with a defect that caused his femur to grow out of the hip socket instead of into the hip socket. His femur started protruding to the point where he had a giant lump (the bone) under his skin and had to have the top of his femur shaved off when he was barely a year old. The vets said he would only have 60 percent mobility in his leg after his surgery.

However, this doesn’t hold Huxley back, and his mobility looks like 100 percent. He will hike for hours, swim until you physically remove him from the water and chase a ball until his mom’s arm tires out. He loves visiting Zilker, hiking the Greenbelt, swimming in Lady Bird Lake and joining in on a cold beer at a nearby brewery.

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MADDIE (GERMAN SHORT-HAIRED POINTER) Maddie is everything you could ask for in a training partner. She has pulled her dad through all his training runs the last three years for the Austin Marathon and Half Marathons. Maddie also placed fourth overall in the “fastest dog competition” at the 2018 Sunshine Run and placed fifth in 2019.

She also loves to do hill repeats during Tuesday night RAW workouts and can sprint the length of a football field for hours chasing after a ball or stick.

Launch anything into a body of water, and Maddie will retrieve it — no matter the distance. She also won’t hesitate to climb a tree just to follow a squirrel.

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BEEZER (CORGI) Not only is she extremely cute, but Beezer is also a welldecorated dog. A Gold Agility Dog Champion, Beezer was a semi-finalist at the Cynosport National Dog Agility Trial for the last two years. She loves to stay fit through her regular agility training and aerobic trail loops. She also mixes in some high-intensity interval training through squirrel and deer chasing and is always up for a little frisbee keep-away.

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ELLIE BEAR (DACHSHUND) Ellie Bear never lets her size or short legs hold her back. She loves to go to the gym with her mom and will voluntarily get on the treadmill for a level 15 incline walk with mom. Outside of the gym, Ellie Bear loves to hike at all the trails around Austin and visit Zilker Park to chase balls and dogs much bigger than her.

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CHEETO (GOLDEN RETRIEVER) Don’t let her name of a childhood junk food snack deceive you.

Her name is full of irony, because Cheeto is all about clean eating. She prefers carrots, squash, broccoli and even lettuce over any kind of junk food. She is always up for some active fun and adventure. Although she loves hiking and playing with her neighborhood dog friends, Cheeto loves to run and walk with her mom, and basically has to exercise if she wants to keep up with her three lacrosse-playing older brothers.

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RANGER (BLACK LAB) Just like people, dog’s can also have a fitness journey. Ranger is a great example.

When he was first adopted two years ago, Ranger was severely overweight due to a life of inactivity in a shelter. First Ranger learned how to walk politely on his leash, then he got acquainted with Austin’s hiking trails, and now he is even a jogger.

Ranger is an excellent swimmer and has swam at the Green Belt, Barton Springs and even friends’ pools. He loves playing with the many friends he’s made around the neighborhood and showcasing his world-class zoomies.

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HOWELL’S RACE TO TOKYO

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Magnolia Howell, artist and professional runner, talks about her journey to her third and final Olympic attempt.

AUTHOR MONICA HAND PHOTOGRAPHY JEFF COHEN

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S itting down with Magnolia Howell, over the phone or in person, she’s liable to give a pep talk. Whether it’s telling you how special you are or what you mean to the world, her goal is only to express why it is that who you are is exactly who you need to be.

And she’s not just saying these things to be nice — she’s saying them because she wholeheartedly believes them to be true. She’s a natural born leader and nurturer who’s taken this love of people both to the track world and to the art scene. And now she’s a Tokyo 2020 hopeful, moving all the way to Austin from Los Angeles to train with people she can connect with.

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“I KNEW THAT IF I DIDN’T DO IT THEN, I’D NEVER GO. I LEFT COMFORT. THE APARTMENT I LOVED, FAMILY CLOSE BY, ALL OF MY CONNECTIONS — EVERYTHING.” It seems running has always been a part of Howell’s life, and is as second nature as breathing. She has ran and medaled in major championship and international meets and made it to two Olympic trial finals.

She highlights running for the Trinidad and Tobago national teams as a tribute to her Trinidadian father, but taking that passion all the way to the Olympics was — and still is — a peak goal of hers.

But in 2016, when she didn’t make her second attempt to the games, she took a step back from the running world. It was heavy on her mental health, the idea of failure that had been pent up since her first attempt in 2012. She spent months reassessing all that she’d worked for and all that she’d done up until that point.

“I’d been running every day of my life since the fourth grade,” Howell explains. “And then, I just wasn’t.”

The stress and anxiety were weighing on her and taking their toll when her mother suggested that she take up painting. Her mother even gave her a simple set of paints. Although she’s been running all her life, that’s never been all there was to her — from a young age she

had a curious mind and a knack for all things creative.

“Painting? I didn’t think I could do it,” Howell explains. “I’d never painted before, besides when I was a little girl.”

Once she started, she didn’t stop. She found that through the medium of painting, she was able to realize the power of determination.

“I just went into painting the same way I had gone into running,” Howell says. “You have to be determined. You have to trust yourself and your ability.”

After a while, she started showing in galleries throughout the LA area.

Expressing both her feelings and her world through paint helped her find a passion for people. She started her own business called Art on the Run that used art to open people up and help them find determination in themselves.

“I wanted to empower others through art,” she says.

“Showing them how to reinvent the beliefs they have of themselves — of what they think they can and cannot do.”

But after a tragic loss in the family, Howell again reassessed where she was and what she wanted.

She’d been training again but wasn’t where she wanted to be mentally nor where she needed to be physically.

The program wasn’t getting her the results she needed.

