Erika Camm, 30 Somerdale, NJ
Cyrena Spafford, 15 Churchville, PA Dwayne Townsend Phila., PA
nient, e v n o C t s o M e h T : ■ WALKING e is c r e x E t s ie s a E & , Free ity C ic lso t n la A t A f o h t ir b ide: ■ The Re s n I ul f s s e c c u S a e t a e r C ■ How to Healthy Pets! y r t s u d In s s & e n it F e Business in th PhillyFITTEST
Do you have Low T? WE CAN HELP! 8 Warning Signs of
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Testosterone is what fuels a man’s sex drive. If he’s low on “T,” he’s likely to become less interested in having sex. “Testosterone is what’s responsible for ‘the grrr factor,” says Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, associate clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the author of “Testosterone for Life.” He says men differ in how frequently they like to have sex. But for men with low testosterone, he says, “It’s completely absent.”
Brad Ferrara, MD
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PHILLYFIT | 3
4 | PHILLYFIT
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PublisherFIT
I’ve Gotta Be
Me
Maybe Ol’ Blue Eyes got it right. Authenticity very well might be the key to happiness.
R
ecently, I put an Amber Alert out on myself and thankfully, I responded. Believe me, I know how crazy that must sound. I’m a self-diagnosed victim of – wait for it – a heart attack. It’s not a cardiac issue, but rather a battle between the heart and the head. It’s a condition that strikes innocent, unassuming women (and perhaps men) of all shapes and sizes. It’s unrelenting, often irreversible, and will blow the ego, the id and the super-ego to smithereens if you let it. There’s no pill you can pop, no homeopathic remedy you can deploy, and no doctor will diagnose it for you. You’ve just got to hit rock bottom and then claw, fight, and battle your way back to yourself. Have you ever awakened one day only to discover that the most obvious thing that was missing in your world was you? Let me explain. As most of my PhillyFIT friends and family know, in the past few years I’ve managed to overcome a few rough curveballs – more like jumbo medicine balls thrown at my stomach when I wasn’t looking, or ready. In dealing with life’s unexpected sorrows, I discovered that my coping mechanism was to retreat and become somewhat of a hermit. Ugh, hello? So not me, right? I went radio silent. I was, for the first time, in a long time, quiet. I consciously tried to enjoy being a reclusive, understated wallflower, but then one day it hit me. I was much better being a monkey than a monk! I had to dig deep (and I mean like five hundred feet below sea level) to try to remember what it was that I enjoyed so much about my life during happier times. I landed on the simple things. You know, just brewing a fresh pot of coffee, trying out a new conditioner for my hair,
5 | PHILLYFIT
or doing a cool craft project on the dining room table with all three of my kids. You know, the little things. “When a long, slow-brewed, fresh pot of ground coffee gets replaced with super-quick K-cups and Monopoly gets replaced with Minecraft, something changes. When your sneakers take a back seat to quick car trips (neighborhood travel made easy), something changes. And when suddenly buckets of fried chicken grace your table instead of fresh, organic veggies, homemade roasted-pepper hummus, and delicious parmesan-encrusted tilapia, well, something just changes. Believe me, I’d like to say that these references are all exaggerations, but sadly, they’re not. In a short time my entire family was acting, thinking, and feeling like a robotic, gluttonous bunch of morons – myself included. We opted for easy instead of optimal. We said, “Yes,” when we should have said, “No way.” We became “PhillyFAT and sassy” as they say, teetering on what felt like lazy and well, very American. Ugh, sorry, yes, I went there. We were looking more like the Simpsons each passing day. What happened to those energetic, happy-go-lucky busybodies who never quit going? We were consuming more, spending more, wasting more, wanting more, eating more, drinking more, and sleeping more. Yes, we were turning into a cohesive unit of crazies in a wasteland of politically incorrect zombies. Even my little Savannah came down with a case of mall-itis. We were hittin’ the malls instead of the gym like we used to together. I knew
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
it had to stop but it was a runaway train sponsored by Apple, Frito-Lay, and Forever 21. Geez, how can anyone stop that? We found ourselves living and being totally different than we had ever known our lives to be in the past. But why? How does this happen? I became a charlatan, a fraud, and a fake – here I was pushing out PhillyFIT Magazine while eating a Devil Dog (what an appropriate name for this snack food). That was my rock bottom. But what to do? What to do? I retreated to a place that made me happy; not my getsgoodmileagecar, but my ohtoocool PhillyFIT truck. Being behind the wheel in this old friend automatically gave me a zing and catapulted me into a place that I had been missing. Holy $#(+ ! I found myself! Where the hell have I been, for goodness’ sake? I cranked up the tunes, rolled down the window and waved hello to strangers on the street as I blasted REO Speedwagon (sue me). I can’t fight this feelin’ anymore. I’ve forgotten what I started fightin’ for. It’s time to bring this ship into the shore and throw away the oars, forever. Baby, I can’t fight this feelin’ anymore!” (Now, I bet you’re singing it too. Ha!) Yeah, I got a few looks especially from Millennials who have never heard this classic rock ballad, but mostly I got whoo-hoos and high-fives from other onlookers. It felt good – I mean really good. I went ten miles on familiar roads, and suddenly I was back in my own skin. I was Jami Lynn Appenzeller again, and for the first time in about six months or so, I told myself that I would never again fall prey to the Body Snatchers – a.k.a. all sorts of friends and acquaintances who wanted to change me to suit their needs and wants. I had become what other people wanted me to be this past year and that was the problem – a really big problem. When you’re busy trying to act a certain way, be a certain way, you get lost and everything you hold precious, even memories, somehow fade to black. Sure, we all need to go a different direction in life from time to time, but the key is to remain true to you. If you don’t like foie gras, then don’t eat it. If you don’t like to read “Little Women,” don’t read it. If you don’t want to wear fur or jewels… oh, you get the idea. And remember, this idea doesn’t just apply to lovers – you could be majorly influenced by all sorts of people. More on this in a bit. If you are reading this and have sadly found yourself treading water in a pool that someone else filled for you (no matter who that person is), take it from me, you will find your own life preserver. It may not be tomorrow, but it will get better. I was nothing but an unfeeling android before that fateful day I sang REO Speedwagon in my truck. Seriously, as each month went by, I was drowning in emotional quicksand. I felt trapped and well, stupid for not staying true to my own dreams and goals. I found I just shut out my inner voice, my conscious and my own female intuition. And I know better! In the end, I blame myself. I’m lucky that my own awakening was my life preserver. Others go years, not months, in a state of bewilderment and sorrow. So yeah, Sinatra got it right, although he was slightly dramatic about it. These lyrics are profound yet definitely ring true even in our modern times. Sadly, the South Philadelphia mural I loved so much of the man himself is no longer there due to a newish real-estate project. It was originally painted
Jami’s Five Self-Worth Revelations:
1. Just because your past has a smudge doesn’t mean your future has to be valueless. Move on and don’t look back. Don’t let a teacher, a psychologist, or a first date get the best of you. People with authority may in fact abuse it. 2. You’re not alone. Nobody’s perfect (two clichés that taste great together). Perfection is something that can only be faked, not truly lived – and not every day. No matter how well it’s covered up, underneath it all we are all beautifully damaged in some way. 3. Stop snubbing your reflection. Maybe it’s time for you to start owning everything that you are. Erase those stupid untrue rules that you put on your worth. You don’t have to be a certain size to be beautiful. You don’t have to be liked by everyone to feel significant. You don’t have to have everything to feel like nothing is missing. Comparison is the thief to all joy. Remember, enjoy the things you have, and don’t worry one bit about the things you don’t have. 4. What you choose to focus on is what you will feel. Insecurities lose power once you stop measuring your life, and start appreciating your life. Spend more time in the yin and less in the yang if you know what I mean. The choice is yours. No more “yangers” in your life. Let’s all make a pact to never go “there” again. 5. Nothing about you is inept. We are all a little broken in our own little way, and the last time I checked, broken crayons still color the same! Your flaws make you you. That’s what’s amazing about life! in 1999 by artist Diane Keller via Philly’s beloved Mural Arts Program, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the death of “Ol’ “Blue Eyes.” Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong Whether I find a place in this world or never belong. I gotta be me, I’ve gotta be me! What else can I be but what I am? I want to live, not merely survive And I won’t give up this dream of life that keeps me alive. I gotta be me, I gotta be me! The dream that I see makes me what I am That faraway prize, a world of success Is waiting for me if I heed the call I won’t settle down, won’t settle for less As long as there’s a chance that I can have it all I’ll go it alone, that’s how it must be I can’t be right for somebody else If I’m not right for me. I gotta be free, I’ve gotta be free! Daring to try, to do it or die, I’ve gotta be me.
