SOLON — Ability Physical Therapy and Elite Fitness Studio have been a fixture on the south end of Solon in Spartan Square for several years, anchoring a block of healthy living enterprises. And now, both operations are expanding both in staff and space.
Andy Bishop, DPT (Doctorate of Physical Therapy) said a 1,000 square foot expansion, into space formerly occupied by Eastern Iowa Family Counseling, will provide more room for Elite Fitness Studio and two new massage suites for Ability Physical Therapy. There will also be space providing more privacy and a quiet place for nutritional consultants and others to meet with clients away from the various machines and activities.
The goal with the massage rooms, he said, is to provide space and an environment more conducive to massage therapy. In addition to the rooms, Becky Hall, LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist) is joining Amber Seye and Jennifer Kellogg on the Solon staff.
Becky is a 2018 graduate of the Institute of Therapeutic Massage and Wellness in Davenport and is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). “I’ve just shifted from nursing to massage therapy and have a background in massage therapy.” She hired on with Ability shortly after massage services were reinstated post-pandemic. “It’s been a little bit of a slow process with people coming back and being comfortable enough to receive massage, but I feel we’re going at a good pace again, and I consider myself very lucky to be working here.”
Several forms of therapeutic massage are offered at Ability including Swedish, neuromuscular/deep tissue, sports massage, myofascial release, lymphatic massage, cupping therapy, and hot stone massage. Massage, regardless of the specific modality, has a number of benefits, she explained, including relaxation, “Which allows your body to rest and to heal, and allows your body and your mind to come to the same spot; to get centered.” Muscle tension is released and circulation is improved through massage as well.
Almost anybody can benefit from massage, she said, with clients ranging from student athletes to people recovering from an injury, back pain sufferers, people with other chronic pain issues, and senior citizens as well. “Everything is adapted for the individual person. Pain is probably the most common reason for massage. Some come in for headaches, some for TMJ or other neck issues, sometimes they’re coming in because their chiropractor recommended it, and we get some people who come in after they’ve finished up with physical therapy, and it just helps them maintain the goals that they met in physical therapy. Massage is very complimentary to chiropractic care and physical therapy,” she said.
Stress reduction and relaxation is also a major benefit to massage and is often a stand-alone therapy for many. “Our world is stressful and it’s good to be able to just come and center yourself and coming together with your mind and your body at the same time.”
Most of Becky’s clients have a goal in mind with their massage therapy. For some it’s just to achieve relaxation. “They will come in every two-to-four weeks with the goal to de-stress. For people with a pain issue, they’ll come in ever week, every two weeks, until that gets to a good spot for them.” For all of the benefits, some people are hesitant or reluctant to get a massage.
“I hear people say, ‘I don’t like to be touched,’ and that’s OK because there are people that are not comfortable with touch. But if they’re here asking for a massage, they’ve usually worked past that block. One of the ways we can help with that is that we can find some type of massage for them whether they stay fully clothed on the table, or they just want their neck and shoulders worked on. I’ve had people come to me that just want their feet worked on. So, if they don’t want the typical full body massage, everything is customized for them and their needs.” Modesty is maintained at all times with sheets and blankets, she added.
It’s key for people to keep in mind massage is something they can do for themselves. “This is a moment in time, it could be a half hour or an hour, and they’re often not able to do that whether it’s moms or dads, or someone that works a lot. It’s an opportunity to truly just take some time for themselves and nobody else.”
Becky said she is looking forward to moving into the new space, which will augment the current one massage room with larger spaces and will give therapists like her the ability to implement more modalities such as the hot stones. While names such as “deep tissue” or “hot stone” sound invasive or even torturous, she insists massage should not be painful. “It may be uncomfortable, but you have to work with the therapist and the client to make sure there’s good communication.” For example, a therapist working on a trigger point may induce some pain, but once the point is released, the client will experience relief. “Cupping is really great for trigger points. The hot stones are good for loosening the area around the spot you need to get into.”
One benefit Becky has found working at Ability is having fellow massage therapists on staff, as well as the physical therapists, and being able to share information and ask questions. “I can go to Jill (Boogerd) and say, hey, this isn’t working for this client, is there a certain way they could move to get better? So, I see this as a good, holistic resource here.”
Once the new rooms are completed Becky will be expanding the hours massage is available by adding a couple of evenings per week, being on-site until 8:00 p.m. instead of the current 6:00 p.m. closing. The move, she hopes, will make massage more accessible to people who work during the day. Also, at least two Saturdays per month will be added, “So we can reach those people who can’t come in during the week because they’re working.” The new rooms will provide a more relaxing environment for massage, she said. “it’s going to be a good balance between a clinical setting and a massage studio.”
Jill Boogerd, ACE-CPT, NESTA-FNC (American Council on Exercise Certified Physical Therapist and National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association Fitness Nutritionist Course) has joined Elite Fitness Studio as a nutritionist and personal trainer.