So, in almost a snap decision, she sold all of her belongings except for a few easy-to-carry items and made arrangements to move to Texas.

“I knew that if I didn’t do it then, I’d never go,” she says. “I left comfort. The apartment I loved, family close by, all of my connections — everything.”

Moving to Austin wasn’t an easy move, but she says

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it was the right move. She came for the coach she says can get her to the Olympics — Coach Darryl Woodson.

“He’s the best in the world, and he’s the best for me,” Howell says. “If anyone can do it, it’s him.”

Woodson has 20-plus years of coaching experience and has trained a large number of podium-level athletes in all major championships and Olympic games. He’s served on five USATF teams, the USATF’s Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Executive Committee and the Coaches Advisory Committee. He himself holds a world record and two American records in track and field.

Not only does he head the USA national coaching staff, but his devotion to working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities by promoting track and field throughout the communities shows his own passion for people.

“CONNECTING WITH THE TEAM YOU TRAIN WITH AND THE COACH IS IMPORTANT. I LEARNED THAT THE HARD WAY, BUT NOW I’M IN A COMMUNITY I CAN THRIVE IN.”

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Apart from just being an athlete, Howell uses art as a creative outlet and works to empower others through art by “Showing them how to reinvent the beliefs they have of themselves — of what they think they can and cannot do.”

“Connecting with the team you train with and the coach is important,” Howell says. “I learned that the hard way, but now I’m in a community I can thrive in.”

She moved without a place to stay until a few nights before arriving. Now, she says the community of Austin has welcomed her with arms more open than she had ever expected.

“The people here are just so genuine,” she says.

“Every connection you make is a real one, and people have gone out of their way to help me in ways people in LA wouldn’t have.”

The network she worried about losing from the move proved to be easy to replace. Although she’s still actively looking for sponsors, she found several local businesses that have supported her through food, a place to stay and massage therapy.

But even with the best coach and local support, she’s still wary about the upcoming trials.

“I’ve been running since I was eight,” she explains.

“But now I’m 35, and a lot of athletes fade out after 30-32.”

Part of that difficulty of age comes from the amount of sacrifices that have to be made as a professional athlete. In their 20s, athletes might not have much holding them back from traveling the country or world to train every day.

“As you get older, you have a whole life you’ve built, and you have to decide if it’s still worth it,” Howell says.

“I sacrificed everything I had made for myself, just for this. And that’s hard, even if it’s what I needed to do.”

She says she’s waiting for her “Rudy moment,” and as long as she continues to train her body and stay true to her determination, she says she is confident all of her sacrifice will be worth it in the end. afm

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WELLNESS AUTHOR

Caroline Betik

PHOTOGRAPHY

Brian Fitzsimmons

YOGA FOR THE MIND Expressing creativity stretches the brain and keeps us healthy

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raditionally, people have used art therapy to work through emotional issues.

Over the years, research has proved art is additionally beneficial for the overall health and development of the brain and body for daily function throughout all stages of life.

Merri Isom, a licensed professional counselor and registered art therapist who works for Art Therapy Austin, described what she does using a simile.

“Art therapy is like yoga, but for the mind.”

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“Art therapy is kind of like stretching your brain creatively,” Isom says. “People tend to think just because the mind and body are two different words, they are separate, but they are absolutely intertwined.”

Delilah Knuckley, gallery education manager at Thinkery, connects the growth of mind and body in a program called Art Start.

The program, for children ages 12-48 months, allows children and their parents to explore artistic expression by creating art. By participating in

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these activities, children work on developing strength in finemotor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness and expressing emotions freely.

Knuckley defined art as an innate expression of creativity and culture. She says for early learners, it provides a sensory exploration that harnesses their natural curiosity to help them in development.

“At a young age, art helps build a large variety of skills including language, socio-emotional development and motor skills,” Knuckley says. “In the world, we need people with all

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practice grossand fine-motor skills through hands-on activities, movement and play using things like clay, colorful packing peanuts and feathers to make unique creations with their parents.

Kelly Bonavita and Mario Valentin say since taking their children to the Art Start program, they have witnessed them develop healthy skills through art.

“AT A YOUNG AGE, ART HELPS BUILD A LARGE VARIETY OF SKILLS INCLUDING LANGUAGE, SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MOTOR SKILLS.” kinds of skills. Activities which stimulate creativity are healthy for all children, because it allows them freedom to use their imagination and ask all the questions they want.”

During Art Start, children

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WELLNESS

“At this age it is a process — not something you see week-to-week but monthto-month. I can see growing in her brain,” says Bonavita.

“The more exposure to art, the more confidence she has, realizing she can explore more things like this on her own.”

Valentin says he can see how art is becoming a way for his son to express himself.

“Anytime you need to express yourself, you can do it through art, and he does it a little bit at a time,” Valentin says. “If he is angry, he scratches harder, and his color strokes are faster. And the more he does it, the more he will learn this is one form of saying what you’re feeling.”

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Knuckley says embracing art at a young age means creating connections in the brain that will foster a lifetime of learning. These connections can be built at any span of life.

Neuropsychologist Lindsay Heath is president of Small Victories Foundation. She works with people who suffer from brain injuries who are seeking to reform broken connections in the brain through art.

Heath explains that our brains are neuroplastic, or malleable. When we create art, our brains are able to heal, change and build new connections. By participating in repetitive actions, art therapy can help people form new connections.

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In the brain, there are neural pathways, or connections and routes that link together other parts of the brain.

Through art, we stimulate the creation of new neural pathways. This is how information gets from point A to point B and allows us to function doing everyday activities.