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
PHILLYFIT | 6
Bottom line? I can’t tell you how many of my friends are still living for someone who has influenced them, or something. For example, their boss, or father sways them, or still in a job they hate, driving a car they can’t stand and wearingclothing that was picked out by dear ol’ Ma! What? “Stop the madness,” I say. Today I live by a brand-new mantra: “Don’t ever let anyone make you believe that your dreams and the lifestyle that you have carved out for yourself are insignificant in comparison to what they believe is ‘best for you.’” In your heart of hearts, you know where happiness hides. Don’t let others tell you where to look. And, try not to withdraw from your sense of self and go quiet like I did. In hindsight, I suppose I may have needed that downtime to be introspective, but it truly got me nowhere. I say it’s time to be noisy again. Yay! Things not feeling exactly like yourself lately? Make a change! Change whom you’re spending most of your time
letterstothepublisher Hi Jami! I am a devoted fan of your mag. Read it cover to cover. I helps because I work out three nights a week ... and I feel terrific. ~Steve Gerace
Dear Jami, I love how you share all your feelings in PhillyFIT. It’s much more inspiring (in spirit) than perhaps you realize. It’s my favorite part of the magazine. Although our bodies are a top priority and need to stay in shape to be healthy, we are more than just “our body.” I enjoy and love how you know that, and express it by exploring our spirit and emotions. Keep up the good (God) work. It is your calling. ~ Mary Coleen McDonnell
Hi Jami: I feel you do all of us who try to be fit a big service with your magazine and great articles on how to keep in shape and healthy. Thank you Jami. Am sending you a grateful hug via e-mail. ~ Tony Sharayko
Jami, I read your editor’s page with more than a passing interest as it seems to mirror my own life and experiences to a “T.” It’s nice to know you’re not alone when going through the dark hours. Thank you for having the courage to bare your self on those pages. It has meant more than you know to one reader at least. ~ Walt Bloom
Dear Jami, I feel like I know you in some respects because you are so open in your writing. That is the best part of reading your magazine. You really have a way of sharing life experience and perspectives that touches people and their own lives. ~ Phil Newmoyer, Collegeville
with; change the places you frequent. Yes, maybe even consider switching gyms for a new, refreshing change of pace. Consider changing up your diet and the way you walk to work. Change the way you do your hair, the music you listen too. Variety is the spice of life and the spices that taste the best are the ones you sprinkle yourself! ~~~ Hey, it’s getting warmer. Get out there and get (Philly) FIT! And if you see me in my PhillyFIT truck, don’t forget to wave! Best,
PHILLYFIT Family
Published by: Jalynn Concepts, LLC Publisher: Jami Appenzeller Copy Editors: Heather Hoehn, John Beeler, R.I.P. Bev Appenzeller Publisher’s Page: Photo of Jami by Joe Chielli, Church Street Studios, Philadelphia, PA.; Hair by Amy Cummins of Fresh Hair Studio, Southampton, PA.; Makeup by Lisa Nocera Calendar Of Events: John Beeler Art Department: John Paone Ad Sales: Jami Appenzeller, Rita Henry Distribution Manager: R.I.P. Jim Appenzeller All inquires are welcome. Call us NOW! (267) 767-4205 www.phillyfitmagazine.com Jami@phillyfitmagazine.com Advertising Deadlines: Call PhillyFIT Magazine at (267) 767-4205 for upcoming issue deadlines. Cover Photography: Erika Camm photo by Bill MacAdams. Dwayne Townsend photo by Dom Savini Photography. PhillyFIT Magazine is a news magazine with emphasis on health, fitness and leisure. PhillyFIT Magazine is printed bi-monthly and distributed throughout Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. We also email over 10,000 copies to folks who have opted in on our website to receive the online magazine. Address all submissions of advertising, calendar entries, photos, inquiries and letters to the above address. PhillyFIT Magazine does not assume responsibility for unsolicited materials. PhillyFIT Magazine will assume that all unsolicited materials are being submitted for possible publication and should the material be published, no fee is due to the submitting party. It is our understanding that the submitting party holds models’ releases on photographs submitted. PhillyFIT Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial content, nor does the Publisher assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. PhillyFIT Magazine reserves the right to edit letters to the editor and other submissions for clarity and space availability, and to determine suitability of all materials submitted for publication. Before implementing any exercise or diet modification mentioned in PhillyFIT Magazine, readers are advised to consult with their physicians. No reproductions of printed material are permitted without the consent of the Publisher. All rights reserved. www.facebook.com/PhillyFITMagazine
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plus.google.com/u/0/104869413385959199641/posts
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BusinessFIT
How to Create a Successful Business in the Fitness Industry By Lori Patterson
I
f you have been in the fitness industry longer than a minute, you are quite aware of the shifts happening in the fitness and wellness arena. Group exercise and personal-training skill sets are merging. Pay is increasing and true client transformation is happening. Training can now be a full-time career choice and not just a part-time job. If you have been contemplating making the leap into the fitness industry or owning your own fitness business, now is the time. To guarantee success, make sure you work the following eight ingredients into your secret sauce. This secret sauce will allow you to take your passion for fitness and create a business. Here are principles to create sustainable fitness programs and generate the income you deserve. Boom! Dream and set some goals. One study concluded eighty-four percent of people do not write down their goals. Even more staggering, the ones who do write down their goals, on average, make ten times more than those who don’t. So see your dream, write down goals to move you toward the dream, and be prepared for many obstacles. They will come. However, if your dream is clear and your motivator powerful, you will reach your goals! Distinction. The fitness industry is becoming more and more competitive. In the past, just having a nationally recognized certifica-
8 | PHILLYFIT
tion or degree would guarantee you a differentiator, but not today. You must know how to set yourself apart from your competition. Define your specific target market, declare your niche, and do not deviate. Become the best at just one thing and this will be your differentiator. Defensive. Yes, sometimes you have to play defense. After you make a decision to start your own training business, you will encounter two kinds of people, motivators and haters. Your motivators will be instrumental to your success and they will be a great support network for you. Your haters, on the other hand, will become a distraction and an irritant. Do not waste time or emotion on your haters. Spend your time starting and growing your business. Your success will be just the right ingredient to turn your haters into your motivators! Develop relationships. One of the most important components in business is investing in others. This is not to say money isn’t important to keep your business afloat or to put food on the table. However, investing in others will generate a huge return! Yes, you need money to keep your business running. However, when you invest in others, the money will come. Dependable. It’s important for your clients and customers to know they can depend on you. Just one of the ways to demon-
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strate dependability is to show up and start and end on time. I know this sounds like a simplistic strategy. However, many trainers and fitness business have failed due to lack of dependability, this simple yet powerful ingredient. Duplicate. This ingredient is key to establishing financial success as a trainer and a fitness business. You have to duplicate yourself. In order to duplicate yourself you need to have a duplicable system and the ability to train your team. Follow the easy duplication steps below: Hire someone who is like-minded. Develop a training system to ensure your trainers are meeting your expectations. OMEN Teach yourW trainers how to market your business and grow their client base. Dedication. While the dream and goal-setting stage of owning a business can be romanticized and glorified, it does require an unlimited supply of dedication. Gina and her professional You put in more staffwill welcome you inhours a than anyone, lose the most sleep, and make the least caring, comfortable and
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amount of money. However, if you stay dedicated to your dream and stand firm on your goals, you will be running a successful fitness business and discovering financial freedom. Daring. Have the courage to learn new skills. Learn how to lead groups. Learn how to market on social media. Learn how to take a business meeting in a suit. Learn how to ask someone for his or her business. Starting and running a business is not for the meek and weak. Be daring, call up your courage, and be great! ~~~ Lori Patterson, owner and CEO of VicteliB, LLC, is the creator of successful fee-based programs including Boot Camp Challenge®, Kids Kamp Challenge®, Baby Boomer Boot Camp Challenge®, and Break Through Challenge. Lori served in the U.S. Army as well as for thirty years in the fitness industry. You can reach Lori at lori@victelib.com, at (636) 734-8594 or on the Web at www.victelib.com.
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PHILLYFIT | 9
NutritionallyFIT
Two Grab-&-Go Breakfasts for Active Moms By Sheila Royce Garcia
B
reakfast is the most important meal of the day, but we often skip it because we simply don’t have the time to fit it into our busy schedule. Because I am a mother, my mornings
tend to focus on getting the kids up and ready to start their day. You are super-busy helping them get dressed, fed, and ready that you often put your needs last. Before you know it, it’s time to make a mad dash out the door to get your kids to school or activities on time.
