South Hills Living

March-April 2025

Wellness New nonprofit in Mt. Lebanon on the move to make streets safer

Take health and welness to the next level at Restore Hyper Wellness

Mt. Lebanon nonprofit advocating for safer streets

The Little Gym of South Hills to celebrate 20 years of operation

from the editor

Turn your attention inward

This edition of South Hills Living, without planning it, is all about health, wellness and being active. Our cover story highlights an advocacy group in Mr. Lebanon focused on making streets more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists.

“We want safe streets designed for people,” said Beth McCabe, board president of Move Lebo.

We also have a story about a gymnastics facility for children celebrating its 20th anniversary: The Little Gym of South Hills.

Finally, Amanda Startare discusses some of Restore Hyper Wellness's offerings. This boutique and high-end wellness center offers services at affordable prices, from cryotherapy to compression therapy. Restore Hyper Wellness can address a variety of health concerns.

In editing these stories, I am reminded of the importance of listening to my body’s cues. I am a big fan of embracing stillness and turning my attention completely and totally to myself. Our lives are so hectic, and we receive stimuli from so many sources that it can be hard to find a quiet moment to hear what our bodies are trying to tell us. I try to check in whenever I can to see what my body needs: movement, water, nourishing food or a break. It can be hard to decipher what your body is trying to convey if you’ve spent a lifetime ignoring the signs, working through lunch, pushing through pain and not getting enough sleep. I highly recommend slowing down when you can, even if it’s just for a few minutes in the morning or just before bed.

One popular way to do this is a body scan meditation exercise. The body scan can be as quick or as involved as needed. Find a comfortable position and take a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Close your eyes. Start with the top of your head. Notice how your body feels. Gently move down through the body, spending a moment to focus on each part. Where is there tension? Where are you comfortable? Where is there discomfort? Don’t try to change anything; just notice it.

This exercise can reduce stress, center your mind and strengthen self-compassion. If this sounds useful, give it a try. Please let me know if you do and if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading. Take care, stay safe and see you in the next edition.

south hills living

issuu.com/observer-reporter

Editor

TRISTA THURSTON

tthurston@observer-reporter.com

Advertising Director Carole DeAngelo

Contributors

Mike Albanese

Rick Shrum

Amanda Startare

on the cover

Move Lebo is a nonproft group focused on advocacy and outreach to make the streets of the township safer for pedestrians

Courtesy of Move Lebo

MARCH

Take health and wellness to the next level at Restore Hyper Wellness

The lobby of Restore Hyper Wellness, located across the street from South Hills Village, is clean and bright

For those invested in the nitty-gritty of their health, Restore Hyper Wellness is the place to explore that and much more. Located on Sienna Drive in South Hills, Restore Hyper Wellness offers everyday people the chance to experience high-end and expensive devices and treatments at an affordable price. Offering a wide variety of services, Restore can be used for physical rehabilitation, as well. Lizanne Marshall, a long-time customer of Restore, began using their services after a nasty ACL tear while skiing and says, “The therapies I tried really helped me to heal faster and prepared my leg to handle many more ski seasons.”

Restore Hyper Wellness categorizes its services into core and specialty services. The core services are available to purchase using membership packages, which offer a discount compared to single-use purchases. And if customers ever feel the urge to upgrade to their specialty amenities, credits can be exchanged. The core services are cryotherapy, infrared sauna, compression and red light therapy. Cryotherapy, similar to a cold plunge, is a safer, more effective and more comfortable way to reap the benefits of cold therapy that Restore says will “relieve pain, swelling and stress” without needing to submerge the body in ice water. In contrast to cryotherapy, an infrared sauna is a heated and infrared ray-equipped sauna that may improve heart health while detoxifying the body. Red light therapy offers many of the same benefits as cryotherapy without freezing temperatures, meaning it can be used for longer, providing a more relaxing Photos and story by Amanda

experience. To round up Restore’s core services is compression therapy. As the name suggests, this wearable technology uses pressure and compression to promote circulation and lymphatic function. Compression devices are used to treat many ailments as well-researched and backed therapy tools, and they are an “effective treatment for pain and swelling,” says the Cleveland Clinic.

Restore has licensed nurses and estheticians like a medical spa to perform the respective therapies. The nurses on site are the only professionals who can facilitate IV drip therapies and intramuscular shots. These therapies are entirely customizable to each person and their needs, allowing customers to fulfil the needs of their own bodies. Lauren Popp, an avid user of this specific service, says, “I appreciate how they take the time to understand my needs and tailor the IV drip to suit my wellness goals.”

Another specialized service offered by Restore is the advanced facial treatments performed only by fully licensed estheticians. They offer resurfacing peels, oxygen facials, hydrafacials and even cryoskin facials.

Below left: Whole body red light therapy is just one of the services available at Restore

Below: Cryotherapy offers the benefits of a cold water plunge without the need to dry off

Restore Hyper Wellness offers a laundry list of beneficial treatments outside the abovementioned services. There is a fully equipped mild oxygen chamber, localized cryotherapy, and even blood tests that scan for micronutrient deficiencies and certain biomarkers. Restore allows customers to truly know their bodies inside and out and effectively helps them meet those hard-to-reach wellness goals.

Mt. Lebanon nonprofit advocating for safer streets

By Rick Shrum

Photos courtesy of Move Lebo

Move Lebo set up at Earth Day festivities in Mt. Lebanon in 2024. The group plans to be at the township's Main Park for Earth Day 2025 in partnership with Lebo Green and BikePGH with a learn to ride bike course.