Heath says the creation of new pathways is how you learn new skills at any age. It can also help with the recovery process.

“Through art, you’re getting a form of expression, and you can help form connections in whatever part of the brain you are targeting,” Heath says. “For example, if motor skills are damaged, you can

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form new pathways with a lot of repetition using your hands to play guitar or do pottery.”

Like Bonavita noticed with her daughter, Health says she can see how art has helped people with confidence in their ability to do daily tasks after struggling with them before art therapy.

“Knowing you have the ability to sing can give you confidence to talk to the cashier at the grocery store,” Heath says. “Or, knowing you can make a beautiful clay pot may give you confidence to go back to work in the office or fold clothes in the washroom.”

Building new neural pathways through art not only helps develop physical skills, but also helps overcome mental barriers.

Research has found a part of the brain can shrink when people suffer from PTSD, trauma or substance abuse.

“You can see how, for people who are very traumatized, the world is really small and repetitive. They may be depressed or have anxiety,” Isom says. “Using

a modality called EMDR creates openness and moves these thoughts into the past.”

EMDR helps clear neural pathways from dysfunctionally stored memory, or pathogenic memory.

Once these memories are cleared, new neural circuits can be created, returning the brain to its normal size.

“Adding art therapy to this modality can add in the extra depth,” Isom says. “It can show during treatment what is coming up in their minds, even if it’s an abstract. Art therapy can act as a great adjunct for other kinds of therapy.”

Isom says art creates a sense of safety and containment that can be helpful for emotions when we get stuck in their brains.

Heath also agrees that art helps facilitate healthy living.

“You cannot underestimate the importance of mental health,” she says. “Through art, we can improve overall well-being. Not having the motivation to exercise or take care of ourselves stems from our mental health — which art can help keep healthy.” afm

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WELLNESS AUTHOR

Jessica Clark

WHY SLEEP IS THE MISSING PIECE OF YOUR FITNESS PUZZLE Sleep is more important to your fitness goals than you’d realize.

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hen you look at your current sleep habits and how many pounds you might be trying to lose, you’re likely to find a correlation. If you’re sleeping fewer than seven hours per night, chances are that you are having trouble reaching your fitness goals — and for good reason. Sleeping well is one of the foundational pillars of wellness, because how many hours of sleep you get affects your wellness and waistline as much as how you eat and exercise. It also helps you to be able to manage stress and maintain optimal brain function.

In terms of messing with your nutrition, getting too few hours of sleep impacts the hormones that regulate hunger (leptin and ghrelin),

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causing an increase in appetite with cravings for starchy foods, which could explain your donut craving after a late night. Getting only four hours of sleep per night for only two nights in a row can cause a drop in leptin — the hormone responsible for telling your body to stop eating — by up to 20 percent. Ghrelin, which essentially tells your body to eat more — despite your actual satiety — also increases by nearly 30 percent. So, after only two nights of sleep deprivation, you can kiss your Whole30 or Keto diet bye-bye. And as you know, your nutrition directly impacts your energy levels and your workouts. Sleep poorly, eat poorly, train poorly.

Keeping in mind that this hormonal mess happens after only two nights of less-than-ideal sleep, think about the consequences of

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chronic sleep deprivation on your waistline. No wonder your old jeans don’t fit. No wonder you hit snooze instead of hitting the trail in the morning. No wonder you struggle with that mid-afternoon caffeine or sugar craving and can’t muster up the energy to hit the gym after work. If you’re not sleeping enough and are frustrated with your diet and exercise program, perhaps getting a little more shuteye could be the catalyst you need to rev up your fat-burning engine and power your workouts.

So, how much sleep should you be getting each night? According to the National Sleep Foundation, seven to nine hours of sleep is ideal for most adults (20 to 70 years old).

So, start to take note of your average sleep each week, and see where you can make some changes. afm

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IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP HABITS If you have trouble falling asleep, add more of these healthy foods or supplements containing these micronutrients into your regular diet: Almonds and cashews: Rich in magnesium, a mineral which acts as a natural sedative when built up in the system (meaning you should ingest these nuts daily for best results).

Asparagus: Helps our bodies naturally cleanse and is high in folate, which improves mood and is essential for proper function of the cardiovascular system.

Bananas: Good source of melatonin and potassium, which help with sleep and normalizing our heartbeat.

Salmon: Contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve sleep, boost libido and help prevent depression.

Cheese: Good source of tryptophan, which releases the sleep hormone melatonin.

Try these lifestyle changes:

If you have trouble staying asleep:

Try to turn off anything with a screen at least one hour before bed. Not only does the light-emanating disturb your circadian rhythm, but you could also find yourself feeling more anxious when you are overstimulated that close to bedtime.

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Ditch the evening glass of wine or cocktail for a few days to see how the quality of your sleep improves.

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Stop drinking liquids at least one hour before bed, and try to use the restroom right before you turn in for the night to keep from waking in the middle of the night.

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Try adjusting your bedroom temperature, flip your mattress and invest in some new pillows.

Ditch the midafternoon coffee. Try to limit caffeine usage in general — but especially after 3 p.m.

Take an Epsom salt bath at night for magnesium absorption and relaxation — especially when stressed or sore. Add some lavender essential oil to the bath and a cup of chamomile tea by your side for the ultimate calming experience!

Most of these tips you can employ tonight to start getting more restful sleep immediately. If you sleep well tonight, you are more likely to eat a better breakfast tomorrow, which will lead to a better lunch and dinner.

You’ll also have more energy to work out and be more likely to hit the gym. Eating well and exercising tomorrow will help you sleep better tomorrow night, which will hopefully start a streak of awesomeness that will help you drop those pounds and look and feel your best. From there, keep the streak alive — you’ll continue to thrive.