Much More than Granola Breakfast in a Jar With this delicious breakfast, you can prepare this recipe the night before and eliminate any worry that you sacrifice your own nourishment. All you have to do is open up your refrigerator, grab the jar with a spoon, and go. Yield: 1 serving Ingredients: • 1 small to medium-sized glass Mason jar • 1 cup raw rolled gluten-free oats • 1 cup almond milk • ½ tablespoon chia seeds • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup • Handful of your favorite fruit (try berries, bananas, and/or apples) • Handful of your favorite nuts Directions: 1. In the Mason jar, add oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, and almond milk. Mix. 2. Top with your favorite fruit and nuts. 3. Store in refrigerator overnight.
However, after spending the entire night fasting, it is time to fuel your body with food for energy to start your fit day. Here are two of my favorite grab-and-go breakfasts that may give you a spark of energy and focus!
Energy Blast Smoothie to Go Smoothies are fast foods without the stigma. They provide all the essential nutrients and give you a blast of energy for a busy morning. Yield: 1 serving Ingredients: • 1 handful of kale or spinach • 1 serving of your favorite fruit (berries, apple, orange) • 1 tablespoon coconut oil • ½ tablespoon hemp seeds or chia seeds • ½ banana • 1 date • 1-2 cups water, coconut water or almond milk Directions: 1. Add all dry ingredients and fruit except oil and water, coconut water or almond milk in a blender the night before. Place in refrigerator, covered. (No room in your fridge for the mixer? Place ingredients in a container or plastic bag.) 1. In the morning, grab your mixer with the ingredients and add oil and liquid. Blend for twenty seconds. Pour into a cup and go. Easy peasy!
~~~ Sheila Royce Garcia is a special-needs mom, author, and special-moms fitness and wellness coach. She offers personal programs to moms for total transformation. Her programs are customized for each individual person, focusing on weight issues, self-care, healthy eating, cleansing, and stress management. She is the author of Healthy Cooking in a Pinch: The Family Cookbook on How to Create Healthy Meals on Busy Days. For more information on Sheila, visit www.SheilaFitnessNHealthyLifestyle.com.
Tuna Stuffed Mushroom …a comfort food without the guilt.
Nourishes: 4 Ingredients: • 2 large portabella mushroom caps, stems removed and gills (dark area around stem) scraped and discarded • Two 2.6-oz. pouches of Albacore White Tuna, water-packed (use fresh tuna steak when available) • 1 stalk celery washed and finely chopped • 2 tablespoon onion, finely chopped • 1 ounce gouda or Swiss cheese, diced small • 2 tsp. Dijonnaise • 1 tsp. lemon juice • Salt and pepper to taste Methodology: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. 10 | PHILLYFIT
2.
Place mushrooms on baking sheet, stem side up. Bake ten minutes. Carefully take out of oven. Use a tong to lift caps off sheet to remove any extra moisture and return to baking sheet. 3. While the caps are baking, mix all ingredients thoroughly. 4. Divide tuna mixture between the two caps. 5. Bake until filling hot and mushroom caps are tender, about ten minutes. Remove and cut in half. Nutritional Profile per Serving: 106 Calories; 2.5g Fat; 8g Carbs; 13g Protein. Recipe created and tested by John Fairchild, Chef/Nutritionist Healthy Cooking Concepts www.weightlosscoaching.org (267) 273-6552 kickaerobox@yahoo.com
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
FitnessFIT
Getting FIT
with Philly’s
Finest Fitness Pros
Submitted by Drexel University
L
ong regarded as a beacon of technological advancement and entrepreneurship, Drexel University has morphed into a mecca for fitness enthusiasts with the opening of its recreation center in 2010. The facility, which has garnered acclaim from numerous national and local media outlets and professional organizations for its amenities and service offerings, features an expansive inventory of state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength training equipment. The facility’s expanse, which occupies an entire block along Market Street, is replete with squash courts, a twenty-fiveyard-long pool, group exercise studios, an outdoor courtyard, a towering rock-climbing wall, and a massive multipurpose gymnasium that is encircled by a three-lane track. But the people working at the Rec Center, namely the personal trainers, might be the facility’s greatest assets. The personal training team, led by Joe Giandonato, Coordinator of Fitness Programs at the Rec Center, collectively boasts extensive and diverse experience, given each team member’s formidable skills and accomplishments. “I’m proud of our team here and I feel that we have a unique and holistic approach to fitness, unlike many gyms in the area,” says Victor Tringali, Executive Director of University Wellness. The team he gushes about includes an NFL free agent and decorated Army vet, a top-ranked physique competitor, an accomplished powerlifter turned physical-therapy student, and a talented musician and amateur bodybuilder. Giandonato, a nationally recognized fitness expert who will soon be embarking on doctoral studies in health science, rounds out the team. Quite the all-star lineup, right? Only joining this team doesn’t require that you eclipse a four point five forty-yard dash or possess striated sixpack abs. Instead, this team will help you get there.
Joe Giandonato Leading the team of personal trainers is Joe Giandonato. Giandonato brought a wealth of experience with him to Drexel, which included stints working as an Assistant Strength Coach at the college level and with youth athletes while at Germantown Academy, where he also served as their Fitness Director and assisted with the curriculum design for physical-education courses. Throughout his career, Giandonato has also worked with clientele ranging from Fortune 500 executives to professional athletes. He has also held teaching posts at a number of area colleges and universities and has consulted a number of organizations on the establishment and evaluation of worksite wellness programs. When Giandonato arrived at Drexel, he created a thorough onboarding process for new personal-training clients, which includes a thorough review of medical and injury history, the collection of a host of biometric, biomechanical, and bioenergetic data, which collectively determine the creation and implementation of a personalized fitness program. “If you’re not assessing, you’re just guessing,” jokes Giandonato. “I am firm believer in individualizing programming for each personal-training client. Through our video analysis services and biomechanical screenings, we have been able to help CrossFitters smash PRs, get moms strong enough to pick up their kids again and breeze through carrying groceries from the SUV to the house, and have helped
athletes elevate their game on the field or court.” Giandonato, who is set to begin doctoral studies in health science, staunchly supports consistent monitoring of biorhythms, specifically autonomic nervous system functioning, to determine physiological readiness. “In addition to measuring heart rate, which most fitness studios do, we also track heart-rate variability, which is a measure of the fluctuations around the average sustained heart rate. It provides us a bigger picture from which we can establish parameters for training and recovery.” In addition to his personal training, Giandonato also administers fitness assessments and advises anyone, even those who are firmly entrenched in a program, to drop in for an evaluation. The Rec Center also offers physical therapy, massage therapy, and nutritional counseling, all of which he works closely with to facilitate the holistic approach that Tringali alludes to. Personal-training service packages begin at $330, which includes a comprehensive fitness assessment. For more information regarding personal training, memberships, and other services, please contact Andrew Case, Manager of Memberships and Programs, directly at (215) 571-3781 or via e-mail at anc68@drexel.edu.
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
PHILLYFIT | 11
Morkeith Brown Morkeith Brown has helped many athletes throughout his time as a strength coach, which has coincided with a celebrated football career. Brown formerly starred at Temple University, where he earned All Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors and MAC defensive player of the week honors against Buffalo, and was nominated for the Vern Smith Leadership award. Following his collegiate career, Brown latched on the training-camp rosters of the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and later joined the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League for their 2013 campaign, in which he started eight of ten games. Brown also signed on with World Wrestling Entertainment as a talent and has recently forayed into rugby and fitness modeling. When he isn’t training in preparation for an upcoming season, Morkeith can be found training clients of all ages and ability levels at the Rec Center. “Morkeith brings an unparalleled dimension to our program,” says Joe Giandonato. “People have a hard time believing me when I tell them about him. They might be under the impression that I forgot to take my medication that day.” For Morkeith, football is his antidote. “It’s second nature to me. I’ve been playing for almost as long as I was able to walk,” reflects Brown. Brown enlisted in the Army following high school, temporarily shelving his dreams to play college football. Though he earned a National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal while serving as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Morkeith’s desire to return to the gridiron intensified. Morkeith kept in shape during his tour and soon returned to attack the field with unbridled fervor. While playing
at Temple, Morkeith gained a greater appreciation for physical preparedness, which not only inspired him to become a strength coach, but he credited to contributing to his longevity. Though he just turned thirty, Morkeith sports a physique that men ten years his junior would assuredly trade their youth for. As it pertains to training for football, Morkeith offered up a few bits of advice. “A lot of people think strength is the only thing you need to be a successful football player. That cannot be further from the truth. There are gyms full of strong guys who aren’t able to play football since the game requires much more. You need to be flexible, have good coordination, and you must be explosive.” “Also, you need to make sure that your conditioning is up to par. If your aerobic conditioning is poor, you won’t be able to recover from plays or drives as quickly, nor will you be able to maintain focus during late stretches, since you will be too preoccupied with catching your breath. Instead of running long distance, they should concentrate on tempo runs and repeats. Personally, I like to perform repeats with one hundred yards. Although I’ll never run that far during one play, I’ve found that doing them during training enhances your recoverability.” “Lastly, football is not a straight-line sport. Training purely for speed is misguided, since change of direction is vital to your on-field performance. Agility drills should be performed which mimic the demands of the position and game plan.”
