Category Archives: Health & Wellness

City’s Famous Springs Waters Still Thought To Have Restorative, Maybe Healing Properties

January 4, 2018January 4, 2018

The Hathorn is one of the many sources of spring water in the city.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Maureen Werther

As a lifelong resident of Saratoga Springs, Charlie Kuenzel recalls his childhood, when everyone had a deep understanding of and appreciation for the city’s history and the role the famous mineral springs played in making the city a famous destination.

People seeking health, wellness and perhaps even the fountain of youth sought out the springs in year gone by.

Long before the race horses, the high-rollers and the wealthy elite, the bubbling waters that spouted from the ground were revered by the Mohawk Native American tribe, who believed they had restorative and healing qualities. Today, scores of people continue to visit the springs each week, filling bottles and jugs with water to use in a variety of ways.

Some waters are consumed, while others are used topically as a curative. Proponents of the waters attest to their restorative, revitalizing and healing powers, and different springs are used for issues ranging from intestinal discomfort to acne.

Tips For Wellness In The ‘Golden Years’

November 1, 2017November 2, 2017

Kym Hance, client care services/aging life care manager with Herzog Law Firm. Courtesy Herzog Law Firm

By Kym Hance, CMC

There are a number of myths regarding aging. Some people may mistakenly believe that aging only means getting sick or disabled, while others may think that all adults face memory loss in their later years.

Even more people believe that once you reach a certain age, there is less that you can contribute to society and that you are done learning. All of these beliefs are absolutely false. In fact, many people find that the years following retirement are filled with health, vitality, and meaning.

Since we are all going to get to those golden years eventually, here are a few tips to consider that may help to make that stage of life some of the best years you’ll ever have:

1. Active Mindset. Keeping the brain active and fit is imperative to the health of older adults. Not only does it help stave off memory-loss illnesses like Alzheimer’s and dementia, but it also fosters executive function. Try word games and recall exercises. For example, find 5 red objects during a walk in the neighborhood and recall them when back home. Routines limit brain stimulation so introduce new foods or new ways of eating the same food. For example, replace canned peaches with freshly sliced ones. Also, try taking a different route to the grocery store or shopping center.

2. Balancing Act. In addition to exercises that build strength and improve flexibility and cardiovascular endurance, make sure to add balancing activities to the daily routine. Good balance requires maintaining a center of gravity over the base of support. Tai chi, yoga, walking on challenging surfaces and water exercises all enhance overall balance.

3. Dancing with the Seniors. Older adults getting regular physical exercise are 60 percent less likely to get dementia. Exercise increases oxygen to the brain and releases a protein that strengthens cells and neurons. Dance involves all of the above plus the cerebral activity present in learning and memory.

‘Metabolic Meltdown’ Provides Individually Tailored Workouts In An Open Classroom Setting

November 1, 2017November 2, 2017

Tyler Hammett, assistant manager and trainer at Metabolic Meltdown on Gick Road in Saratoga Springs, assists one of its clients during her workout. ©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Rachel Phillips

Metabolic Meltdown opened a new location at 30 Gick Road in Saratoga Springs, marking its fifth facility in the Capital Region. It boasts over 100 new members.

The space, which used to be Saratoga Health and Fitness, is a 5,000-square-foot facility consisting of the main workout area, locker rooms and a gym.

Metabolic Meltdown was founded by Matt Phelps in 2008 when he was working as a trainer for high school and college athletes. The mothers of his pupils were intrigued by his training regimens, and requested he prepare one for them as well, he said. His business grew quickly, jumping from 90 members 2013 to 2,000 in 2017. He had to expand to new locations across the area, including Clifton Park and Green Island.

The success of Phelps’ business is in large part due to the structure of his program. Unlike other workout facilities, Metabolic Meltdown is neither a gym, nor an exercise class, he said.

Each 45-minute session encompasses six different workout stations. The members exercise at each station for a given period of time before moving on to the next, giving them the opportunity to get a full-body workout that merges strength and cardio training. The exercises are considered metabolic training because they’re geared to alter a person’s metabolism, get the blood flowing and make participants healthier.