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WELLNESS SPONSOR

The EM Suite at Simple Radiance Medspa

WELLNESS

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THE NEW MOMMY MAKEOVER: HIFEM TECHNOLOGY What if one technology can help diastasis recti and incontinence in a matter of 30 minutes?

a comfortable environment.

“HIFEM is exactly what I look for in a new product! It truly revolutionized how we treat muscle loss for aesthetics and medical conditions such as Diastasis Recti and Incontinence,” says Cravens.

What is HIFEM?

Simply put, HIFEM technology induces muscle contractions. What makes HIFEM different is the ability to interact with motor neurons to create supramaximal muscle contractions not achievable through normal means. In one 30-minute session, HIFEM technology, found only in EMSCULPT and EMSELLA, can simulate up to 10,000+ contractions.

What is diastasis recti and its effect on women’s health?

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etty Cravens, owner of Simple Radiance Medspa, shares how HIFEM (Hi-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic) can empower women to take back their lives quickly and painlessly without surgery. Seemingly different, diastasis recti and incontinence are both caused by weakening muscle. And while women’s health has come a long way, traditional solutions for diastasis recti and incontinence have been invasive, ineffective and expensive.

Betty Cravens believes women deserve access to the best technology to address their issues easily, without pain and in

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Diatasis Recti or abdominal separation occurs when the rectus abdominis (otherwise known as the six-pack muscle) pulls apart. During pregnancy the pressure from a growing baby can cause these muscles to stretch and thin, separating from the connective tissue that binds the abs together. The rectus abdominis works together with the pelvis and lower back to help you move and transfer weight and holds the uterus, intestines and other organs in place. Abdominal separation is not harmful, but can cause lower back pain, urinary incontinence, constipation, pain during sex and pelvic or hip pain.

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How is abdominal separation traditionally treated?

Once the connective tissue gets stretched out, it can be difficult to rebuild core strength and bring your muscles back together. Doing traditional crunches can make the condition worse by tightening the muscles, pushing them further apart. Until recently, surgery was the only option to repair the diastasis recti by stitching the abdominal wall together. Surgical procedures are highly invasive and are generally considered to be “cosmetic” surgery.

Can HIFEM help Diastasis Recti?

Introduced in 2018, EMSCULPT is the only FDAcleared body-sculpting treatment to simultaneously reduce fat and build muscle. As described above, the proprietary HIFEM technology found on EMSCULPT induces 20,000 supramaximal contractions in 30 minutes. It strengthens the abdominal wall effectively pulling the muscles back together reducing the diastasis recti. EMSCULPT is non-invasive with zero downtime.

What causes urinary incontinence?

Childbirth is a contributing factor in the development of urinary incontinence. However, equally as important are age and menopause. As the pelvic floor muscles weaken, the pelvic organs are not properly supported. The organs press on the bladder causing leakage or urgency. Although it is not life threatening, urinary incontinence negatively impacts quality of life by affecting daily activities, sexual and interpersonal relationships, psychological well-being and social

interactions. Many women report embarrassment, anger and depression.

How is incontinence traditionally treated?

Although incontinence is a big problem for many women, standard treatment for urinary incontinence is lacking. Treatments range from floor muscles exercising (kegels) and intravaginal electrostimulation or drug treatment with side effects. Surgery is an option, but not without risk and downtime. Most women resort to wearing pads and suffer physical and mental limitations.

What is EMSELLA?

EMSELLA revolutionizes the HIFEM technology to provide those suffering from incontinence with a completely non-invasive solution. Patients stay fully clothed during their 30-minute session, sitting comfortably on the EMSELLA chair. HIFEM is administered treating the entire pelvic floor with 11,000+ muscle contractions or kegel equivalents. EMSELLA is FDA-cleared for the treatment of incontinence. In a study, patients treated with EMSELLA… • 81 percent reported significant reduction in their symptoms.

• Approximately 70 percent of patients reported a decrease in the number of pads used • Quality of life significantly improved for all women in the study afm

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WELLNESS AUTHOR

AFM STAFF

HEALTHY HELPINGS

D​ OGS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO DRUGS

A study conducted at the University of Missouri-Columbia Center for the Study of Animal Wellness, showed that when a human pets a dog, within minutes they get a massive release of beneficial hormones known to be associated with health and feelings of wellbeing — such as prolactin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Additionally, the research showed that they also decrease the stress hormone, cortisol. This finding is particularly relevant in the treatment of clinically depressed patients. Researchers also found that animal assisted therapy for depression and anxiety was highly beneficial. The patients in this study reported that they looked forward to therapy more when a dog was used in the session.

How dogs are good for our health

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WALK A HOUND AND LOSE A POUND

Regular dog walks are good for both ends of the leash. Researchers from Michigan State University reported that among dog owners who regularly took their pets for a walk, 60 percent met federal criteria for regular moderate or vigorous exercise. Nearly half of dog walkers exercised at least five days a week and for an average of 30 minutes a day.

By comparison, only about a third of those without dogs got that much regular exercise. The researchers tracked the exercise habits of 5,900 people in Michigan, including 2,170 who owned dogs. They found that about two-thirds of dog owners took their pets for regular walks, defined as lasting at least 10 minutes.