Chris Campli Chris Campli, once a top college baseball prospect, now stirs up his competitive juices as a physique competitor. Campli, also a onetime star ice-hockey player, discovered his passion for fitness and helping others while an undergraduate at West Chester University. Upon earning his degree with a specialization in nutrition sciences, Campli became certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and began working with a diverse clientele consisting of professional boxers, amateur bodybuilders, models, and individuals with weight-loss goals. Campli derives the most enjoyment in working with weight-loss clients. “There are many parallels between what I do as a physique athlete and what they are striving to accomplish,” says Campli. In both endeavors, success largely revolves around sound nutrition. “My goal as a fitness professional is to educate clients about healthy choices. I want to give them alternatives and help them adopt behaviors that will ensure long-term sustainability.”
12 | PHILLYFIT
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Akil Piggott Sustainability is something Akil Piggott, a second-year physical-therapy student, has finally discovered following personal battles with injuries that ravaged a once promising powerlifting career. His experiences as an injured lifter and grueling rehabilitation, following a traumatic pectoralis tear, motivated him to pursue physical-therapy studies after he completed his exercise-science degree. “I’m a firm believer in sustainability,” says Piggott. “You need to be practical, whether it’s listening to your body or finding a nutrition plan that is maintainable. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Your fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re in for the long haul.” continues Piggott.
Nick Deacon
An emerging name within the fitness industry, Nick Deacon, an accomplished guitarist turned personal trainer, encompasses approaches with his clients which may seem a bit unorthodox, but are formidably effective. Nick breaks the mold of the myopia that pervades the fitness industry as he encourages participation in a breadth of activities to keep fit. “If you’ve been doing the same old workouts or activities for a long time, go do something new, even if it’s just for a day. Try ice skating, kayaking, hiking, yoga, tennis, dancing, rock climbing, et cetera. You’ll be bound to embrace one of these activities and will end up learning more about yourself, including weaknesses, which will help you optimize your truest potential,” says Deacon. Nick also believes in believing. “One of the greatest determinants of success in both nutrition and exercise programs is merely belief in them. I challenge you to find a program or dietary habit you like and believe in, and have at it. Just be sure to assess every now and then to determine its effectiveness.”
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FitnessFIT
The POUND
TM
Rockout.Workout
A Whole Different Fitness Experience with Music By Lisa R. Mele ave you ever imagined being a drummer in a rock band? Do you enjoy listening and exercising to a variety of music that includes rock, rap, old-school music, and more? Are you looking for a total body cardio and strength workout that fuses Pilates along with plyometrics and isometric poses into a fifteen-, thirty- or forty-five-minute session? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then you will love the new POUND™ Rockout.Workout. The founders of POUND™, Kristen Potenza and Cristina Peerenboom, are not only music and fitness enthusiasts but also recreational drummers. About three years ago, Potenza and Peerenboom introduced the POUND™ Rockout.Workout in Venice, California. Since then, POUNDing has been catching on across America, and classes are even taught in the international markets. Potenza and Peerenboom have exemplified the POUND™ philosophy: “Life can’t be fully enjoyed without balance and nurturing, and if you give up on self-improvement, or anything, you give up on yourself.” Casey Rosario, Group Fitness Director of Future Fitness Centers in South Jersey, is among the first Licensed POUND™ Pro instructors in the area. Rosario finds POUNDing a whole different type of workout experience than the other group exercise classes that she instructs at Future Fitness Centers. Rosario adds, “When teaching the POUND™ class, you actually get to hear yourself working out by using specially designed drumsticks called Ripstix™. The harder you pound the floor, the harder you are working
H
out. It’s to the beat of the music and it’s a very exciting workout.” Many participants from Rosario’s POUND™ class add this, “The music is fast, upbeat, and really motivating. They also say that, “They feel their inner thighs, waist, hips, and abs getting stronger.” There is less equipment needed in a POUND™ class, just a pair of Ripstix ™ and mats. All fitness levels are offered in a POUND™ class and one participant is able to do her POUNDing sitting in a chair. Sheena Romaro, Certified Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist, Advocare Adviser, and founder of SimplyFit, had the opportunity to take a POUND™ class in Pennsylvania and adds, “I loved the POUND™ Class. It was something different which added a little excitement. It was a great total body workout!” Romaro also says, “Getting the arms moving while keeping the lower body and core engaged with every movement made for an awesome workout.” Rosario sums up the POUND™ Rockout Workout experience by saying, “The workout on a whole creates an atmosphere that is like being at a rock concert where the participants are the rock stars. The participants feel the rhythm of the song and are experiencing another level of exercising without knowing it.” ~~~ Lisa R. Mele holds current fitness certifications for Pilates on the Mat, Personal Fitness Trainer, and The Stride Instructor with AAAI/ISMA. She is also a licensed Zumba® Instructor and a Silver & Fit Instructor for LA Fitness and Future Fitness Centers in South Jersey. Since 2011, Lisa has been a featured PhillyFIT Workout-a-thon Instructor and in 2012 became the Stage Manager for the Workouta-thon event. Lisa has won numerous instructor awards for her unique and easy to follow style. For more information regarding POUND™ go to www.poundfit.com.
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PHILLYFIT | 15
HealthFIT
SquatMax-MD Hip Belt Platform The Power of Free Weights
with the Safety of a Machine!
cators that I never heard of from past strength coaches. By Brian Henesey & Raul Ibañez The backbone of his strengthening program was his The SquatMax-MD Hip Belt Platform is patent-pending hip-belt squat device that would become a patented exercise device that allows you to known as SquatMax-MD that would allow me to safely perform a pure free-weight squat movement with perform max-effort free-weight squats to get my legs as the convenience and safety that usually only strong as possible. Within a few weeks of training with comes with a machine. Because the weight load Brian, I was moving and feeling better than I had in sits below the lifter’s waist using a hip belt, axial several years. load on the spine is eliminated. In an indepenAs an experienced weightlifter, I knew the first dent-led EMG muscle-activity study, it was time I used SquatMax that it was a special device, found to have similar leg-muscle activity as the different than anything I had ever used. Because it is barbell back squat (the gold standard).1 a free weight, it requires you to balance and to engage It was designed and patented by former your stabilizing muscles. There is a huge difference NFL football player, Brian Henesey. Because between using a machine such as a leg press where you Brian was plagued by low back pain throughout Raul Ibañez on the are sitting down versus standing and performing a freehis playing career, he developed a way for his SquatMax-MD. weight squat. Just like a barbell squat, athletes to get the performance benefits the lifter is able to sit back into their of maximum-effort free-weight squats “The novel pin-on-guide rod technology of the natural range of motion to really work while decreasing their risk of low back SquatMax-MD is the best of both worlds: it allows the hips, glutes, and hamstrings. Plus, injury. It is already in use by several the weight to move naturally but also keeps it well because you are not using the barbell to professional teams in the MLB and centered. In terms of protecting the natural curve of help you balance, SquatMax really fires NFL, as well as Division 1 colleges. the spine, it is the safest free-weight squat movement up the stabilizers in your feet, which are Former Phillies fan favorite, Raul on the market.” Ibañez, recently completed a terrific ~ Dr. William Muscara, crucial for a baseball athlete that relies nineteen-year major-league career. Chiropractor, Conshohocken, PA on creating energy from the ground up. Another thing I like about the deIncluded among his many accomplishvice is that I do not get that tightness and ments is being one of only eighty-eight soreness in my hip flexors that I would often get with barbell squats. players in the history of baseball to collect over three hundred The icing on the cake is that I find that incorporating resistance home runs and two thousand hits. Raul was known amongst his bands not only allows you to control the eccentric intensity of the peers as a fitness fanatic who trained religiously. He was considlift but it does some amazing things in terms of providing traction to ered to be in better shape than guys who were half his age. At the the lower back and a dynamic stretch of the hip flexors. The ‘MD’ in age of forty-one, he tied the MLB record shared by Ted Williams SquatMax-MD stands for mobility and decompression.” for the most home runs (29) by a player over forty-one. “What I appreciate about Brian as a trainer is that in addition Here is Ibañez’s review of SquatMax-MD (study data provided to being a former overachieving professional athlete, he brings by Brian Henesey): a research background (from his previous career) to his training. “I credit my ability to play major-league baseball successfully Brian really believes in science and data. Many exercise devices on into my early forties because of my life-long commitment to fitness the market do not put their money where their mouth is in term of and training. I was constantly on a quest to find the best approach proving their effectiveness.” to maximize my performance and career longevity. This included While Brian was clearly achieving great results using the seeking out the best strength coaches in the world, the most effecdevice based on his athletes’ improved vertical jumps and sprinting tive exercises, and the best strength equipment. times, he wanted to further validate the device with independent Most years I would train in Florida during the off-season where data. This past summer he was able to enlist the support of a local there are several nationally known training centers where many pro university and physical therapist to perform an independent study athletes train. However, in 2012 prior to signing with the New York on the SquatMax-MD. Yankees, I found OverAchieve Sports and Speed in King of Prussia SquatMax-MD Study Results and Interpretation as Provided basically by accident. I was actually looking for a place locally that by the Inventor: In this independent study led by Widener Univerhad certain strength equipment. My initial plan was that I would fly sity’s Institute for Physical Therapy Educationi, the SquatMax-MD my own trainer up from Florida to train me in Philly. My focus that off-season was to improve my agility and explosiveness that lagged went head to head with the barbell back squat. It was found that after having a sports hernia surgery the prior season. “There was no significant difference in muscle activity between the When I met Brian, he told me he could get me faster and more devices.” In the study, the investigators concluded “If the Squatexplosive. He shared his own proprietary speed system (Speed Max-MD was available, it may be a better alternative to the barbell Maximization Algorithm or S-Max) that included several key indisquat.” This peer-reviewed study has been accepted for publica16 | PHILLYFIT
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(Endnotes) 1 “Comparison of Muscle Activation of Hip Belt Squat &Barbell Back Squat Techniques,” Dawn T. Gulick, PhD, PT, ATC, CSCS; James A. Fagnani, PT, DPT, OCS, CFCE, CSCS; Colleen N. Gulick, BS (BioE), EIT, CSCS Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Widener University, Chester, PA; Physical Therapy and Wellness Institute, West Norriton, PA; Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Fullerton, CA.