She’s been in the fitness industry since 1997 starting out in a gym and working there for 18 years doing group fitness and physical training. Her passion for nutrition started around 2009.
“I just felt like there were missing pieces from the fitness side of things, and people needed to learn how to eat as well as to learn how to move their body.” Fitness and nutrition, she said, go hand-in-hand, and sometimes the nutritional component is more important.
“You can’t out-train a bad diet. So, making sure people are getting their overall fitness, nutrition, and well-being all together in one package. I think its important for people to be able to learn to make (better) choices (about what they eat), but still be able to have some of their favorite indulgences now and then. I think that there is a balance, and that that is definitely possible.”
Her approach is not based on following so-called quick weight-loss programs because as she noted, “quick weight loss leads to quick weight regain.” Instead, she works with her clients for a long-term fit with their lifestyle, their kids’ schedules, work schedule, and even their sleep schedule. “I just really enjoy making sure that a person is able to focus on their wellness most of the time while being able to enjoy life as well. I always tell my clients we all have a birthday, nobody is exempt from another year older, so when I talk about age it’s the real thing. You can be healthy at any age, you can start at any age, it’s never too late for anyone.”
In her own case, Jill said she didn’t really start focusing on herself until she reached her upper 30s. “I always worked in a gym, I always moved my body, I always try to make good choices but I didn’t really focus on those things until later, and it’s definitely beneficial.”
Eating healthy, she pointed out, contributes to improved sleep, helps to lower blood pressure, can improve any stage of diabetes a person may be entering into, improves cholesterol levels, can improve a person’s mood, and even movement itself. Helping her clients make those better food choices pays dividends when they find themselves hungry in a convenience store.
“They’re getting a little bit better about having better (healthier) choices available. You can always look for things that are higher in protein, maybe there’s a fruit or vegetable available, but choosing something that doesn’t contain ‘white carbs’ such as pretzels, crackers, bread, buns, pizza crust; things that don’t serve you as well.” It’s about learning how food choices can serve you and get you closer to your overall health and wellness goal, she said. “How can you have a better quality of life? How can you improve the days that your living, even as you age?”
During the pandemic, with many businesses closed outright or severely limited in their operations, coupled with fears of public gatherings, many formerly active people became sedentary; spending more and more time at home, not going out, and developing different habits, she said. “And now they’re trying to work their way back out of something that had they not had that time, they would’ve kept moving and getting healthy. But it was like something changed, a shock, and they went from being super-busy all the time to can’t go anywhere, can’t do anything.”
Jill and her family moved to Solon about two years ago and she was working at a cross fit gym in Cedar Rapids. But the daily drive and time away from her kids led her to seek something local. She started at Elite in January as a personal trainer and began nutritional coaching in June. She has clients in all four of Elite’s locations (including Center Point, Lisbon, and Marion), and also does nutritional coaching online. “So, if you have family that live out of town, out of state, and they want the nutrition program, you can still get it.”
At her first meeting with a new client Jill finds out what they want to achieve and what their overall goal is. “We talk about starting off with one change at a time, and gradually increasing habit change. If you are someone who is really gung ho and have lots of motivation and ambition, sometimes it’s good to slow you down and make sure you don’t go gung ho for a week and then lose it.” Jill works with the client to craft an action plan which is short, and attainable, while making gains and building new habits (and getting rid of the old). “We do a resting metabolic rate test, which determines the number of calories your body needs to sustain itself. From there we can create a plan for weight loss, weight gain, muscle gain, we can help determine how many calories your body needs with the movement that you’re doing to develop the system that you need.”
Perhaps the biggest challenge new clients face is the willingness to make that long-term commitment, and the changes necessary to bring it about. “Anything that is comfortable doesn’t see change. You’ve got to step outside your comfort zone to actually see any kind of change or a breakthrough; or any gains.” It boils down to a shift in the mindset and realizing it’s not that you “can’t have” something, but rather maybe there’s a better choice, which will get you closer to your goal.
“Always think about what you can do, not what you can’t do. You can have anything you want, you’re not being forced, but is it going to get you where you want to be?”
Ability and Elite truly is a one-stop-shop for wellness.
“Say you had an injury, you can get physical therapy, let’s get your muscles built back up, let’s get you eating right, and massage your stress. It just kind-of works it’s way through from one door to the next,” said Jill. “And it’s never too late to start, you just can’t stop.”
Elite Fitness Studio can be reached by phone at 319-624-1GYM (1496) while Ability’s number is 319-624-1250. You can find them on the web at www.EliteFitnessIowa.com and www.ChooseAbilityPT.com respectively. In addition to more information about the services provided, and the staff, there is also the ability to schedule an appointment.
Both are located at 411-413 Haganman Lane in Solon.
An open house, celebrating completion of the expansion, is planned and will be announced at a later date.
Jill Boogerd