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PUPPIES PREVENTING PATHOGENS

If you and your partner want to have a baby, consider getting a dog before conceiving — but not for the reasons you may think. Although raising a dog can be good practice for raising a family, research published in the journal Pediatrics shows that children who live in a home with a pet during their first year of life are more likely to be healthier, compared with kids who don’t live in a pet-owning household. Evidence from the study suggests that exposure to pets early in life can stimulate the immune system to do a better job of fighting off infection. The researchers found that kids who grew up in a dog-owning home not only had 41 percent fewer ear infections (in comparison to kids from nondog owning homes) and 31 perfect fewer respiratory tract infections. afm

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Pet Spotlight

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From food, to toys to veterinary care and more, we know you want the best for your pet. Check out these businesses to make sure you’re only getting the top of line for your pet.

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Opened in 1946 and operated by four generations of the Click family, Tomlinson’s Feed offers world-class customer service for you and your pets with team members trained in animal nutrition.

Because of your support, Tomlinson’s Feed distributes donations of +175,000 lbs of healthy pet food and +$40,000 to Central Texas rescues every year.

Pack up your pets and give them a visit — treat samples and ear rubs await!

Can’t make it by a store? They offer local delivery through tomlinsons.com.

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NULO PET FOOD Nulo.com Founded in Austin, and independently owned and operated, Nulo Pet Food believes that our pets inspire us to be the best version of ourselves, so they provide top quality nutrition and ingredients that will keep pets at their best every single day. With a variety of premium food and treats that provide natural nutrition, high animal-based protein, low carb ingredients and a patented probiotic for ongoing immune and digestive health, Nulo cuts no corners when it comes to providing your pet with the core nourishment they need without the fillers they don’t.

Austin Subaru austinsubaru.co Austin Subaru loves helping their customers find their dream cars while also making an effort to help the community. Created

by Subaru of America, the Share the Love Event is one of the favorites to be a part of — and for an obvious reason.

Over the past 11 years through the Share the Love Event, Subaru of America and participating retailers like Austin Subaru, have donated more than $145 million to both national and hometown charities. It’s a simple idea: every year since 2008, whenever someone buys or leases a new car at Austin Subaru from mid-November through the beginning of January, Subaru of America promises to donate $250 to one of four national charities or to our hometown charity. On top of that, Austin Subaru makes an additional donation of $50, making the total donation $300 per car.

For the past five years, Austin Pets Alive! has been the hometown charity for Austin Subaru. During the Share the Love Event in 2019, Austin Subaru raised $100,000 for Austin Pets Alive! That’s going to help save a lot of puppies and kittens.

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Widow was once a homeless dog as are so many others at Austin Pets Alive!. With the help of Austin Subaru and the #ShareTheLove Event, dogs like Widow are given a chance to live their best lives.

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FITNESS AUTHOR

Diane Vives, MS, CSCS

GET HIP TO PREVENT KNEE INJURY Why strengthening your hips will save your knees.

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njoying sports and an active lifestyle motivates us to stay healthy and prevent injuries, if possible.

Knee injuries such as injuring the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can be devastating to many athletes and fitness warriors alike and can result in dropping out of beloved sports, and it can even become a catalyst for depression.

For this reason, injury prevention and integrating functional strength movements can enhance the body and mind. In an attempt to prevent injury, people sometimes narrowly focus only on the targeted joint, when it is actually the joints above or below that have the most impact on performance and injury.

I would even say that the knee is a “dumb” joint, in that it only does what the ankle and hip tell it to do.

Because of the larger and stronger muscles that surround and guide it, the hip has powerful influence on the

MARCH

strength, power and control of the movements that involve the knee. So, when the hips’ prime movers and/or stabilizers — which guide successful movements for the lower body — are weak, the knee takes a beating, and its ligaments and joint structures are primed for injury. Therefore, being proactive means focusing on exercises that can be integrated for enhancing hip strength.

There are multiple planes of motion and loading forces that the hip joint needs to strengthen in order to flow through movements with strength, power and coordination.

An example would be controlling and preventing unwanted side-to-side movement in order to effectively propel your movement forward. Not only does the lateral movement waste energy on your targeted path, but it also forces joint segments such as the knee to collapse inward excessively and increases the potential for injury.

For this reason, we have focused on two exercises that strengthen the

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hips in multiple directions and one exercise that works to strengthen the ability to decelerate. Most noncontact knee injuries occur during the deceleration phase of movement, so this becomes a powerful training strategy to prevent knee injuries.

THREE-POINT ARM REACHES ON ONE LEG

PURPOSE: Strengthen the muscles of the hips, and maintain vertical alignment in a single-leg stance. Balance, stability and strength are all required to maintain vertical alignment in the lower body, while the upper body acts as a driver to shift the load in three directions with an arm reach.

START: Stand on a single leg, fully extended and tall, with three cones placed in front of you. The center cone should be directly in front of your foot.

a. Bend at the ankle, knee and hip, maintaining vertical alignment while

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IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT INJURY, PEOPLE SOMETIMES NARROWLY FOCUS ONLY ON THE TARGETED JOINT, WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY THE JOINTS ABOVE OR BELOW THAT HAVE THE MOST IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE AND INJURY.” reaching your opposite hand over the center cone at waist height. Push through the heel, keeping the core engaged as you return to your standing position. b. Repeat the movement with the same leg and arm but now reaching over the left cone. Be sure to continue to maintain vertical alignment of the ankle, knee and hip. c. Repeat the movement with the

same leg and arm but now reaching over the right cone. Be sure to continue to maintain vertical alignment of the ankle, knee and hip.

d. Now repeat the sequence with the other leg and arm reaching over each cone.

Tweak: If the reaches are too easy, increase intensity by squatting deeper in your stance and reaching lower to the top of the cone while maintaining good form.