When I graduated from Bucknell University, I was the school’s all-time leading rusher, but NFL scouts dismissed me as being the typical small school running back, too small and too slow. Instead of giving up on my dream to play in the NFL, I got faster, stronger, and more explosive! Brian Henesey, MS Through many years of trial Owner & Lead Trainer and error, personal research, along with the good fortune to have worked directly with some of the best speed and strength coaches in the field, I have been able to identify key movements and training methods that work. I have taken this knowledge and created a patented multidisciplinary training system known as S-MAX (Speed- Maximization Algorithm). This unique system uses several key indicators that dictate individual training decisions and adjustments to ensure the athlete maximizes their full athletic potential in terms of speed and explosiveness! When we train athletes, we not only bring cutting edge training methods but we bring the same passion and commitment that enabled me to reach my dream of playing in the NFL. OverAchieve, where substance meets passion!
Group sessions are limited to 10 athletes per coach and sessions are divided into the following ages: • • • • • • • •
Ages 9 thru 13 HS/College Professional Athletes Adult Bootcamps Entire team training upon request Personal Training available Injury Prevention Programs. Baseball and Soccer Skill Training Please visit our website
http://www overachievesportsandspeed.com for additional information including schedule & rates.
Contact Brian 267-218-4042
brianhenesey@overachievesportsandspeed.com 320 S. Henderson Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406
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PHILLYFIT | 17
tion in the Journal of Isokinetics & Exercise Science and will be published this year. The study results were also recently presented at the Eastern Athletic Training Association (EATA) conference in December 2014. These results are important because in past peer-reviewed studies, other lower-body strength machines (e.g., Smith Machine, Leg Press) have failed to demonstrate similar leg-muscle activity to the barbell squat. The results also showed that the SquatMax-MD may offer some potential advantages over the barbell squat. It had a better hip abductor-to-adductor ratio, which may be important in knee-injury prevention and patella tracking issues. Also, the quad activity was higher, which was no surprise because in our belt squat-trained athletes, the important inner quad muscle (VMO) really develops prominently. These differences could play a positive role in helping to prevent knee injuries and are likely due to the unique design and kinematics of our device. Unlike other leg-exercise devices, the entire weight load is centered directly between the lifter’s legs. This develops what I like to call pillar strength by activating and strengthening those muscles that keep the knees from collapsing inward (known as knee valgus). Next Research Steps: Brian is collaborating with Dr. Stuart McGill, Professor of Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, whom many consider the leading authority on exercise and the spine. The hope is to develop some research protocols to gather data to demonstrate that SquatMax-MD not only protects the spine from axial and shearing loads but with the use of
resistance bands, it does indeed provide a therapeutic effect for those with compromised backs (herniated discs and facet arthritis). In the meantime for athletes of all ages and experience levels, SquatMax-MD is poised to become a real alternative to barbell back squats. From professional athletes looking to get an edge to busy high-school gyms, it offers athletes the chance to maximize their athletic performance without the risks of barbell squats. From an ACL injury-prevention perspective, it may be an effective tool for our female athletes who often avoid squats because of the pain and bruising that the barbell causes on their shoulders. Without a doubt, there is a certainly a place for this novel device that allows you to perform a pure free-weight squat movement with the safety and convenience that you usually only find with a machine. ~~~ A Philadelphia native and Radnor High School graduate, Brian Henesey had a motivational journey to the NFL that gained national media attention in the mid-nineties when he posed as a FedEx delivery person in order to get a tryout with then Arizona Cardinals head coach Buddy Ryan. Despite being three years removed from his Bucknell University football career where he was the school’s all-time leading rusher, Brian beat all odds and made the Cardinals’ roster as a running back/kick returner. He later would sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. After eighteen years as a clinical researcher in the pharmaceutical industry, Brian followed his passion and opened up OverAchieve Sports and Speed to help current athletes chase their dreams.
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Walking
HealthFIT
The Most Convenient, Free, & Easiest Exercise By Antoinette Williams-Forrest
T
he new goal for you this year is to get healthier. You’ve researched and discovered that there are so many different fitness programs available. You evaluate. Running: it gives you shin splints. Swimming: you hate getting hair wet. Yoga: it’s too crowded. Spin class: it’s too loud and too fast. There are so many workouts and so many excuses. None of these workouts are right for you. You feel overwhelmed and quit before getting started. But wait: what about walking? Think about it. It can be done almost anywhere and anytime. It’s cheap and it doesn’t place too much stress on your joints. Walking may not be cool or flashy but according to growing scientific evidence, walking, done properly and often, can deliver a wide range of benefits that are just as remarkable as those often gained from sportier routines. Here are eight great reasons to start walking. Walking is low-impact. Low-impact exercises tend to be less jarring on the body and joints, and less intense overall. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), keeping at least one foot on the ground at all times reduces your risk of musculoskeletal injury. For people with osteoporosis or arthritis, pregnant women, older adults, individuals who are obese, and people with bone,
joint, connective tissue injuries, low-impact is good baseline for physical activity. Walking is free. Did I mention walking is free? Well, it’s basically free. Although there are no membership fees to walk, purchasing a good pair of walking shoes is suggested. Walking is convenient. Did I mention walking is convenient for most people? Walking can be done in a Hippocrates park, on a beach, or in the woods. You can carefully walk up and down stairs and even on a treadmill. You can walk on rainy or sunny days or both. Time of day doesn’t matter – morning, afternoon or evening – but remember, safety first! You have many options from which you can choose. It’s your choice. Walking can help strengthen your bones. There are two types of exercises that can help strengthen and maintain bone mass and density: resistance and weight-bearing exercises. When you walk, you work against gravity while staying upright. Your bones are stimulated and strengthened by increasing the bone’s density. Increased bone density is important because strong bones, with other factors like diet and lifestyle choices, may help prevent osteoporosis. Keep in mind that you are using your legs and you’ll see the bone strength increase in your legs more than in your arms.