Arelatively new organization has been formed in Mt. Lebanon to ensure the safety of schoolchildren and adults who navigate the municipality on foot, bicycle or motorized vehicle.

“We want safe streets designed for people,” said Beth McCabe, board president of Move Lebo, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates independently of the municipality. The organization advocates for pedestrian safety, accessibility, road redesign centered on public needs, traffic calming, pedestrian-only phase red lights and bike infrastructure.

Members are doing so by reaching out to residents and engaging and educating them.

Move Lebo board members started meeting in January 2024, launched with a community event on April 24 and officially became a nonprofit in August. The organization has a following that is gaining momentum. As of late January, McCabe said it had 25 contributing members and 285 email subscribers.

Safety is paramount in this community of 35,000, largely because Mt. Lebanon School District does not have busing. Many students are visible along municipal sidewalks, heading to classes around 8 a.m. and returning home around 3 p.m.

Traffic calming can be an issue in Mt. Lebanon, especially along Washington Road’s frequently bustling business district, where some motorists don’t adhere to speed limits. Despite flashing lights, a well-marked crosswalk and a crossing guard, the area in front of Washington Elementary and near Mellon Middle School can be perilous.

“Part of the problem there is the design of the street,” said Morgan Sulik, a Move Lebo board member. “Washington Road looks like an interstate, and some people react like it.”

“Things I’ve seen on roads in front of schools are shocking,” said McCabe, who often transports her two young children to school on her yellow e-bike. “You notice how dangerous intersections can be even with crossing guards. We need traffic calming and street design.”

She is also concerned about a friend in Mt. Lebanon who is blind and has to rely on a seeing-eye dog to cross a street. “That is unsettling,” McCabe said. “We need to enable people to walk uptown.”

Another location of concern, according to McCabe, is the busy four-way intersection of Cochran Road and Cedar Boulevard, about a

Kids navigate the learn to ride bike course with Move Lebo at the Earth Day 2024 celebration

A view from the Move Lebo meeting in September at Needle and Bean

quarter-mile downhill from the high school. “We’re really focused on that. Speed there concerns us. Can we use paint, fence posts, change the turning radius? We’re looking for ways to enhance safety and access.”

Sulik described that location as a “hornet's nest. There have been complaints. If someone has a close call, they can contact us.”

Marty Bacik, board treasurer, a founding board member and an avid runner, agreed that Washington Road is a “major focus of safety for us. Cedar and Cochran are on our list as well.”

Kids being kids can be concerning. “You may see middle schoolers walking three or four wide, and as they approach a telephone pole (near the curb), one may step into the roadway,” McCabe said. “That is dangerous.”

Move Lebo works with the municipal police department to enhance safe walking awareness. Police reinforce safe walking rules with students at the beginning of each school year, and have set up safe walking routes to and from the district’s seven elementary schools.

That isn’t the only partnership Move Lebo has forged. It also has linked up with the school district, PTA and PTA council, the municipality, Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Mt. Lebanon Partnership, local business owners, the Lions Club and Lebo Green.

This new organization, which meets quarterly, is also events-oriented. It engages with the community in numerous ways, including a running club, bike rides, sidewalk cleanups (which Bacik called “a hit”), packthe-room events and monthly happy hours at East End Brewing on Washington Road.

In December, Move Lebo also organized a Holiday Lake Bike Ride at night through the Virginia Manor neighborhood, featuring bikes decorated with lights. It has been a fruitful nine-month ride for Move Lebo.

The Little Gym of South Hills celebrating 20 years

By Mike Albanese

Photos courtesy ofThe Little Gym of South Hills

Celebrating two decades of business is not a small feat. Given uncertain economic times and changing customer preferences, this is not lost on Amy Martin, owner of The Little Gym of Pittsburgh-South Hills.

“Celebrating 20 years in business is nothing short of amazing,” Martin said. “We have been lucky enough to be a part of such a welcoming community and built so many long-lasting relationships over the years. The hard work and dedication of our incredible team is what makes our gym thrive. Our management team is second to none and has been such an integral part of our journey over the years.”

Martin and her gym will celebrate 20 years of service on April 11.

When the gym first opened, Martin said she and her team were “excited and nervous” but confident that the Little Gym offered what the community needed.

The Little Gym concept was founded by musician, gymnast and kinesiologist Robin Wes. Martin said Wes envisioned a place where children could develop motor skills in a “fun, safe and nurturing environment.”

“He created a place where children could reap the benefits of physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills in a non-competitive environment,” Martin said of Wes’s vision. “Today, his vision serves as a springboard to life's adventures in all The Little Gym Franchise locations around the world.”

Being open for 20 years does not come without challenges. Martin said the most significant obstacles she faced were the recession years and COVID-19.

However, Martin credits her team and product for helping her navigate difficult times.

“We provided a safe space for families no matter what was going on in the world,” she said.

The community The Little Gym serves has experienced significant growth over the past 20 years, Martin said, in both population and infrastructure.

“There has been an influx of younger families and professionals moving in the area,” she said. “Our program is for children ages 4 months up to 12 years, so we always have the opportunity to meet more and more families.”

Martin added that while owning and operating The Little Gym has been tremendous, the best part about the experience has been the opportunity to “make a meaningful impact” on children’s lives.

“I love being able to enrich the lives of children and families in our community,” she said. “Additionally, The Little Gym offers a strong sense of community among franchise owners across the country. This supportive network of owners has become like family to me.”

Moving forward, Martin hopes her location will be “lucky enough” to celebrate another milestone and notes, “Cheers to another 20 years.”

The Little Gym of South Hills lead instructor Cassidy McCormick poses with a client of the gymnastics center designed to get kids moving.

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