3-D REACHING LUNGES

PURPOSE: The functional position of this hip-dominant lunge is used in acceleration and deceleration of locomotion in multiple directions.

Strengthening these muscles will enhance performance and decrease risk of injury.

START: Stand tall with the core

engaged and feet hip-width apart.

Hold the medicine ball or weight with both hands in front of the body. a. Forward: Step

forward, bending just slightly at the ankle and knee while bending more exaggeratedly at the hip. At the same time, reach over your knee and toward your toes. Maintain a long spine with core engaged. The trailing leg remains extended, weight shifting to the lunging leg. Return to the starting position by pushing into the floor with your foot until standing upright and fully extended.

b. Lateral: Step in a straight line

laterally while keeping the toe facing forward as you perform the reaching lunge.

c. Rotating: Imagine you are standing

in a square box, and you are rotating as you step so that your foot faces the back corner of the box. Use the same form to perform a reaching lunge.

d. Now repeat on the other leg

and with your arm reaching over each cone.

Tweak: Start with your body weight only, just reaching with the hands until you become stronger and proficient at the movement. Then, you can progress by adding weight with a medicine ball or dumbbell.

prepares for the deceleration phase of lower body movements.

START: Stand tall with the core

engaged and feet hip-width apart.

a. Split the feet quickly into a wider,

shoulder-width stance as you quickly sit back into a squat position.

b. Keep your chest up and eyes for-

ward as you quickly raise your arms forward to assist in counterbalancing your body weight as you sit back into the squat.

c. Make sure the body comes to a complete stop at the bottom of your squat and that your ankle, knee and hips are aligned to make sure that the knee does not collapse inward.

Tweak: Start with just your body weight, and drop only to a half squat.

Once mastered, then drop into the squat until your upper leg is parallel with the ground. Another way to increase intensity is to keep the arms up and hands clasped behind your head, which loads the body more.

These may not be the “sexier” movements in our exercise menu, but they are definitely “big-bang-for-yourbuck” exercises that are harder than they look and yield very positive returns, especially for knee injury prevention. So, go give them a try and get more hip! afm

DROP SQUATS

PURPOSE: This exercise focuses on loading the muscles eccentrically to gain strength while, at the same time, teaching the body to emphasize the posterior muscles of the lower-body and hips. This reinforces strong landing mechanics and

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

FITNESS AUTHOR

Shelby Autrey, owner of BFree Yoga

PHOTOGRAPHY

Brian Fitzsimmons

IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE Try these stretches to get your core upright and engaged for better health.

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osture is a vital component of your overall health. Aligned posture creates harmony and balance in all aspects of being — physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. When your bones and joints are stacked properly and your muscles are engaged, you have more energy and feel less fatigued. Alignment creates a natural free-flow of energy, confidence and range of motion to carry yourself through all of life’s dynamic flow.

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So, what is good posture? Upright and engaged.

Here are five yoga poses that are the building blocks for an engaged and upright posture.

Start with mountain pose and hold for 5-10 breaths, then try the following five exercises, and then repeat mountain pose. Notice the difference your body feels.

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MOUNTAIN POSE (THE BLUEPRINT FOR ALIGNED POSTURE) Keep your feet parallel, hips width-distance. Center your weight over your heels, with equal weight in both feet. Knees pointing forward and hips even. Keep your abdominal muscles braced and shoulders stacked over hips, arms by your side with a neutral spine. Tone the muscles between your shoulder blades, palms facing forward and chin parallel to the ground with the crown of your head reaching upward.

CAT/COW Come into tabletop (hands and knees). Stack your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.

COW: Breathe in, tilt your tailbone to the sky and contract the muscles one by one along the length of your spine until your shoulders squeeze together and your chin pulls through. Look up.

CAT: Breathe out, push the ground away, tone your lower abdominals and pull your tailbone down and through your legs, taking your front ribs back. Push through your hands, round your upper back and pull your chin toward your chest.

REPEAT this wavelike action 5-10 times. This creates strength on your back and front body following the natural curves of your spine.

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FITNESS

DOWNWARD-FACING DOG From table top, turn your toes under, push into your hands and feet, lift your hips to the sky.

From your heart to your hands, push the ground away. Press your chest toward your thighs.

Strengthen the muscles of your legs, and press your heels toward the earth. Draw your front ribs back like “cat,� and puff up the space between your shoulder blades so you feel broad and steady. Slide your shoulders down toward your waist so your neck feels free.

Hold downward-facing dog for 7-10 breaths. You will feel long in your spine and legs, and your core will be engaged to stabilize your center.

LOCUST Lower to your belly. Extend your legs back, arms by your side, forehead to the earth. On a breath in, push your hips down, contract the muscles of your legs and back and between your shoulders, and lift everything up away from the earth.

Chin to chest to keep your neck long. Push hips down, pull legs and chest up. Lengthen your feet back, reach your crown forward, squeeze your arms up and back.

Hold for five breaths. This activates all the muscles of your back body which ultimately hold you upright when standing.

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BRIDGE Lay on your back. Bend your knees, place your feet on the earth, hips width-distance and parallel.

Press down through your heels, squeeze your butt and hamstrings and lift your hips. Tone the muscles between your shoulder blades, and walk your arms under you. You can interlace your hands and press your forearms to the ground, or you can press the backs of your hands into the ground, elbows straight.

Hold 5-10 breaths. This engages your legs, extends your hips and contracts your upper back to promote extension.