“Walking is man’s best medicine.” ~
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Walking can help your lower blood sugar. According to researchers at George Washington University School of Public Health in Washington, D.C., a mere fifteen-minute walk after dinner lowers blood sugar. “Walking burns up the sugar that’s in your blood and it strengthens muscles so you use blood sugar more efficiently. It helps your insulin work well. The benefit is almost instantaneous.” Walking can help reduce anxiety and boost your mood. Most research regarding exercise has stated how exercise increases blood and energy flow to the brain, thereby improving our mental sharpness. When walking, we experience those feel-good endorphins as they are released into the bloodstream. As this occurs, stress and anxiety are replaced with a more uplifted mood. Want to try for a greater benefit? Get active outdoors and with a partner or group. Walking is good for the heart. Anything that raises your heart rate and gets your blood pumping is a workout for your heart and circulatory system. Walking makes you think and can stir creative inspiration. Have you ever returned from a walk and realized you’ve worked through a problem or come up with an idea? Well, that’s because the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen not just to the muscles but to all the organs, including the brain. When we walk, we think. And because walking is a low-difficulty undertaking, we can direct our decision-making functioning to more internal matters. We can work through problems, come up with ideas, replay conversations, design, reflect, and discover thoughts and ideas. These are just eight reasons but there are many more reasons why walking is beneficial for most people. Still there are those who believe walking is untrendy, boring, and ineffective because of its simplicity. We should all come to understand and accept that getting fit does not require physical activity to be complicated and strenuous. Walking is a great exercise. In fact the faster, farther, and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least two hours and thirty minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or one hour and fifteen minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity and strength-training exercises at least twice a week. As a general goal, aim for at least thirty minutes of physical activity a day. If thirty minutes is too much, break 20 | PHILLYFIT
it down to two fifteen-minute sessions or three ten-minute sessions throughout the day; whatever is best for you. And remember, if you cannot make it to the gym or just aren’t in the mood to work out, don’t skip your daily exercise. One of the most effective exercises is a simple walk outside. Grab the kids, a neighbor, or your dog. If there is no one to walk with, grab the headphones. Better yet, just get moving one step at a time. Even if you walk ten to twenty minutes, you will still gain the many health benefits of this simple yet easy cardio exercise. Aging well is about taking care of yourself on many different levels and it doesn’t have to be rigid to be right. ~~~ Antoinette Williams-Forrest (ACE-CPT, GFI) is an NASM-Senior Fitness Specialist (SFS), Youth Exercise Specialist (YES), and owner of KIDZ 4 Fitness LLC and a.i.j.a.n. Fitness and Wellness.
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FitnessFIT
Atlantic City The Rebirth
A
By Mindy Solkin Owner & Head Coach of The Running Center
tlantic City, the island destination getaway for many Philadelphians and South Jersey residents, made famous by the board game, Monopoly, and the television series, “Boardwalk Empire,” is getting a facelift. Check out this baker’s dozen of positive happenings and support your local shore. 1. Tropicana Hotel Casino is renovating its guest rooms and public areas and building a digital sound and light show on its façade along the Boardwalk. Get ready for a feast for your eyes. 2. AtlantiCare LifeCenter Fitness at Tropicana is scheduled to open in May. This 12,455-square-foot multi-level full-service fitness center will offer cardio and weight equipment, saunas, and showers, as well as rooms for classes that include cycling, Zumba, yoga, and tai chi. With wellness on everyone’s mind today, what could be better than a partnership between a medical center with a fitness-center division and a destination hotel casino, located on the beautiful Atlantic Ocean? 3. Steel Pier is building a two hundred and five-foot observation wheel (picture a huge Ferris wheel) with forty climate-controlled gondolas that hold six to 10 people each (complete with food and drink available) that will take you on a twenty-minute ride, one thousand feet above the ocean. It intends to be a yearround attraction serving fifty-thousand riders per month. There will also be a zip-line ride. Hold on and enjoy the ride. 4. Harrah’s Casino is installing a 250,000-square-foot conference center. The venue, located across the bay from Atlantic City in Brigantine, will be known as Harrah’s Casino Resort Waterfront Conference Center. It will rival standards in Orlando, Dallas, and Las Vegas, which have held the reins on conference centers for dozens of years. Book it, Dan-o. 5. Resorts Casino Hotel is also building a conference center. The 100,000-square-foot venue will have an edge being located right on the boardwalk. Book it again, Sam. 6. The Claridge Hotel has welcomed Holtzman Art Gallery to its premises. The hotel, which no longer offers gaming, has converted the former casino space into a work of art for owner David Holtzman’s works of art. The gallery features original art of over fifty artists including familiar names like Salvador Dalí, Peter Max, and Louis Icart, as well as work from celebrities such as John 22 | PHILLYFIT
Lennon, Anthony Quinn, and Burt Young, who played Talia Shire’s brother in the movie “Rocky.” The venue is also available as a special-event space. I was fortunate to attend the opening of the gallery in February and my advice to you is run, don’t walk, to this amazing place. 7. Bass Pro Shops is about to complete building its Atlantic City superstore. It will reflect the state’s local wildlife and rich diversity of habitats including forests, lakes, rivers, bays, estuaries, and seacoast. Store features include hand-painted murals, museum-quality fish and wildlife mounts, a 13,000-gallon freshwater aquarium, and other tributes to South Jersey’s outdoor heritage. In addition, the Bass Pro Shops Outpost in Atlantic City will offer an incredible array of fishing and boating equipment that’s specific to the region as well as hunting, camping, outdoor cooking gear, outdoor apparel and footwear, and nature-themed gifts. Is it time for this city-runner girl to purchase a pair of waders? 8. Stockton College, which just became a university, purchased the Showboat casino and will start to welcome students to its Island Campus on the Boardwalk this year. It will have a hotel and restaurants that will be open to the public. It’s a known fact that when a university enters an urban area, its neighborhoods become renewed. So now Atlantic City will be a smart place to visit too. 9. Gardner’s Basin, a twenty-two-acre quaint fishing village-like area in Atlantic City’s Northeast Inlet, is planning a transformation, modeled after Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Currently, the Atlantic City Aquarium is housed there, as are a few restaurants. The concept plan calls for craft shops, dining establishments, and retail shops. Baltimore may have a harbor, but they don’t have a beach, a boardwalk, and an ocean. 10. Reconstruction of the boardwalk to extend from Revel to Gardner’s Basin with a deck that will overlook Absecon Island. I can’t wait till I can extend my run and end it with a cool drink and an ocean breeze. 11. We‘re all hoping that ownership of the Pier at Caesars, a high-end mall that sits atop the ocean, will be resolved. Had this article been written just one month ago, it would have had a big smiley face on it. So we will wait, and we will see, by the sea. 12. Billionaire Warren Buffett, who is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a mega real-estate company, also owns a subsidiary called BH Media. He recently purchased The Press of Atlantic City, a daily print and digital newspaper. BH Media also
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purchased Catamaran Media and Atlantic City Weekly, two local newspapers that serve the Atlantic City area. You can be sure that Buffett did his homework before slapping down the green. 13. And last but not least, my favorite positivity is the new mayor of Atlantic City, Don Guardian, who just celebrated his first year in office. With his energy and vision, he is a breath of fresh air, and I am behind him one hundred percent. I keep telling everyone that I am on the mayor’s team. I hope you are too. ~~~ Mindy Solkin is a professional running coach and entrepreneur and has coached 12,000 runners since 1992. She is the owner and head coach of The Running Center (www.TheRunningCenter.com), a service that offers group and private running programs for runners of all levels, from beginners taking their first step out the door to experienced marathoners looking to improve their time. The Running Center has two locations – New York City and its recently opened South Jersey Shore location. Other offerings include Runditioning™ classes, Treadmilling™ classes, fitness walking classes for active adults, kids’ running classes, custom training schedules, running-form analysis, and heart-rate monitor training. Coach Mindy is certified by USA Track & Field as a running coach and the American Council on Exercise as a personal trainer. Her articles have appeared in Runner’s World, New York Runner, the New York Times, the New York Daily News, Self, Shape, Fitness, and scores of other print and online publications. Coach Mindy has appeared on the television networks and shows “Access Hollywood,” CNN, “20/20,” “Today” in New York, “Good Day New York,” “Good Morning America,” and “The CBS-2 News This Morning Show.” She can be reached at info@TheRunningCenter.com or by calling (609) 246-6974. © 2015 The Running Center® LLC. All rights reserved
Comprehensive pain relief for a better life.
Springfield Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab ■ Compassionate, hands on, personalized attention each visit ■ Comprehensive Care for all Orthopedic, Sports Injuries, Joint Pain, Post Op Rehab, Balance and Fall Prevention, Gait abnormalities and Deconditioning ■ Most insurances accepted, all ages from adolescent to seniors ■ No MD prescription needed ■ Call today for a FREE 15-min. consultation Traci Haas PT, OCS, CSCS 4 E. Woodland Ave., Springfield, PA 19064 610-328-3330 ■ www.springfieldpt.com
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
PHILLYFIT | 23
PetsFIT
Honoring Our Senior Pets with Professional Photos By Lauren Kaplan
O
ne of the most important things we can do for our pets is provide them the proper care and attention as they manage the aging process. As a pet owner, it can be extremely difficult to watch one’s pet grow old and recognize the physical changes that take place. Sometimes we ignore the reality of the situation, but for most responsible pet owners, our pet’s health is an extension of our own. As our pets reach senior status, there is an even greater emphasis on maintaining good health. The moment our beloved dog or cat stops moving the way it used to or develops strange behavioral patterns, we know something has changed. Whether that equals more trips to the vet or extra monitoring at home, our senior pets need special attention. It is our duty as pet owners to recognize the changes and ensure our beloved pets have the tools to live long, healthy lives. Of course, the mental well-being of our senior pet is just as important as its physical state. One of the keys to your senior pets leading comfortable, happy lives is providing lots of attention and affection. This may seem like a pretty obvious statement to most. However, there are many pet owners who are just too busy to spend quality time with their pets when they start to age. We sometimes forget that maybe our elderly dog or cat isn’t getting joy from the same things it used to. Maybe we don’t spend that extra time with our furry family that we used to. As pet owners, this is the time to be proactive. When you start to recognize your pet getting older, that is when you need to take action and be ever present in your pet’s life. Its mental health and well-being depends on it! Treating your senior pet to a pet photography session is a special way to capture the bond you share together and it also enhances their quality of life. The normal, the daily, the present – these are the fleeting moments that we take for granted. Whether your dog is sitting in his favorite chair or your fabulous feline is curled up next to her sunlit window, capturing these everyday instances with your pet turns them into extraordinary memories. Not only that, but these are memories that we can literally hold in our hands. The photos are tangible and powerful remembrances of how special and meaningful one’s beloved pet is. The images also emphasize the uniqueness of our pets’ personalities. Every dog, cat, horse, and lizard has its own identity and the photos help to reflect that individual character. By freezing these fleeting moments, we are cementing the importance of our pet throughout the rest of our lives and what they mean to us. The question we should be asking ourselves is not why should I hire a pet photographer; it should be when? It seems that most owners do not think about getting their beloved photographed until 24 | PHILLYFIT
it is too late. Why is that? Why do we only realize the importance of something or someone when they have left us? This needs to change. We need to start appreciating and commemorating our pets before we say goodbye. Studies have shown that showing affection to our furry family dramatically increases our level of happiness. The fact is we don’t even need the scientific data to prove how happy our pets make us. The proof is in the smile on our face whenever we walk in the door to greet them (unless, of course, our pet left us something special to clean up!) The bottom line is that pet photography should be considered as important a purchase as your newborn photos or your wedding photography. How will you remember your pet when it’s time to say goodbye? The photos allow us to heal and provide comfort during our grief. They also serve as powerful reminders of the extraordinary bond we share with our extraordinary pets. Schedule your pet photography session today and stay in the moments forever. ~~~ Lauren Kaplan has been a working professional pet photographer in the Philadelphia area since 2007. Her business, Pet Imagery, has been awarded #1 Best Pet Photography (Philly Hot List 2010 and 2012) and Best Pet Services (2013 Philly Happening List). Lauren provides memorable pet sessions in the comfort of your home or location of choice, allowing your pet’s true personality to shine. She resides in South Philadelphia with her fiancé and her two all-black cats, Omega and Olympus.
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
Let your pup play while you’re away!
CoolDog-Gear
~ DOG BACKPACK ~
This pannier pack holds everything your dog needs for hiking or camping; water bottles, food, toys and poop bags. Comfortable, secure and fully adjustable. Benefits of using a back pack with your dog -- 1) It gives your dog a job 2) It presents a greater physical challenge for your dog 3) It Re-focuses Your Dog’s Attention!
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The Ultimate and toughest dog Stretch Leash we have come across. Takes all the jolting out of walking your dog. Solid rubber core for extended life. Non-stretch handle and traffic leader at base for tight control situations. Comes in a variety of colors.
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267-616-1619 www.Poochies-Place.com 341 W. Girard Ave. ~ Philadelphia, PA 19123 April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
PHILLYFIT | 25
PetsFIT
Keeping Pets & Their s e ’ p m o a People Together S H
By Marianne Iaquinto
I
magine that you live alone, are disabled, on a fixed income, and your pet is your only family. Your pet is sick, so sick that he appears to be dying before your very eyes. You make that frantic call to the veterinarian, hoping that they will agree to treat the pet and allow you to make small monthly payments. You are told that if you cannot make payment in full prior to treatment to have the pet put down. This is a call we received from a very upset and tearful woman in early January 2015. With no money and unable to qualify for Care Credit, she did not know what to do or where to turn to for help for her beloved cat. A fifty mile drive and a few hours later, the cat was treated by Sam’s Hope’s veterinary partner for a partial urinary tract obstruction, a potentially life-threatening condition.
***** Every 4 seconds, another companion animal enters a shelter in the United States. That’s twenty-one thousand, six hundred pets per day, one hundred fifty one thousand, two hundred pets per week, seven to eight million pets per year. More than fifty percent of pets that enter shelters never find a new home; five out of ten dogs and seven out of ten cats are killed in shelters. Approximately 1 million surrenders per year are due to the owners’ financial inability to provide the basic needs for their pets. All too often, difficult choices have to be made; pay the rent or provide food or vet care for the pet. The lives of over half a million companion animals can be saved each year by simply providing their basic needs; pet food and veterinary care. ***** Founded in 2013, Sam’s Hope is a nonprofit animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of companion animals by keeping them out of shelters, where they face a very uncertain future, and with their families. Struggling pet owners receive help through three program areas: Pet Food Assistance Program – pet food and supplies are distributed via four food pantries, two in-home support programs and directly to pet owners in need. Veterinary Care Assistance Program – financial assistance for annual wellness exams, vaccinations, illnesses, medications, as well as assistance to offset costs in emergency medical situations. 26 | PHILLYFIT
Meals for the Pets of the Homebound Elderly – pet food and supplies delivered to the door to homebound elderly pet owners via partner in-home support programs, home-delivered meals programs, and directly to pet owners in need. ***** Sam’s Hope’s work is relatively unique, as its focus is on preventing animal homelessness, and protecting the human-animal bond. The goal is to ensure that every loved and wanted pet stays in their home with their family, for the benefit of the pet and the pet owner. While the benefit to the pet staying with his/ her family is obvious, the benefit to the pet owner is one-hundred fold. A pet is a medication without side effects that has so many benefits. I can’t always explain it myself, but for years now I’ve seen how instances of having a pet is like an effective drug. It really does help people.” Dr. Edward Creagan, Oncologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
***** Donations and grants fund Sam’s Hope’s mission. The work is done by ten volunteers that have picked up and distributed sixty thousand plus pounds of pet food and supplies to three thousnad plus needy pets in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties since July 2013. In the same timeframe, fifty-five veterinary care assistance grants were awarded to needy pets and their families. The newest program, Meals for the Pets of the Homebound Elderly, is currently providing home-delivered meals to sixty-seven pets of the elderly; the goal for 2015 is home-delivered meals for two hundred and fifty pets. ***** Marianne Iaquinto, Founder & President of Sam’s Hope, is co-owner of Tony’s Pizza City in Wyndmoor, PA, and former VP of a national child identification and safety education franchise. Inspired by her beloved Shih Tzu, Samantha, and her awareness of the current economic climate which forces many pet owners to surrender or abandon their pets, she established Sam’s Hope with a mission of keeping pets with their families and out of shelters. Marianne, a long-time resident of Richboro, PA, lives with her husband, Tony and their beloved rescue dog, Molly. She enjoys photography and gardening.
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
Get Ready for Spring!
Make your appointment now!
RYERSS PETAPALOOZA Come celebrate the Ryerss & their love of animals Sunday, May 17th, 2015 from 11:00am - 2:00pm (rain or shine)
Held outside the lovely former summer home of the Ryerss in Burholme Park
Pet Rescue Groups for cats, dogs, rabbits, rats, pigs and bunnies
Small Group Classes Puppy to Advanced Behavior Modification
www.ThePositivePooch.com
Daily Walking Pet Sitting Puppy Play Dates
610.941.3687
Indoor Training Facility: 220 Balligomingo Rd., Conshohocken, PA 19428
Pet Adoption Opportunities Pooches on Parade at Noon BRING YOUR DOG -- the most “Victorian” dog wins a prize! Treats for pets and humans Collection site for donations of pet supplies Special pet exhibit in the museum Ryerss Museum & Library Burholme Park 7370 Central Ave Philadelphia, PA 19111 215-685-0599 ryerssmuseum.org ryerssmuseum@gmail.com Free to the public since 1910 as Northeast Philadelphia's first museum and library
Hart 2 Heart
We place animals in forever homes and specialize in rescuing cats through trap neuter return.
We have many cats and kittens, dogs and birds that need to be placed in forever homes or good foster homes.
We welcome blankets, toys, clothes and donations. Contact Sharon at 215-460-5062 or Mike at 267-767-1285
Bathe Your Own Dog
in your own private and safe bathing room for only
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Full Grooming Services
We’ll Bathe Your Dog Dog Walking Pick Up and Drop Off Service Supplies, Apparel & Fun Stuff
610-355-9500 www.dirtydogsolutions.com
3549 Rhoads Ave., Ste. A. (St. Alban’s Circle). Newtown Square, PA 19073 Like us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/DirtyDogSolutions
Stop in for a bath after running & playing at the dog park! April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
PHILLYFIT | 27
PET FENCES Serving Bucks and Montgomery County
Fences For every purpose • Security • Privacy • Pools • Dogs • Children • Residential or Commercial solutions For every need • Aluminum • Wood • PVC • Installation by trained professionals
•
Do-it-Yourself center has most PVC and aluminum styles in stock
28 | PHILLYFIT
free estimates!