RECLINED SPINAL TWIST Lay down on your back. Open your arms in a “T� shape. Take a breath in, and as you exhale, draw your thighs to your chest using your core strength to pull your legs in. Maintain your core activation, keeping your upper back on the ground. Twist your thighs to the right, hover your knees one inch above the ground, pressing your arms down and turning your belly to the left as your knees hover to the right. On your next exhale, let your knees come to the ground, and release to a stretch. *If your upper back comes away from the ground, put a block or folded blanket under your knees so you can get a healthy stretch of your side body, and your upper back is supported by the earth.

Hold for 5-10 breaths. Repeat on the second side. afm

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

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Roxanne Rathge/YMCA of Austin

WORKOUT OF THE MONTH YMCA AT CAMP MOODY OUTDOOR BOOTCAMP

Try this bootcamp style outdoor workout that focuses on aerobics, strength training and speed.

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MARCH

s the first days of spring bring mild temperatures and more colorful landscapes, it’s an inviting time to take your exercise outdoors. Whether you’re looking for a high-intensity workout to reach new goals or a gentle yoga class to clear your mind, getting into nature will yield a number of health benefits.

“Exercising outside can be much more mentally stimulating than a gym,” says Kim Castro, Health and Wellness Coordinator for the YMCA at Camp Moody, a new facility opening in March along the banks of Onion Creek in Buda.

Set on 85 pristine acres, the YMCA at Camp Moody

offers memberships, group classes and personal training programs that take full advantage of the camp’s natural beauty. Castro says the outdoors provide several additional benefits by forcing your body to adapt to changing terrain. You can improvise on trails, fields, hills and even in the water.

“Going outdoors is also a great way to make exercising a family activity,” Castro says. “Bring them along for a hike or kayaking trip, or even let them join a class.”

So if you’re thinking of ditching the treadmill for a trail, there’s really not much downside to it, as long as you remember to dress appropriately, hydrate properly and wear sunblock.

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YMCA AT CAMP MOODY BOOTCAMP WORKOUT Bootcamp workouts generally include an intense mix of aerobic, strength training and speed elements within each class session. In most cases, you can expect to do calisthenics, such as pushups, lunges and crunches, as well as drills and sprints. Be sure to rotate stations quickly in between and repeat up to 5 times.

Before signing up, ask how the program is structured and if there are any prerequisites to assess whether it will be a good fit for you.

WARM-UP TRAIL RUN (5 MINUTES)

The warm-up is one of the most important parts of any workout. Our bodies need lubrication before they can start moving without risking muscle strains and other compensation injuries. Start off with an easy five-minute jog to get the kinks worked out.

BATTLE ROPE (50 REPS)

Just a few minutes with a battle rope will give you a burst of cardio along with a full-body workout. A variety of movements will strengthen your abs, arms and shoulders, as well as activate your leg muscles. The movement pictured here is a doublewave alternating arm raises to move the rope, emphasizing shoulder, back and grip strength.

Stand with feet hip-width apart in a shallow squat. Grip one end of the rope in each of your hands. Tighten your core, and move each rope up and down.

Alternate arm lifts and try to maintain a steady rhythm.

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

FITNESS KETTLEBELLS (20 REPS)

Kettlebells are so popular because they provide such an efficient way to exercise.

Kettlebell swings help build strength, increase your heart rate and burn fat. They’re especially valuable in building strength throughout your posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, etc).

To execute a kettlebell swing, stand with feet set wider than shoulder-width and bend your knees to grab the kettlebell with both hands. Drive your hips, keep your back flat and swing the weight up to shoulder height. Return to the start position and repeat without losing momentum.

MEDICINE BALL (25 REPS)

Coming in a variety of shapes, sizes, weights and constructions, medicine balls offer a low-impact option to build strength and explosive power.

Medicine ball squat throws (pictured here) are a powerful way to build core strength and vertical explosiveness.

Start in a standing position in front of a wall or with a partner. Hold a medicine ball at chest height. Squat down as low as possible, powerfully ascend up, and throw the ball up overhead. Let the ball hit a wall or catch it. Squat back down and repeat the movement.

BURPEES (10 REPS)

An old-school, full-body functional exercise, burpees were created by Royal Burpee at the YMCA in New York City nearly 100 years ago. Exercise sequence: Squat, place palms on the ground, extend legs into a plank, perform a pushup, fold legs back into a low squat, jump up, smile.

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SPRINTS ( 2X 100 METERS)

Including sprints in your workout is a great way to increase your stamina and burn a lot of calories in a short time. It is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and can boost your metabolism as well as regulate your fat burning hormones.

SIDE PLANK (45 SECONDS EACH SIDE)

Finish off your routine with a side plank, which is a great way to strengthen the oblique abdominal muscles. Hold your body on your side in a straight position supported only by one arm and the side of one foot.

COOL-DOWN LIGHT JOG, RESTORATIVE YOGA OR STRETCHING

Be sure to end your workout with a light jog to cool down as well as with some light stretching or restorative yoga.

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

CALENDAR MARCH 2020

Submit your event online at austinfitmagazine.com

Events MUDDY DASH Circuit of the Americas M A R C H 21

MARCH

MARCH 1

MARCH 6

Rogue Trail Series – The Maze

BBQ Austin presented

by Miller Lite

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park Hosting a 10K and 30K, Rogue Trail Series will be holding one of their races, “The Maze,” in Austin! “The Maze” is one of Rogue’s three different series of races which also includes “The Tangle” and “The Stampede.” Registration will include drinks and breakfast after the run and exclusive compression running socks.

Rodeo Austin In case you didn’t know, Austin has the best BBQ in the world. This year at Rodeo Austin, Miller Lite will be hosting a BBQ cookoff along with live bands playing throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Live music and good food? We’re on our way.

attendees are given a lantern to decorate. Right after the sun goes down, attendees light up their lanterns and let them go out on to the water for a beautiful and magical experience. In addition, the family-friendly event will have local artists, merchants and delicious food vendors.