Whether you have a dog, cat, or horse, our fence selection is as varied as the animals people call pets. Options include tight pickets for keeping puppies safe, heavy-gauge chain link for larger guard dogs, and of course, a variety of choices for corrals or horse pastures. Tell us your needs, and we will do our best to provide a secure environment for your pets.
215-362-8200
www.fencecity.com 619 Bethlehem Pike, Montgomeryville PA
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
Fence Installers
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April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
PHILLYFIT | 29
PHILLY’SFITTEST
Our readers‛ inspirational images and stories Theresa Gordon, Lumberton, NJ, Group Fitness Instructor & Personal Trainer LA Fitness, Future Fitness, and Elite Cycle and Fitness “Love of fitness and helping others achieve their goals for over 20 years!”
Gina Woodring, 44, CrossFit Fidelity Jamal A. Lewis AAAI/ISMA Personal Trainer Pole Academy Instructor Clubs Genesis/EZ Fit, Urban Fit
“I train super hard and follow a strict paleo diet. I workout at Retro Fitness on Kirkwood Highway in Wilmington, DE, and Hardbat Crossfit in Newark DE. I have been training since I was 14 years old and have always switched my training styles. Fitness is my life.” ~ Mark Boulden Jr., 31
Christine Gallagher, Creator/President, Red Hot Dance Fitness, LLC, and her dancers (Colleen Mazzotta, Shana Hunt, Beth McNeely and Laura Rafferty) take a break in their new workout video (available at www.RedHotDanceFitness.com). Photo by Tom Kovich.
Get your picture in Philly’s FITTEST!
Rich McCann Model/ Bartender
Ria Assmann, 25 Fairless Hills , PA 30 | PHILLYFIT
Email jami@phillyfit.com your high-quality photo and caption, including your name, age, hometown, and where you are or what you’re doing in the photo! It’s that easy!
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
HealthFIT
Y
PILATES: Peaking Performance
ou’ve heard of it; maybe even seen a version of a mat class happening at the gym. But you never inquired about it or asked what it can do to help you peak in your training performance? Now is the time to reap the tried and true benefits that over eleven million people have been experiencing over the past ninety years. The Pilates method of body conditioning incorporates over five hundred to six hundred exercises that utilize both equipment and a mat for a great cross-training routine that enhances the performance of many other types of workouts. It is a balanced combination of strength and flexibility training that works to build long, lean symmetrical muscles (not bulk), correct alignment of the body, improve posture, fine-tune coordination/balance, increase endurance levels, and reduce the risk of injury. Even doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors are all starting to recognize the support Pilates can give their patients to even maintain and improve faulty body mechanics, which cause chronic and sometimes painful conditions. In just a single one-on-one training session with a certified Pilates instructor, you’ll target the entire body with particular concentration on stabilizing the center of the body that Pilates calls the “powerhouse,” your core (the abdomen, back, and pelvic region). Pilates believes the powerhouse is the source of strength and control, radiating stretch and energy to the extremities of the body. Achieving a strong powerhouse helps slim and tighten the abdomen and gives a sleeker, toned physique. It helps in executing weight-training movements more efficiently and balances out current cardiovascular routines. In addition to the physical benefits, it can relieve stress by its deep engagement and focusing of the mind and by simply improving the circulation and blood flow. Worshipped in its earlier years by the New York City dance community, Pilates now spans the world and is practiced and praised by supreme athletes, celebrities, and supermodels as well as professional dancers. Some of Hollywood’s hottest bodies have been sculpted by Pilates! Pilates is in no way gender-specific, either. It was actually developed by a man, Joseph Pilates, with incredible strength rooted in his past as a boxer, bodybuilder, avid skier, gymnast, and diver. The beauty of Pilates is also that anyone can do the work. From a beginner who has been sedentary to a highly accomplished athlete, skill and age are not factors. All of the resistance in Pilates is created by one’s own body weight and spring-based apparatuses, which provides little jarring and stress on tendons and ligaments because springs are most like our muscles with attachments in two places (one for stability and one for movement). Pilates is also based on low repetition of exercises with focus on the quality of movement rather than quantity, so you are not exhausted but invigorated after a session. To begin transforming your body through Pilates, find the right studio and instructor. A certified instructor will have gone through six hundred to one thousand hours of training, so be cautious of those trained in only a weekend workshop. Your instructor should start you off with a private session where he or she discusses your medical history and goals, and evaluates your body. You will then be guided through a workout based on your needs and physical condition. Sessions are usually sixty minutes long and you will always receive the guided
and monitored direction of an instructor. Your instructor will also let you know when you are ready to move on to the next levels, equipment or classes. ~~~ June Hines Pilates (JHP) is a full-service studio run by a team of experienced instructors all certified under the gold standard of Pilates training, Romana’s Pilates (Romana Kryzanowska was a protégée of Joseph Pilates, who developed the method, and she carried on his work with a mission to keep it pure and authentic). June Hines Pilates Studio will put together a plan based on your goals, pain points, and level of fitness. Visit us online at www.junehinespilates.com and join us at one of our two June Hines Pilates Studios for a private, semi-private, or group class. Our studios are at 1132 Dixon Lane, Rydal, PA 19046 (215-5768261) and 26 E. Swamp Rd. (Rt. 313), Doylestown, PA 18901 (215-2300198). Send us email at junehinespilates@verizon.net.
FIND PEAK PERFORMANCE WITH PILATES Become Leaner, Stronger, Flexible...In Control!
WWW.JUNEHINESPILATES.COM 26 East Swamp Road, Doylestown, PA 215.230.0198 1132 Dixon Lane, Rydal, PA 215.576.8261
Mention this ad for 50% off your 1st Private Session
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
PHILLYFIT | 31
HealthFIT
Promoting Exercise for the Heart & Soul By Mindy Toran
S
easun Zieger believes being good to your body is good for your soul. A certified group fitness instructor and choreographer of a line of best-selling step fitness DVDs, she is bringing her passion for personal fitness and wellness to Jenkintown, PA, with the recent opening of Studio Sol, a boutique fitness center offering small group classes and personal training. “This is my dream come true,” says Seasun, who started her career in the fitness industry at the age of 17, when her mom bought her a membership at Living Well Lady in Jenkintown. Her outgoing personality led to a front-desk and sales position at the all-female gym. When an instructor called out sick one day, her manager asked her to teach a body-sculpting class. “I had never even taken a class there and knew nothing about body sculpting,” she recalls. “I ran out to my car to grab a Madonna tape and taught the class. It was such a blast! I was hooked! The next day I signed up to get certified to teach fitness classes and the rest, as they say, is history,” she says. Seasun began teaching about 20 classes per week and went on to manage several fitness centers in the Jenkintown area, including Living Well Lady, Weston Fitness, now the Aquatic and Fitness Center (AFC), and the Abington Club. In her 20-plus-year career, she has taught a variety of group fitness classes in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including step, body pump, HiiT (High Intensity Interval Training), and TRX Suspension Training, has trained professional fitness instructors, and choreographed and starred in six fitness DVDs. “I guess you could say group fitness is my passion,” says Seasun. “My goal for Studio Sol is to encourage people to put their heart and soul into their bodies by staying healthy, exercising, and feeling good about themselves.” Seasun is excited to be starting this new chapter of her career in Jenkintown, the community in which she grew up and discovered her love for the fitness industry. The studio itself has been a part of Jenkintown’s history since the 1870s. Originally a pharmacy, the building later housed Rosenberg’s Hebrew Books for more than 35 years. Seasun transformed the façade of the building to show off the three ornate window panels surrounding its front entrance, in addition to exposing one of the original brick walls, refurbishing the chestnut-colored hardwood floors and highlighting the decorative white tin ceiling and crown molding. The result is an aesthetically appealing, cozy space that feels even larger due to floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the front and side walls. 32 | PHILLYFIT
April/May/June | 267-767-4205 | www.phillyfit.com
PhillyFIT Profile Seasun Zieger
Do Your Customers See Your Company the Way You See Your Company?
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725 Conshohocken Road Conshohocken, PA 19428 610-828-9423 We are YOUR Proving GroundTM
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It’s Simple: ? T I F Y L L I H P g n i d a e r s s i m o t t n a w r e Nev
y p o c r u o y t e g o t r e t s i g e R t a e n i l n o T I F Y L L I H of P m o c . T I F Y L L I H P . w w w
TODAY ...