MARCH 7

Festival of Colors (Holi) 2020

MARCH 7

Austin Water Lantern Festival Mueller Lake Park Upon arrival to the festival,

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TBD A holiday that produces infectious positivity and love, Holi is one of the

most colorful events you will ever attend. In Austin, the festival will be hosting a DJ, drum players, Bollywood dance performances, kids activities and authentic Indian food. Also, the colors are organic!

MARCH 10

Post Malone Frank Erwin Center One of the hottest pop-rock artists of the decade will be making a stop in Austin and will be opening with Tyla Yaweh! Destined to perform hits like “Go Flex,” “Circles” and “Sunflower,” Posty’s

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MARCH 14-28

Rodeo Austin TBD Rodeo Austin is back for another year! With a prorodeo, fair, stock show, BBQ auction and dance hall, Rodeo Austin is going to be packed with great music, food and fun. Dig out and dust off those old boots from the back of your closet, and come out to practice your Texas two-step!

MARCH 13-22

SXSW Austin Every year, bright minds and beautiful music assemble in Austin for an unforgettable gathering of innovation and entertainment. With conference speakers, sessions, film screenings and live music playing all-day everyday, South by Southwest is an Austin-must. See you there!

MARCH 17-18

Indie Fest The Austin Winery The fact that there is a

festival at a winery is all you need to know to get excited. The Independent Artist Showcase will be hosting emerging artists from around the country, and it’s a free event! Music + wine = a happy Austinite.

MARCH 21

Muddy Dash Circuit of the Americas Bored of plain, old 5Ks? Looking to challenge yourself? Held at COTA, the Muddy Dash’s 5K course is going to be filled with fun obstacles like mud, walls, ropes, monkey bars and more. You might have to leave your bluetooth headphones at home for this one!

MARCH 27 - 29

Texas Arena League Two Wishes Ranch, Lockhart, TX In the spirit of rodeo season, come out and watch the Texas Arena League of the Central Texas Polo Association play in one of the most fast-paced and exciting sports in Texas.

With general admission tickets beginning at just $10 and proceeds going to Make-A-Wish North Texas, this polo match will

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be one you won’t want to miss.

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MARCH 29

ABC Zilker Kite Festival Zilker Park Austin’s annual kite festival is back for another year! The event is set to have over 20 vendors and will be an excellent afternoon for the whole family.

The festival will also have kite flying demonstrations, a contest and games for kids. With our favorite skyline filled with colorful balloons…did someone say photo-op?

MARCH 29

Girls Gotta Eat Emo’s Austin If you like podcasts and you love Girls Gotta Eat, then come and see the best friend duo record their chart-topping podcast live at one of Austin’s beloved venues.

The duo discusses navigating life in the modern world with topics like sex, dating and relationships.

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CALENDAR MARCH- M AY 2020

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Rides & Races AUSTIN WICKED WINE RUN Spicewood Vineyards MA R C H 7

MARCH

MARCH 6-8

MARCH 14

BetterRide with Gene Hamilton

PurpleStride Wage Hope 5K

Burnet

Austin

ACC Fairway 5K

MARCH 7

MARCH 16

Austin

Austin Wicked Wine Run

Culinaria 5K Wine and Beer Run

MARCH 1

Spicewood Vineyards

San Antonio

MARCH 1

The Maze at Walnut Creek 30K and 10K Austin

MARCH 7

Run the Ranch 5K and Kids Fun Run Austin

International Day of Happiness 1m, 5K, 10K, 13.1M, 26.2M Dallas

MARCH 1

Super Heroes vs. Villains Half

MARCH 8

Houston

Run the Alamo Half Marathon and Marathon San Antonio

MARCH

MARCH 20

MARCH 21

Muddy Dash Austin Circuit of Americas

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2020

MARCH 22

APRIL 11

Muddy Princess 5K

Austin Music 5K Tour

Austin

Austin

MARCH 22

APRIL 18

Bevoman Triathlon

Blue Bell Fun Run 13.1M 10K 5K and Kids Run

Spicewood

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Brenham MARCH 28

Bark, Bike & Brews Bridgeport

APRIL 18

Red Poppy Bike Ride Austin

MARCH 28

Wanderlust Run 13.1, 10K, 5K Fredericksburg

Austin’s largest non-profit community rowing club

APRIL 18

Longhorn Run

Private Lessons, adult programs as well as middle and high school rowing programs

Austin MARCH 28-29

Texas Independence Relay Gonzales to Houston

Home of Nationally ranked Regattas

APRIL 19

Fiesta Wildflower Ride San Antonio

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MARCH 29

Head for The Cure 5K Austin

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APRIL 19

Cedar Park Thirteener

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Austin

APRIL

APRIL 25

Hops and Grain Brewery 5K Tour APRIL 4

Rosedale Ride Austin

Austin APRIL 25

Fiesta Wildflower Ride APRIL 4

Shake Rattle and Run with your Canine

San Antonio

New Braunfels

APRIL 25

APRIL 5

Pandora’s Box of Rox Trail Run 52.4M, 26.2M, 13.1M, 8M, 4M Trail Run

Statesman Cap10K Austin APRIL 11

Outlaw Half Marathon and 5K Fredericksburg APRIL 11

Easter Escapade Austin 10K, 5K, 1M Run Pflugerville

Burnet APRIL 25

Siesta Half Marathon San Antonio

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Skyline Half and 10K and 5K Dallas APRIL 26

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